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Sunday, Feb 24, 2013
The Straits Times
By Melissa Pang
SINGAPORE - Nurses here are becoming more qualified to better perform their jobs - flying in the face of a perception that the profession does not require much skill.
Nurses say training of a higher level is translating into an improved understanding of patient needs and more staff specialising in certain areas.
Earlier this month, a furore ensued over a footnote in the Population White Paper which labelled nursing a low-skilled job. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong all issued apologies over the "factual error".
Three out of 10 of about 34,500 nurses here last year held at least a bachelor's degree, double the proportion that did so in 2005. The degree holders are all registered nurses. To qualify for this title, a nurse is required to have at least a diploma.
There are also enrolled nurses, who have certificates from the Institute of Technical Education.
As of December, there were about 26,000 registered nurses and about 8,500 enrolled nurses here.
The number of highly skilled registered nurses who have at least a master's degree, called advanced practice nurses, has also risen from nine in 2007, to 88 last year.
These experts in specialised fields such as mental health and community health are qualified to do physical examinations, diagnose and treat common ailments.
More nurses have also gone for further job training at the SingHealth Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing - 9,400 nurses graduated last year, up from 7,672 in 2008.
The growing number of better qualified nurses is a result of better support from health-care organisations for their staff seeking higher education, said the Ministry of Health.
With changing health-care needs and demands, continuing education and skills upgrading are critical to help nurses stay relevant, said a spokesman for public health-care group SingHealth. It ensures that nurses are equipped with new knowledge to improve patient care, he added.
About 40 per cent of the group's nurses have degrees. Of these, 4 per cent hold master's degrees and doctorates. Research has shown that a highly educated nursing workforce not only improves patient safety and quality of care but saves lives, said Professor Sally Chan of the National University of Singapore's Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies.
For this reason, in recent years, many countries have called for registered nurses to be educated to degree level, said Singapore Nurses Association president Lim Swee Hia. For instance, since two years ago, Australia has required all registered nurses to be degree holders at entry.
But while academic qualifications are important, "equally essential in the demanding area of health care is having experience and the human touch", said Ms Elaine Ng, group director of nursing at private health-care provider Parkway Pantai Group. Three in 10 of its nurses hold degrees.
Ms Serene Tan, 42, an advanced practice nurse specialising in neuroscience, said the in-depth education has made her a more critical thinker and boosted her confidence in caring for patients and dealing with family members.
Ms Tan, who began her nursing career with a diploma in 1999 and is among half of the 2,445 registered nurses in Tan Tock Seng Hospital who hold degrees, said: "With more advanced training, I'm able to understand the deeper science behind what is happening to the patients and contribute to clinical decisions.
"When family members of patients have questions, I'm also better able to answer them."
The Straits Times
By Melissa Pang
SINGAPORE - Nurses here are becoming more qualified to better perform their jobs - flying in the face of a perception that the profession does not require much skill.
Nurses say training of a higher level is translating into an improved understanding of patient needs and more staff specialising in certain areas.
Earlier this month, a furore ensued over a footnote in the Population White Paper which labelled nursing a low-skilled job. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong all issued apologies over the "factual error".
Three out of 10 of about 34,500 nurses here last year held at least a bachelor's degree, double the proportion that did so in 2005. The degree holders are all registered nurses. To qualify for this title, a nurse is required to have at least a diploma.
There are also enrolled nurses, who have certificates from the Institute of Technical Education.
As of December, there were about 26,000 registered nurses and about 8,500 enrolled nurses here.
The number of highly skilled registered nurses who have at least a master's degree, called advanced practice nurses, has also risen from nine in 2007, to 88 last year.
These experts in specialised fields such as mental health and community health are qualified to do physical examinations, diagnose and treat common ailments.
More nurses have also gone for further job training at the SingHealth Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing - 9,400 nurses graduated last year, up from 7,672 in 2008.
The growing number of better qualified nurses is a result of better support from health-care organisations for their staff seeking higher education, said the Ministry of Health.
With changing health-care needs and demands, continuing education and skills upgrading are critical to help nurses stay relevant, said a spokesman for public health-care group SingHealth. It ensures that nurses are equipped with new knowledge to improve patient care, he added.
About 40 per cent of the group's nurses have degrees. Of these, 4 per cent hold master's degrees and doctorates. Research has shown that a highly educated nursing workforce not only improves patient safety and quality of care but saves lives, said Professor Sally Chan of the National University of Singapore's Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies.
For this reason, in recent years, many countries have called for registered nurses to be educated to degree level, said Singapore Nurses Association president Lim Swee Hia. For instance, since two years ago, Australia has required all registered nurses to be degree holders at entry.
But while academic qualifications are important, "equally essential in the demanding area of health care is having experience and the human touch", said Ms Elaine Ng, group director of nursing at private health-care provider Parkway Pantai Group. Three in 10 of its nurses hold degrees.
Ms Serene Tan, 42, an advanced practice nurse specialising in neuroscience, said the in-depth education has made her a more critical thinker and boosted her confidence in caring for patients and dealing with family members.
Ms Tan, who began her nursing career with a diploma in 1999 and is among half of the 2,445 registered nurses in Tan Tock Seng Hospital who hold degrees, said: "With more advanced training, I'm able to understand the deeper science behind what is happening to the patients and contribute to clinical decisions.
"When family members of patients have questions, I'm also better able to answer them."
