A passion for nursing that is shared by the whole family

A married couple who are both nurses have a son and daughter who followed in their footsteps, with the daughter now serving in the same hospital as her mom - Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin.

Apart from Mother's Day, yesterday was also International Nurses Day, which marks the contributions that nurses make to society. And the family of nurses made quite an impression.

The matriarch, Alice Yiu Lai-ping, Prince of Wales department operations manager (medicine and therapeutics), could be seen buttoning up the uniform of her daughter, Cheng Wing-hei, 26.

Yiu explained that buttoning the top was a "must" back when she started out more than 30 years ago.

"By wearing the top button, I hope it carries the meaning of a legacy," Yiu said. "Legacy is so important for nurses, as nurses work with passion and be diligence."

Yiu met her husband, Cheng Kwok-chung, in nursing school in 1984.

Their children were devoted to joining the profession, with the son, Cheng Chun-him, serving in a public hospital in Australia.

Cheng Kwok-chung, 61, retired in November 2022 but returned last year as an advanced practice nurse.

He is now working in the radiology department at the Central Government Aided Emergency Hospital in Lok Ma Chau Loop.

During the SARS epidemic in 2003, Yiu worked in ward 8B at Prince of Wales - right next to ward 8A where the first SARS patient was admitted.

Cheng Wing-hei said her parents have taught her a lot about infection control and that she became a nurse during the pandemic.

Despite her mother being a senior staff member, Cheng said she does not enjoy any privileges.

Yiu said: "Sometimes if Cheng does something wrong and is scolded by her senior, she may be scolded once again - by me."

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com