The short answer is yes. In Singapore’s fast-paced healthcare sector, balancing professional duties with academic advancement is not just possible—it is a common pathway for career progression. As the demand for highly skilled healthcare professionals grows, many Enrolled Nurses (EN) and Registered Nurses (RN) are looking toward a nursing degree in Singapore to unlock leadership, clinical, and management roles.

Takeaways: Balancing Work and Nursing Studies

If you are currently on the fence about enrolling in a part-time degree in nursing, here are the essential quick facts:

• Feasibility: Most part-time programmes are designed for working adults, with classes scheduled in the evenings or via blended learning.
• Career Growth: Transitioning from an advanced diploma in nursing to a degree can significantly increase your salary and responsibilities.
• Flexibility: Institutions like the Management Development Institute of Singapore (51±¬ÁÏ) offer top-up degrees that cater specifically to those with prior nursing qualifications.
• Sponsorship: Many public healthcare clusters offer study leaves or sponsorships for nurses pursuing further education.

What is the Difference Between an Enrolled Nurse and a Registered Nurse?

Understanding your current standing is vital before choosing a nursing course in Singapore. The Singapore Nursing Board (SNB) distinguishes between these two roles based on education and scope of practice.

Steps to Pursuing a Nursing Degree in Singapore for Polytechnic Graduates

If you are a polytechnic graduate holding a Diploma in Nursing, you are already halfway there. Here is the typical roadmap:

1. Check for Exemptions: For a nursing degree in Singapore, polytechnic grads can often complete their degree in 2 years instead of three.
2. Verify SNB Accreditation: Ensure the programme is recognised by the Singapore Nursing Board if you intend to practice clinically as an RN.
3. Secure Employer Support: Inform your Nurse Manager. Some hospitals allow for “protected time” or flexible shift scheduling to accommodate staff to partake in part-time nursing courses in Singapore.
4. Apply for Subsidies: Check if you are eligible for the Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) or SkillsFuture credits.

Pros and Cons of Working While Studying

The Pros

• Immediate Application: You can apply theoretical knowledge from your studies directly to your ward duties.
• Financial Stability: You continue to earn a full-time salary, making nursing degree fees after subsidy much more manageable.
• Seniority: You accumulate years of service while upgrading, which is crucial for future promotions.

The Cons

• Shift Fatigue: Balancing 12-hour shifts with night classes requires immense mental and physical stamina.
• Social Sacrifices: Your weekends and rest days will often be dedicated to assignments and exams.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Underestimating the Workload: A part-time nursing degree for registered nurses is rigorous. Avoid taking on too many extra shifts during exam periods.
• Ignoring Non-Clinical Options: Many nurses believe they must stay in clinical roles. However, a healthcare management degree can open doors to hospital administration and policy-making.
• Waiting Too Long: Education subsidies and employer sponsorships often have age or tenure requirements. Starting earlier can lead to a longer, more lucrative career.

Are There Nursing Courses in Singapore for Foreign Students?

Yes, international students can apply for full-time diplomas and degrees. However, they must meet English proficiency requirements (IELTS) and secure a Student’s Pass.

Advancing Your Career with 51±¬ÁÏ

While clinical skills are the backbone of nursing, the future of healthcare lies in effective leadership and systems management. This is where the Management Development Institute of Singapore (51±¬ÁÏ) excels.

If you are a Registered Nurse looking to transition into a leadership role, 51±¬ÁÏ offers specialised programmes such as the Bachelor of Science (Honours) Healthcare Management (Top-up) and the Master of Science Healthcare Management. These courses are designed to fit the busy schedules of healthcare professionals, providing the strategic reasoning and critical thinking skills needed for the modern ward.

By choosing 51±¬ÁÏ, you aren’t just getting a certificate; you are joining a community dedicated to lifelong learning. Their partnerships with renowned universities from across the globe ensure that your education remains competitive.

