Resignation and Retirement of Singaporean Nurses

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question No. 1384

To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many Singaporean nurses have resigned in the past 10 years; (b) what are the top three reasons underlying this group of nurses leaving service; and (c) how many Singaporean nurses retire annually in the past 10 years. 

Written Answer

1     Based on available data from 2013 to 2018¹, an average of about 850 local nurses resigned from the public healthcare sector each year. The average resignation rate for this period was 6.0%.

2     Over the same period, around 0.1% or 20 local nurses retired each year. 

3     The most common reasons cited by local nurses when they left the public healthcare sector include family commitment, further studies on their own accord and desire for a change in work environment. 

¹ MOH began collecting attrition, resignation and retirement data in greater detail from public healthcare institutions from 2013.