SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HEALTH & MINISTRY OF LAW, AT THE 17TH TAN CHIN TUAN NURSING AWARD FOR ENROLLED NURSES, 21 NOVEMBER 2023, NG TENG FONG CENTRE FOR HEALTHCARE INNOVATION, 4.15PM

Dr Della Lee, Founder and Chairperson, D.S. Lee Foundation

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

Ms Paulin Koh, Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health

Ms Samantha Ong, President, Singapore Nurses Association (SNA)

Mr Derek Tham, Chairman, Organising Committee for the 17th Tan Chin Tuan Nursing Award for Enrolled Nurses

Nurses, Ladies and Gentlemen

1.              A very good afternoon to all of you. It gives me great pleasure to be part of this ceremony, and to join you to show our appreciation to our nurses. Congratulations to all the awardees of this year’s Tan Chin Tuan Nursing Award for Enrolled Nurses.

2.             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. These include monitoring patients’ vital signs; providing wound dressing and hygiene assistance; and assisting with rehabilitation programmes. Some take on expanded roles, such as administering medication and subcutaneous insulin injections, venepuncture, intravenous cannulation, and performing complex wound dressings. More recently, with the launch of Healthier SG, they may also assist in Health Plan assessments, screenings and referring patients to community partners as part of the Health Plan recommendations.

Contributions of Enrolled Nurses Recognised

3.             This year’s Tan Chin Tuan Nursing award for Enrolled Nurses recognises 12 outstanding awardees from the public and private healthcare institutions, including the community care sector. The awardees have each gone above and beyond in providing care, made meaningful contributions to their institutions, and shown steadfast dedication to caring for their patients. My sincere congratulations to all 12 awardees! Thank you for truly exemplifying what it means to be a nurse.

4.             Although I can only share three stories today, what all 12 awardees have in common are grit and passion. They have all worked hard to hone their professional skills and enhance their knowledge, so that they can continue to make a real difference to their patients.

5.             Let me start with the story of Mr Sim Thiam Hee, a Principal Enrolled Nurse at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). Thiam Hee completed a Certificate of Competency Course in Administration of Medication and can now provide the ConviDose medication service, which helps improve productivity and medication safety. He has also been actively involved in several quality improvement projects in IMH. For example, he worked to bring down instances of acquired pressure injuries in the psycho-geriatric long-stay ward, from 8.3% to 0. He was also actively involved in a project to reduce the number of falls among patients in a psychiatric ward who were nursed on restrainers during the night by 80% over a period of six months. Aside from quality improvement projects, Thiam Hee displayed innovation by contributing ideas and suggestions to improve the work process and patient care in the ward. Besides providing inpatient care, he also participates actively in programmes in partnership with external volunteers. He assists the IMHope volunteer group by conducting art and craft activities for patients over the weekend.

6.             Another recipient is Ms Siti Noraziah Binte Rahim, Principal Enrolled Nurse from Changi General Hospital. Noraziah has consistently displayed caring elements of compassion, competence and commitment that helped build good rapport with her patients. She participates actively in quality improvement projects and led several Kaizen projects in the ward. One example was when she introduced a bundle insertion kit for male catheterisation which saved time for doctors conducting the procedure. Noraziah also often goes beyond the call of duty to volunteer her nursing skills where she can. She has been volunteering at All Saints Nursing Home since 2018 and has inspired other ward nurses to be more involved in volunteering their nursing skills too.

7.             We also have Ms Noraini Mohamad Ali from the Health Promotion Board, who promptly stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic when nurses were redeployed, by serving Home Quarantine Orders to affected individuals. Additionally, she administered COVID-19 vaccinations to students with special needs at various special education schools, as well as vaccinations under the National Childhood Immunisation Programme for many other students. As an innovative and adaptable nurse, Noraini also designed and implemented several projects to streamline and improve work processes and nursing productivity. For example, by streamlining the procurement process and maintaining an organised inventory of medical and surgical supplies, she significantly reduced delays in care delivery and ensured the availability of essential supplies when needed.

8.              Congratulations, Thiam Hee, Noraziah and Noraini for your exceptional performance! To the other nine awardees, I also extend my heartiest congratulations to all of you for your contributions and achievements.

Transition to Higher NITEC in Nursing

9.             I am pleased to share that as of June 2022, the Singapore Nursing Board (SNB) has reviewed the roles of Enrolled Nurses and expanded their scope. Along with this, the descriptions of core competencies and generic skills have also been updated. Building on this important shift, the Institute of Technical Education’s (ITE) two-year Nitec in Nursing programme will transit to a three-year Higher Nitec certification from 2024.

10.          The new curriculum will equip Enrolled Nurses with more advanced knowledge and skills in areas like patient assessment, development of care plans, and health education. ITE’s teaching will also place emphasis on “horizontals” such as analytical skills, critical thinking, and clinical reasoning that will enable Enrolled Nurses to step up confidently, regardless of your area of nursing practice. I thank SNB, employers and leaders in the education field who have worked on this.

11.          Our core objective is to help you achieve your personal best in your career. MOH will continue to work with our partners to provide upgrading opportunities for you to progress to become a registered nurse.

Standing Committee for Nursing

12.          Over the course of my work and family life, I have seen the dedication and professionalism of all our nurses in overcoming challenges to continue to provide quality, safe and patient-centred care to patients. We will need to continue to grow and develop our nursing workforce to meet the needs of our ageing population.

13.          This is why MOH has formed the Standing Committee for Nursing (SCN), which seeks to bring our nursing leaders and policymakers together, to develop strategies to build a competent, resilient and future-ready nursing workforce to meet Singapore’s healthcare needs. The SCN is chaired by MOH’s Senior Minister of State, Dr Janil Puthucheary, and with myself as Deputy Chairperson. Key committee members include our Chief Nursing Officer in MOH Ms Paulin Koh, and the Group Chief Nurses from the three public healthcare clusters.

14.          At its heart, the SCN will advocate for nurses and engage the nursing workforce to bring the community together to face the challenges ahead of us. We want to encourage nurses to feel empowered and self-confident in their development too. This means being adaptable, resilient and proactive in charting a fulfilling career for themselves. Beyond the support provided by the government and employers, nurses are encouraged to find out more about the various ways for you to develop and upgrade your skills professionally.

15.          As part of the SCN, MOH will be reaching out to engage nurses next year to find out more about your views on topics such as (i) enhancing opportunities for the development and progression for nurses; (ii) supporting and advocating for nurses’ safety and well-being; and (iii) championing a fulfilling career for nursing. I look forward to your active participation and feedback in time to come.

Closing

16.          As we continue to work on improving the prospects and livelihoods of our nurses, I want to reiterate my thanks to all the nurses for being exemplary representatives of what it truly means to put others first. Without your hard work and dedication to this vocation, nursing would not be where it is today.

17.          I would also like to thank the D.S. Lee Foundation and Tan Chin Tuan Foundation for continuously supporting this award. This is the 17^th year of the Award. Thank you to SNA too, for helping to organise this meaningful event to celebrate the achievements of our Enrolled Nurses.

18.          To all 12 outstanding awardees, I extend again my heartiest congratulations to you. Thank you for your commitment, compassion, and creativity in your work. May your heart and resilient spirit continue to guide you in your pursuits. Thank you very much.