Contact us today and enquire about our Healthcare and Nursing courses.

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, one phenomenon has revolutionised the way we approach public health: the digitalisation of healthcare. As technology advances at an unparalleled speed, integrating digital tools and solutions has become increasingly widespread within the healthcare industry.

Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic reinforced the practicality and viability of digital healthcare provision. From telemedicine consultations to wearable devices monitoring vital signs, the digitalisation of healthcare can enhance accessibility, efficiency, and overall patient outcomes.

In this blog, we will explore the transformative power of digitalisation in healthcare, delving into its benefits, trends and future for both healthcare providers and patients alike. Join us as we embark on a journey through the realm of digital healthcare trends and uncover the incredible possibilities that lie ahead.

What is Healthcare Digitalisation?

Firstly, you may be wondering what exactly healthcare digitalisation is. Healthcare digitalisation refers to integrating and utilising digital technologies and solutions within the healthcare management industry.

It encompasses adopting electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine platforms, wearable devices, health applications, artificial intelligence (AI), and other innovative technologies that enhance the delivery and accessibility of medical services.

Digitalisation in healthcare transforms traditional processes and health systems into digital formats, enabling healthcare providers to store, manage, and share patient information securely, collaborate more effectively, and leverage data-driven insights to improve patient care and outcomes.

This shift towards digitalisation aims to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, promote personalised medicine, and ultimately revolutionise how healthcare is delivered and experienced by providers and patients.

Importance of Digitalisation in Healthcare Sector

indicate that the revenue in the digital healthcare market is expected to grow by 10.78%, achieving a market volume of US$256.30bn by 2027. According to them, the increase in digital healthcare applications and services is the primary source that will fuel this growth due to a global rise in smartphone penetration, from 49.40% in 2016 to 86.11% in 2023.

Unsurprisingly, advancements in artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning continue to generate significant developments in the healthcare sector. Furthermore, various digital healthcare tools can monitor patients remotely, such as ingestible sensors, robotic caregivers, etc.

According to , digital health utilises more than just tools and technology. It also views artificial intelligence and open, secure platforms as central to consumer-focused healthcare.

It is said that artificial intelligence will enable significant scientific discoveries, catalysing the production of new therapies and vaccines to fight illness and diseases. These artificial intelligence products will empower consumers to prevent health issues from developing. Additionally, it will influence patient diagnosis and treatment options, resulting in safer and more successful treatments. Intelligent manufacturing and supply chain solutions will also ensure the correct treatment and interventions are promptly provided.

Benefits of Health Digitalisation

Now that we have briefly understood the importance of digitalisation in healthcare, let’s explore the ample benefits that it has to offer:

1) Refined accuracy of patient diagnoses

With digital healthcare management technology, medical professionals can diagnose a patient’s condition remotely. Crucial patient information such as the treatment history, list of medicines taken, and existing allergies are some of the data that can be stored, viewed and shared between healthcare experts in real time.

A well-detailed and comprehensive patient profile is vital to any consultation, as it improves the accuracy of diagnoses and helps facilitate primary care with ease.

2) Diversified healthcare service possibilities

The rise of healthcare trends, such as digital healthcare platforms and applications, has aligned processes, making it easy for patients to store their medical data and healthcare services. These options offer dexterity to self-monitor their conditions remotely, emphasising self-care and granting them more autonomy over their treatment schedules and options.

With digital healthcare platforms, healthcare experts can also provide care in more ways, such as therapeutics and acute and chronic diseases. It also helps professionals detect changes or abnormalities in a patient’s health condition earlier, resulting in a faster response during health crises.

3) Enhanced healthcare service proximity

Travelling to receive care or treatment can be a hassle for patients living in areas distant to medical facilities, especially so for elderly patients or those with mobility issues. They will have to face further challenges getting to such facilities, should their conditions require treatment through long-term and regular follow-up appointments. However, with the rise and usage of digital healthcare platforms, healthcare providers will have no limitations, such geographical limitations will be removed, empowering healthcare providers with the ability to render clinical assessments to those in dire needs of their assistance.

