SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION, AND MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE 19TH TAN CHIN TUAN NURSING AWARD FOR ENROLLED NURSES, 21 NOVEMBER 2025

Ms Chew Gek Khim, Deputy Chairman, Tan Chin Tuan Foundation

Ms Paulin Koh, Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health

Mr Noel Ng, Director, D.S. Lee Foundation 

Ms Samantha Ong, President, Singapore Nurses Association

Mr Ryan Chua, Chairman for the Organising Committee of the 19^th Tan Chin Tuan Nursing Award for Enrolled Nurses

Nurses, award recipients

Ladies and gentlemen

1                 Good afternoon. It gives me great pleasure to be here this afternoon at the 19^th Tan Chin Tuan Nursing Award for Enrolled Nurses, the highest accolade dedicated to our Enrolled Nurses. Today, we are honouring 12 outstanding Enrolled Nurses who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, compassion, and professionalism in advancing healthcare and patient well-being.

2                 Our Enrolled Nurses play an important role in our nursing workforce. They are an integral part of the team that delivers safe, effective, and patient-centred care, and are well-trained to take on varied responsibilities across the care continuum. Some even take on expanded roles, such as administering medication within institutional protocols and performing complex wound dressings.

Contributions of Enrolled Nurses

3                 This year marks the extraordinary milestone of 140 years of nursing in Singapore. It is a legacy built on generations of nurses who have delivered care with unwavering compassion, resilience and professionalism. Today, our nurses continue to carry this proud legacy forward, each making a meaningful difference to the health and well-being of our people, from the frontlines of our healthcare institutions to the heart of our communities.

4                 Mdm Wong Yen Ming, a Principal Enrolled Nurse at Sengkang General Hospital, is an outstanding example. From establishing Nuclear Medicine services to leading award-winning quality improvement projects in the reduction of cross-infection risks, Yen Ming was instrumental in advancing Radiology nursing at Sengkang General Hospital. As a mentor, she developed practical educational resources and sustainable learning tools to facilitate the growth of junior staff into confident practitioners. She also is known for her compassion towards patients in anticipating their concerns and making them feel safe and cared for, as shown by over 100 compliments received from patients over just two years. With her professionalism, nurturing mentorship, and empathetic patient care, Yen Ming embodies the highest standards of nursing, consistently driving improvements that benefit both colleagues and patients. Yen Ming is also our top recipient of this year’s award. Congratulations, Yen Ming!

5                 Nursing care does not just take place in the hospitals, as we are increasingly shifting care from hospitals to the community. In the community, the dedication of our nurses are just as evident. For over 17 years, Senior Enrolled Nurse Ms Irdawaty Binte Abd Razak has been a pillar of strength at AWWA Senior Community Home, caring for frail seniors with mild dementia, multiple comorbidities, and diverse socio-economic challenges. She ensures the overall wellbeing of residents through a holistic approach that focuses on their physical, mental and social health, empowering them to live independently and with dignity. During the COVID-19 circuit breaker period, Irdawaty led round-the-clock care and immunisations tirelessly, ensuring that the residents remained safe and protected. One of her innovative initiatives was the personalised medication education chart, which improved medication adherence among the seniors who often struggle with complex prescriptions. This, in turn, enhanced medication safety and achieved zero-error outcomes. Well done, Irdawaty!

6                 These stories remind us that nursing is not just a profession – it is a calling. My sincere congratulations to Yen Ming, Irdawaty and all awardees! Each of you represent the very best of what nursing stands for. You have all worked hard to hone your professional skills and enhance your knowledge, so that you can continue to make a real difference to your patients.

Update on ITE’s Higher NITEC in Nursing and Work-Study Diploma in Nursing

7                 I had previously shared that the Institute of Technical Education’s (ITE) two-year Nitec in Nursing programme will transit to a three-year Higher Nitec certification with updated core competencies and generic skills from 2024. The Higher Nitec in Nursing programme provides students with enhanced theoretical knowledge, better critical reasoning skill and expanded clinical skills such as performing venepuncture, intravenous cannulation, and intramuscular injections. The students can also take on a more proactive role to make recommendations and suggestions to support and assist Registered Nurses to provide timely and safe care to the patients. Graduates with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 can apply for progression to the 2.5-year pathway of the Diploma in Nursing programme at the Polytechnics. I am heartened to hear that more than 880 students have joined the Higher Nitec in Nursing programme since January 2024, and I look forward to welcoming them to the healthcare sector upon their graduation.

8                 ITE also launched the three-year Work-Study Diploma in Nursing in September 2024. This provides another key pathway for Enrolled Nurses seeking to upgrade to Registered Nurses in addition to the existing Polytechnic courses. The Work-Study Diploma is particularly useful for in-service nurses, as it provides them with the skills and knowledge necessary to advance in their careers and meet the evolving needs of the healthcare sector, without disrupting their income and work progression. 76 Enrolled Nurses from the two intakes in October 2024 and April 2025 have started their upgrading journey with support from their ITE lecturers and parent healthcare institutions, and I have heard many praises of their driven and excellent learning attitudes. I wish them all the best in their academic and career endeavours!

Key focus areas of the Standing Committee for Nursing

9                 In 2023, MOH formed the Standing Committee for Nursing (SCN), which sought to develop strategies to build a competent, resilient and future-ready nursing workforce to meet Singapore’s healthcare needs. The Committee comprises our Chief Nursing Officer in MOH, Ms Paulin Koh, the Group Chief Nurses from the three public healthcare clusters, representatives from AIC, and with myself as Chairperson. The SCN had completed its first term earlier this year and has just been renewed for a second term, as we continue this meaningful work.

10             Listening to the voices of our nurses is important. Their insights, experiences, and perspectives are invaluable in shaping policies, improving patient care, and fostering a supportive work environment. Through the SCN’s first term, we engaged nurses on the frontlines through focus group discussions and surveys, to find out how we could better advocate for nurses’ well-being and enhance opportunities for professional development to engender a meaningful career in nursing. From the feedback gathered, three key focus areas have been identified and prioritised for further evaluation and action, namely: (i) nursing well-being, (ii) supervisory capabilities and leadership, and (iii) professional development. I would like to thank all nurses involved for your honest and candid sharing during the various engagements.

11             As the Committee enters its second term, we will be working with the public healthcare clusters and community care sector to advance these key priorities, in line with transformational shifts within the healthcare system. This will involve enhancing existing supervisory frameworks for nurse leaders to better support their needs, so that they can in turn, better support the needs of other nurses on the ground. Under the SCN, we will also be looking at strengthening nursing capabilities, particularly in both the acute hospitals and community care sector, to empower clinical decision-making and autonomy for nurses. We will also be reviewing the nursing career model to enable nurses to reach the apex of clinical excellence whilst attaining professional recognition for it.

12             MOH remains committed to work towards creating a healthcare system that both supports and empowers our nurses.

Closing

13             I want to reiterate my appreciation to all nurses for being exemplary representatives of what it means to put others first. Without your hard work and dedication to this profession, nursing would not be where it is today.

14             I again would like to thank the D.S. Lee Foundation and Tan Chin Tuan Foundation for continuously supporting this award since 2006. A big ‘Thank you’ to the Singapore Nurses Association too, for your strong support in organising this meaningful annual event to celebrate the achievements of our Enrolled Nurses.

15             Once again, my heartiest congratulations to the 12 outstanding awardees. Thank you, and I look forward to your continued contributions to advancing the nursing profession.