School of General Nursing achieves ‘International Safe School’ designation

In March, the School of General Nursing at Grantham Hospital (GH) signed an agreement that officially saw it become Hong Kong’s first healthcare training institute to achieve World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘International Safe School’ designation, after being successfully assessed for such accreditation in December last year.

To meet the demanding standards required to attain the five-year designation, the whole school worked together with one heart. A Safety School Steering Committee (SSSC) that included academics, support staff and students was established to drive the project forward, and the teaching of practical knowledge to students was reinforced through the promotion of an institutional culture and set of values that put health and safety at the centre of nursing care.

“We were already fulfilling the necessary criteria in practice – but we needed to implement a more systematic approach to their execution,” says Joseph Kwan, Principal of the School and Chairman of the SSSC. Staff were allocated tasks by the SSSC based on their professional knowledge and personal strengths to ensure the accreditation process was handled efficiently. The School also benefited from the advice of Hong Kong’s WHO International Safe School Certifying Centre – the Hong Kong Occupational Safety & Health Council.

Mr Kwan notes that tackling the various challenges was a demanding but rewarding experience, with the School’s improved health and safety management system resulting in smoother daily operations and providing a blueprint for other hospitals and departments. “Our goal wasn’t just the designation,” says Ruby Leung, General Manager (Nursing) at GH. “More importantly, we want to promote good health and safety to other professional and educational institutions and to the public at large.”

After 24 months of hard work, the School is the first healthcare training institution to attain ‘International Safe School’ status from WHO.	The whole school worked together with one heart. Nursing students also helped to develop the safety culture with actions.
Safety consciousness of the cleaner was also improved and shown in the application of appropriate protection equipment.	Any potential health and safety risk is covered by a practical guideline and has a colour classification to remind students and staff to follow the appropriate practices.