4) Reduced healthcare costs

According to the World Health Organization, globally, such as medical treatment, rehabilitation and prevention.

With the rise of digital healthcare platforms like telemedicine and teleconsultation, patients have better control of their health conditions. It prevents costly trips to emergency rooms, clinics and hospitals and can help with transportation costs. This way, the cost of healthcare provision and patient healthcare is reduced. Therefore, more patients in the low-to-middle-income class can receive healthcare services at economical rates.

5) Increased system efficiency

The increasing global population is another concern, as there will be a by the end of the decade. With full access to a patient’s medical history and conditions, professionals can provide efficient treatment with better outcomes, and more patients can receive help instead of physical consultations.

Healthcare Trends [2023]

From innovative technologies revolutionising patient care to groundbreaking research transforming treatment approaches, 2023 promises to be a pivotal time for the ever-changing healthcare field. Let’s look at some of these healthcare trends changing the landscape and making the way for a healthier future.

1) Big Data in Healthcare

Data experts in healthcare use big data for various applications, from improving the patient experience to creating machine-learning models that can diagnose medical conditions. These data and analytics are used to spot trends and correlations to enhance their decision-making ability. This will transform healthcare forever, as it can make it more convenient for both patients and providers.

2) Wearable Devices

Wearable devices are becoming growingly popular, allowing individuals to monitor their health and activities at their convenience. Healthcare professionals also use wearable devices to track a patient’s condition remotely.

With the advancement of technology, wearable devices such as smartwatches can now perform scans such as ECGs that can detect health issues and predict the risk of heart attacks. In the future, wearable devices are set to evolve. They will be capable of utilising in-device analytics to protect patient privacy and improve data collection speed – which is crucial to detect and warn patients of life-threatening conditions instantaneously.

3) Patient Care with Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is another modern technology that has proven effective in treating patients and has many uses. An example is through programmes such as motion-enabled games; VR creates physical movements and motivates patients to exercise. Furthermore, VR rehabilitation allows patients to practice life skills virtually, easing them back into everyday lives. VR is also effective in treating pain, and Cedars-Sinai Hospital revealed that a VR experience . Through virtual care, medical professionals are able to help women in labour and patients suffering from chronic pain and reduce the need for pharmaceutical therapy.

4) Empowering Healthcare with AI

The emergence of artificial intelligence has brought revolutionary changes in the healthcare industry. Natural language processing (NLP) is an alternative form of artificial intelligence that qualifies computers to decipher and read our language. It is used in various health data applications to improve patient care with better diagnoses and simplify medical processes.

NLP has many uses, and one specific example would be identifying suitable treatment and medication for patients and predicting health risks based on previous health data. Furthermore, it can help medical experts diagnose illnesses and treat their patients accurately.

5) Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is effective in helping recently discharged patients and senior citizens. Healthcare organisations can be notified of potential health issues and efficiently track patient data. Many types of RPM technology allow patients to log their data. Some include heart rate monitors, diet logging programmes and glucose meters for people with diabetes.

RPM devices are highly beneficial as they enable patients to play a part in managing their health conditions, give patients and healthcare providers access to more data and allow for constant monitoring of patients remotely.

Final Words

Digitalisation in healthcare is already shaping the experiences of patients and healthcare experts worldwide. As technology continues to grow, digitalisation will inversely improve healthcare management and provision standards. By staying on top of trends such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices and virtual reality, healthcare professionals can perform at peak levels from 2023 and beyond.

At 51±¬ÁÏ, we have various healthcare programmes focused on educating healthcare professionals pursuing their tertiary education. Launched in 2018, the 51±¬ÁÏ School of Health and Nursing (SHN) prepares its students to be work-ready by equipping them with industry-relevant knowledge and skills.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare in the future, SHN may be the place for you. Visit our website to learn more about entry requirements, course duration and course structure for individual programmes. If you have any queries, please get in touch with our educational consultants today; they will gladly assist you.

