Evidence-based nursing, fearlessly advancing

Wong Shuk-ching
Senior Nursing Officer (Infection Control Team), Hong Kong West Cluster

During the fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, an outbreak of the Omicron variant occurred at the Moon Palace restaurant in Festival Walk. Several infected diners were seated in different areas. After careful observation, Wong Shuk-ching deduced that the virus might have spread through the gaps in the restaurant’s partitions. A smoke test confirmed her hypothesis. She excels at uncovering the truth from intricate details.

In 2018, a patient at Queen Mary Hospital contracted a nosocomial hepatitis C infection. Shuk-ching discovered that blood-collection tube holders in various wards were contaminated with tiny specks of blood. Based on this clue, she conducted a comprehensive investigation, establishing that this was the world’s first case of hepatitis C virus transmission through a reusable blood-collection tube holder. This finding also brought closure to a previously unresolved case. As a result, all public hospitals switched to disposable holders to reduce transmission risks. “Many people think the infection control team’s work is overly meticulous, but it is through these details that we can minimise the risk of disease spread,” she explains.

Shuk-ching has worked in the intensive care unit, respiratory, and infectious disease departments. In 2003, while working in a ward receiving SARS patients, she witnessed her colleagues becoming infected one by one, which deeply impressed upon her the importance of infection control. After participating in a nursing exposure programme, she decided to pursue a career as an infection control nurse.

She likens large-scale outbreaks to battles, acknowledging the anxiety that comes with them. “I hope to boost my colleagues’ confidence in evidence-based infection control measures.” She believes that prevention is more crucial than control when handling infectious disease. She hopes frontline staff will place greater emphasis on infection control and develop their expertise based on that foundation. Through continuous teaching, she imparts this philosophy. Her work in infection control has been recognised by the University of Hong Kong, making her the first clinical nurse to be appointed Honorary Associate Professor at the Department of Microbiology and the School of Nursing. “Infection control should be evidence-based, when you know you are doing the right thing, you must advance fearlessly.”