A bit of context, this issue in SG has been long on going. It’s not a new issue, not even 10 years back, it goes longer than that.
In short, am a former nurse from Malaysia, who worked in NUH 8 years back under the same hostile conditions. With no support, from the Nurse manager, hospital and HR.
My first brush with the working conditions there, came from about 15 years ago.
When a senior returned from SGH to work back in KL, but with a bad neck disc degeneration due to the work load and nature. A surgeon commented ‘Wow if this was in the UK, the hospital can get sued under OSHA’.
I went on to join NUH, my first red flag was the urgency they needed me to come over citing ‘shortage of staff’. I already told them, I am taking a 3 month break after years of working in Kl. They called every 3 weeks, asking me to consider coming now.
You said, you are the top hospital in SG. Then why the chronic shortage of staff?
Second red flag is when I arrived there.
The ward was in shambles!
To say cowboy ward, form the staff’s to patients and nurse manager, is an understatement. Never have I seen a ward, with 3 nurse managers, 1 charge nurse, 1 Clinical Instructor and only the charge nurse is hands on. The rest Do Nothing.
And the ward manager, doesn’t even sit in the ward! Disappears to God knows where, after clocking in.
Third red flag is when the senior nurse of 10 years said to me, that she is trying to get a transfer out for 8 years to no vail. Because, for 10 years this ward has been short of staff. What has the hospital management and Matron, been doing?!
Fourth red flag. No paid overtime. Off day withheld at the whim and fancy, of the management. Slave is it? Work for free. Disgraceful labour laws and union.
In short, apathetic; Nursing management, HR, Hospital administration.
The patients have no shame, in yelling F*ck you to the nurses. Thankfully never to me, as I already came in as senior nurse and do not take this rubbish from anyone.
The nurses, is another story. While there are hard working, eager to serve young ones. There is a deep bullying culture in nursing, there is even a research done on it- called the ‘teenage high school girl syndrome’.And in SG, it is worst because of the influx of foreign nurses.
The Pinoy’s gang together, Indians from India one group, Chinese from China one group and the minority of Singaporean + Malaysian nurses. Reports would be passed in Tagalog, Tamil, when its supposed to be in English.
To be honest, some countries nurses are really poorly skilled and poor in attitude.
Human resource asked me 3 times to not resign, or wait till they can get more senior nurses. They had 10 years for that!
I came back with a bad plantar faciatis, which needed 1 year of treatment.
Because there were no chairs for nurses to sit, why? Because they need to add more beds, so nurses desk & chair has was removed.
Even when I was in agony standing, the Nurse manager will drag the chair away from me and not allow me to see the Doctor, till I just walked out and went myself , without the stupid slip.
*I was not bonded, due to the senior entry level. To the young ones, stuck with the bond, feel sorry for you my fellow colleagues. But dialog and awareness, must go on.
In short, am a former nurse from Malaysia, who worked in NUH 8 years back under the same hostile conditions. With no support, from the Nurse manager, hospital and HR.
My first brush with the working conditions there, came from about 15 years ago.
When a senior returned from SGH to work back in KL, but with a bad neck disc degeneration due to the work load and nature. A surgeon commented ‘Wow if this was in the UK, the hospital can get sued under OSHA’.
I went on to join NUH, my first red flag was the urgency they needed me to come over citing ‘shortage of staff’. I already told them, I am taking a 3 month break after years of working in Kl. They called every 3 weeks, asking me to consider coming now.
You said, you are the top hospital in SG. Then why the chronic shortage of staff?
Second red flag is when I arrived there.
The ward was in shambles!
To say cowboy ward, form the staff’s to patients and nurse manager, is an understatement. Never have I seen a ward, with 3 nurse managers, 1 charge nurse, 1 Clinical Instructor and only the charge nurse is hands on. The rest Do Nothing.
And the ward manager, doesn’t even sit in the ward! Disappears to God knows where, after clocking in.
Third red flag is when the senior nurse of 10 years said to me, that she is trying to get a transfer out for 8 years to no vail. Because, for 10 years this ward has been short of staff. What has the hospital management and Matron, been doing?!
Fourth red flag. No paid overtime. Off day withheld at the whim and fancy, of the management. Slave is it? Work for free. Disgraceful labour laws and union.
In short, apathetic; Nursing management, HR, Hospital administration.
The patients have no shame, in yelling F*ck you to the nurses. Thankfully never to me, as I already came in as senior nurse and do not take this rubbish from anyone.
The nurses, is another story. While there are hard working, eager to serve young ones. There is a deep bullying culture in nursing, there is even a research done on it- called the ‘teenage high school girl syndrome’.And in SG, it is worst because of the influx of foreign nurses.
The Pinoy’s gang together, Indians from India one group, Chinese from China one group and the minority of Singaporean + Malaysian nurses. Reports would be passed in Tagalog, Tamil, when its supposed to be in English.
To be honest, some countries nurses are really poorly skilled and poor in attitude.
Human resource asked me 3 times to not resign, or wait till they can get more senior nurses. They had 10 years for that!
I came back with a bad plantar faciatis, which needed 1 year of treatment.
Because there were no chairs for nurses to sit, why? Because they need to add more beds, so nurses desk & chair has was removed.
Even when I was in agony standing, the Nurse manager will drag the chair away from me and not allow me to see the Doctor, till I just walked out and went myself , without the stupid slip.
*I was not bonded, due to the senior entry level. To the young ones, stuck with the bond, feel sorry for you my fellow colleagues. But dialog and awareness, must go on.