Healthcare Management involves the planning, operations, and mobilisation of resources within healthcare systems, spanning diverse healthcare organisations, such as public hospitals, private hospitals, private clinics, polyclinics, nursing homes. Roles and responsibilities that fall under healthcare management include administration, scheduling of events and appointments, coordination with different departments to manage tasks including supervision of available healthcare grants, treatment options, and organising public health awareness programmes, amongst others.

What Are the Various Disciplines in the Healthcare Industry?

There are various professions across the healthcare industry, and these can be broadly categorised along the disciplines of Healthcare Administration, Nursing, Allied Health, Health Information Management, Medicine and Surgery, as well as Public Health. Amongst which, we focus our sharing on the following key disciplines:

Health Services Management is another name for Healthcare Administration, referring to the effective management and organisation of healthcare systems and services. Professionals in this field handle tasks related to insurance, financing, and operational efficiency to support healthcare providers.

This field emerged in the wake of growing healthcare needs transformed the administrative duties of nurses to dedicated services. Specialisation has increased the efficiency of health services management, and enabled limited healthcare facilities to tackle the demands of an increasing patient population.

Health Information Management (HIM): Professionals in this discipline manage health records, coding, data collection, privacy, and security of healthcare information, as well as analyse and utilise health data for decision-making as well as research purposes. They are critical talents trained to check, collate, and manage health records, facilitate and coordinate clinical appointments/ hospital visits visitations. They are also trained to advise or assist on medical subsidies, insurance claims and bill coverage matters, all-in-all, providing a seamless patient experience.

Public Health: It involves the study, research and organised efforts in promotion and education of physical, psychological, and social well-being amongst different sectors of the community; hosting talks/ public seminars on health prevention, food nutrition, policy development, environmental health and emergency preparedness, as well as informing them on the latest health news locally and globally.

There are also environmental challenges to deal with. For example, in Singapore, whenever there are changes to policies, healthcare professionals would need to work with non-profit and voluntary channels to more efficiently reach out and convey announcements and messages to the less tech-savvy/ non-educated segments of the population so that they would be aware of the benefits made available to them.

What Skills and Competencies Do I Need to Enter the Industry?

: The Skills Framework serves as a guide to help healthcare professionals identify relevant sectors, skills, and competencies required in each field. Individuals, employers as well as training providers may discuss and review an individual’s interests and advise them on their career progression.

Within the discipline of Operations, a Patient Service Executive is responsible for overseeing frontline services and department operations in private or public hospitals, community care or primary care settings. In addition to leading and managing the team within his/her scope of work, the individual may be involved in providing supervision, in addition to managing different counters such as patient registration, billing and payment as well as patient care. Hence, the Skills Framework facilitates identification of competencies needed for optimal job performance.

How to Get Started in the Healthcare Industry

By year 2030, one in five Singaporeans will be aged 65 years and above; approximately one million in the community, of whom, there would be about 100,000 who stay alone, requiring health, social, and community assistance. With an ageing population in Singapore, the healthcare industry is poised to create a career boom in the coming years. Here are 3 tips to get started in the healthcare industry.

• Willingness to learn and positive attitude

Anyone can excel in the profession for as long as they are willing to learn. Be selfless in sharing your experience. Share how you managed or facilitated a work structure change. Adapt to new tools and contribute to the design of digitised and automated solutions to enhance efficiency and increase productivity. Step up to be that change maker of whichever industry you join.

• Work your way up

Your first job in healthcare could see you start off at the junior level, serving as an administrative assistant. But keep an open mind set, adjust your expectations, and humbly learn from your peers; you could be promoted as you gain relevant industry experience. Face up to different challenges and turn your challenges to opportunities, make valuable contributions and work your way through supervisory to management roles.

• Hit the books again

We are never too old to learn. Be ready to head back to school as healthcare jobs require specialised skills and knowledge. 51±¬ÁÏ offers a myriad of opportunities to broaden your knowledge. Consider upgrading yourself with relevant knowledge from the 51±¬ÁÏ School of Health and Nursing (SHN). Check out our programmes available from Healthcare Management to Science Nursing. Choose the path that caters to your interest.

What Are the Available Programmes in 51±¬ÁÏ?

The 51±¬ÁÏ School of Health and Nursing (SHN) focuses on healthcare professionals who are pursuing post-registration courses in the field. The School of Health and Nursing aims to provide students with the most up-to-date healthcare knowledge and skillsets so that graduates could practice their profession in Singapore at the highest levels of competency. In collaboration with UK universities, the School offers Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor Degrees and Masters programmes. Check our website for more information.

Upgrade your Skills And Knowledge. Study at the 51±¬ÁÏ School of Health and Nursing (SHN)

The 51±¬ÁÏ School of Health and Nursing (SHN) provides ongoing healthcare education. In order to serve society, it is our goal to prepare future professionals for the health sector through our healthcare programmes. Our students learn how to deal with real-life challenges and are ready to advance in their healthcare careers with our on-campus Nursing Practicum Lab. We offer job-ready degree programs, including full-time and part-time top-up degrees, in collaboration with our well-known UK university partners.

Choose a healthcare course that best fits your interest, based on your career aspirations. Connect with former students who have taken similar programmes to gather their learning experience at 51±¬ÁÏ or reach out to us for more information. Send us an email at etc@mdis.edu.sg or give us a call at +65 6247 9111. Our dedicated sales representative will be glad to assist you.

• Nursing is the largest occupational group in the health sector, approx. 59% of the health professions 
• The global nursing workforce is 27.9 million, of which 19.3 million are professional nurses. 
• Up to 4.7 million nurses worldwide are expecting to retire by 2030 
• The world needs 6 million new nursing jobs by 2030 to meet health targets 
• The world could face a shortage of up to 13 million nurses by 2030 
• The estimates 10.6 million new nurses will be needed to both address the existing nurse shortage and replace the 4.7 million nurses 

Image Credits: WHO 

The increased intentions for leaving the nursing profession continues to rise largely due to insufficient resources, burnout and stress from the workload. The ageing workforce population is also a threat to the stability of nursing, primarily in the American and European regions. With 4.7 million nurses retiring by 2030, and nurses leaving the profession by choice, the gap will be impossible to fill without investments. 

While there is already an increasing number of nursing students since the start of the pandemic, there will still be a three-to-four-year gap before new nurses are ready to enter the workforce – which might leave the healthcare industry and the world exposed to possible new threats.  

More nurses, especially experienced nurses, in the workforce will solve the rising attrition rate. However, in order for that to happen, governments need to invest more specifically in the massive acceleration of nursing education; particularly the faculty, infrastructure, and students. They will also need to invest in creating new jobs to offset projected shortages (with improved capacity to employ and retain graduates) and strengthen nursing leadership to have a role in creating more effective health policies. 

Since 2021, nurses in Singapore receive an increase in salary of up to 14% depending on their seniority and their profession – with adjustments made accordingly.  

Image Credits: WHO 

There are different pathways and specializations for nursing which include clinical, management, education, informatics, and science. Example of nursing pathways, in Singapore, below. 

Image Credits: SingHealth 

Sources: 

What is a Nurse?

Within the healthcare sector, the nurse is focused on patient care – nurses work closely with doctors, medical professionals and are required to assess patient’s conditions, administer medication and coordinate information and care between doctors, patients and their families. 

Different Types of Nurses in Singapore

In Singapore, there are 2 types of nurses, Registered Nurse (RN), or Enrolled Nurse (EN). As nursing students, the RN and EN undergo different training, require different educational qualifications, and are both registered with the .

Registered Nurse

A Registered Nurse in Singapore can pursue different career tracks, and focus on specialities to develop their nursing skills, with opportunities to develop their interest and specialities. According to the Ministry of Health, the 4 career tracks for a Registered Nurse are: Management Track, Education Track, Clinical Nursing Track, and Nursing Research.

• Management Track: An RN going for this can progress to become a Nurse Manager taking charge of allocating manpower, job evaluation and policy review.

• Education Track: The RN who takes up the education track can choose to work in a healthcare institution as a Nurse Educator, or schools as a Lecturer, focusing on education and imparting skills and knowledge.

• Clinical Nursing Track: A Nurse Clinician works closely with patients to implement appropriate care and treatment plans, to help manage acute or chronic illness. A Nurse Clinician also helps with training other nurses and healthcare staff and can train to become an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN).

• Nursing Research: As a Nurse Researcher, the main roles include planning, initiating and facilitating nursing research.

Within the 4 career tracks, the RN can train and advance to become the Director of Nursing within the selected track.

Enrolled Nurse

An Enrolled Nurse (EN) works under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, to assist and provide support to the Registered Nurse in providing patient care. An EN can eventually progress to become a Senior Enrolled Nurse, who will be able to take on more nursing responsibilities.

Salary of Nurses in Singapore

A Registered Nurse will receive a higher pay grade than an Enrolled Nurse – it is estimated that the starting salary of an RN with a Diploma average around $2,500 per month, while an RN with a Degree average around $3,500. The average starting salary for an EN is estimated to be around $1,800.

According to the announcement by the in March 2021, nurses in Singapore’s public healthcare sector; for example, public hospitals – will receive an increment of 5% to 14% in their basic salary, from July 2021.

How to Become A Nurse in Singapore

To become a Registered Nurse in Singapore, a Diploma in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science (Nursing) is required. In the Clinical Nursing track, a Nurse Clinician who wish to become an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) must also take up a Master Degree.

To become an Enrolled Nurse, a NITEC in Nursing is required.

Upon graduation from the course, the Registered Nurse and Enrolled Nurse are required to take the Singapore Nursing Board Licensure Exam, before being able to practise nursing in general hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare institutions.

20% Increase in Nurses Numbers Than the Last Year

Nurses are needed not just in hospitals, but in the community – with the ongoing pandemic, an ageing society and the prevalence of chronic diseases.

Many are now considering taking up nursing as a profession, a career switch, while some nurses are upgrading themselves, for better career advancement and development.

Accredited by the Singapore Nursing Board, 51±¬ÁÏ partners with Edinburg Napier University (ENU) to deliver the Bachelor of Science Nursing (Top-up) programme. The 24-month part-time course is fully taught by the ENU faculty, the largest school of Health and Social Care in Scotland.

Upon completion of the programme, students will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and practical skills and gain employment in the four career tracks as a: Clinical Nurse Consultant, Nurse Manager, Nurse Educator and Nurse Researcher.

For more information on the course and curriculum, please visit: /bachelor-of-science-nursing-top-up

Nursing Career

Nurses are in demand and they are recognised globally. Nursing is one of the most sought after professionals and have a variety of different career options. There is a large demand for nurses who provide bedside care to patients in settings like nursing care facilities, nursing homes and hospitals. Nurses who have advanced degrees can attain positions as nursing or health service managers. They plan and coordinate the delivery of health services and may manage a department or an entire facility.

Nursing Education

Degree opportunities in nursing range from associate degrees and certificate programmes to doctorates in nursing practice. All nursing curricula have a core science requirement, including subjects such as biology, chemistry, human anatomy and nursing practical skills. As students advance through the bachelor’s and post graduate programmes, the courses expand to cover specialised areas like midwifery, oncology, emergency nursing, mental and geriatric care. The Bachelor’s programmes normally take two to four years and prepare graduates to become registered nurses. An additional two years in a master’s programme qualifies graduates to become nursing practitioners, nursing managers and directors.

Career in Healthcare Science

A degree in healthcare science is designed to prepare students to become healthcare professionals working in a hospital administrative setting, nursing schools or pharmaceutical companies. Graduates from healthcare science programmes may write and develop teaching materials and curricula for classroom learning, as well as informational catalogues on health for distribution to the public.

Health Care Education

The syllabus in healthcare programmes combine a substantial number of health, social care, business, finance and public health policy topics.  To learn the substance of health science education, students pursue courses in chemistry and biology, as well as physiology and human anatomy. These classes form the basis for courses like human physiology, drugs and culture, nutrition and community health. Additionally, by exposing students to business, accounting and financial modules they will be able to develop business plans, understand basic financial concepts and draft financial statements for their respective healthcare organisations.

Studying public health law and policies will also allow students to comprehend the interactions between social aspects, policy and health issues both locally and internationally. They will be able to set a general action plan based on health policies that are used to guide desired outcomes and fundamental guidelines to help in the process of decision making. Furthermore, ethics and law modules in the healthcare management programme will allow students to know the importance of ethical standards through medico-legal aspects. Thus, students will have a deeper understanding in promoting moral and social responsibility, patient welfare and legal safety compliance.

Conclusion

For years, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals have worked diligently in improving the quality and services in healthcare. Partnership from all healthcare professionals will provide a variety of effective and successful methods to improve patient care as well as promoting a healthy nation.

References

This article is contributed by Evonne George.

Be future-ready with 51±¬ÁÏ – find out more about our Nursing Programme here:

Nurses work across the entire spectrum of healthcare, from health promotion and disease prevention, to acute and palliative care. At present, the demand for nurse-led care is on the rise, gaining prominence in the healthcare industry with the growing ageing population and the increase in chronic disease burden. It has become increasingly evident that nurses are taking on greater roles and responsibilities, from first responder interventions, to patient and caregiver education, even specialising in the treatment and management of chronic diseases. In recognition of these changing times, new changes have been implemented under the Healthcare 2020 master plan, to aid and transform the delivery of care, to empower nurses to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills they require to advance professionally.

Nurses are at the forefront of being catalysts for change in our healthcare system. Advanced practice nurses (APN) are registered nurses with post-graduate qualifications in nursing, possessing the clinical competency, knowledge and ability to manage and diagnose common and chronic medical conditions. APNs are involved in the development of health practice and policy at both local and national levels. Their role in the healthcare industry far surpasses that of the classical definition of a nurse and their inspiring pursuit for further educational and professional development is pertinent in meeting Singapore’s growing healthcare demands.

As the value and need for qualified healthcare professionals continues to rise, a growing number of nurses have been enrolling in courses to broaden their expertise and remain relevant. The Bachelor of Science (Nursing) programme awarded by the Edinburgh Napier University (United Kingdom) at the Management Development Institute of Singapore (51±¬ÁÏ), School of Nursing, offers the perfect stepping stone towards making a rewarding and life-changing difference in your educational and professional journey.

Designed to suit the working nurse, this part-time top-up programme is accredited by the Singapore Nursing Board and consists of eight modules to be completed over 24 months. With new modules such as Management of Chronic Disease, the programme has been revamped to reflect the dynamic healthcare environment in Singapore, to groom and equip our budding graduates with the experience and skills they require to provide quality primary healthcare to the community. The programme also uses an easy, hassle-free online platform to communicate with instructors, allowing flexibility for working nurses without the expense of loss of contact time. Taught by academics and industry professionals who are experts in their field, the Bachelor of Science (Nursing) programme presents an opportunity for greater professional development and progress. With current statistics indicating that an overwhelming 30,000 more healthcare workers are needed by 2020, there is no better time than now to invest in your future and to inspire change in Singapore’s ever-evolving healthcare industry—exciting times await you.