Speech by Minister of State for Health Dr Amy Khor at the “Healthcare Learning Journey” Event

Mr Wong Hong Kuan, Chief Executive, Singapore Workforce Development Agency,

Mr Chan Lee Mun, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Nanyang Polytechnic,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. I am delighted to join you today on this Healthcare Learning Journey organised by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency with the support of Nanyang Polytechnic and the Ministry of Health. I am happy to see many of you here considering a career in the healthcare sector. I am certain you will find it very rewarding, beyond just the monetary aspects of the job.

Healthcare – A Growth Sector

2. With a rapidly ageing population, Singapore’s healthcare needs will balloon in the coming years. We are investing heavily in the expansion of Singapore’s public healthcare infrastructure to meet these needs. Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Sengkang General Hospital are scheduled to be opened in 2014 and 2018 respectively. Three new community hospitals are also being planned next to the current Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and the two new acute hospitals. We are also increasing the capacity of our intermediate and long-term care sector and will more than double the existing number of beds and places in nursing homes, home care, day care and rehabilitation facilities by 2020.

3. Naturally, as we expand facilities and increase service provision, more manpower will be needed to operate the facilities. We will need to train and recruit a diverse range of healthcare professionals, such as nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and diagnostic radiographers.

Wide Array of Career Development Opportunities in the Healthcare Sector

4. Besides being a rapidly growing sector, healthcare is an industry where individuals can develop lifelong careers, deepen their professional expertise and most importantly, make a real difference to the lives of others.

Nursing

5. Take the example of nursing. Nurses form the backbone of the healthcare workforce. Besides providing good care for patients, nurses in the public healthcare sector can choose to advance along three career tracks – Management, Clinical or Education according to their interests and abilities. For example, one of the pinnacle roles in the clinical track is that of an Advanced Practice Nurse, or APN. APNs are trained at the Masters level and work as independent partners to doctors in their areas of expertise, such as holding consultation clinics to help patients to manage chronic diseases well, thus avoiding potential complications or re-admissions to the hospitals. Beyond hospitals, nurses play an increasingly important role in the community, whether it is in terms of caring for patients in residential care facilities or health promotion and illness prevention.

6. As knowledge workers, nurses need to continually upgrade their skills. We have a wide array of training opportunities as well as upgrading avenues such as advanced specialist diplomas, degree-upgrading programmes, such as the new nursing programme offered by the Singapore Institute of Technology or SIT, in partnership with the University of Manchester, as well as the Master of Nursing and PhD in Nursing offered by the National University of Singapore. In sum, nursing is no longer just a noble and meaningful profession that recalls the image of a Florence Nightingale -- sacrificial, inspiring and rigorous. It is today a high-skilled profession, one that is challenging and rewarding, and one where nurses can aspire to achieve mastery in clinical practice, progress far in their career and lead changes within the larger healthcare system.

Allied Health

7. The allied health professions are also an integral part of healthcare. For example, diagnostic radiographers work with patients using sophisticated medical and computer equipment and a wide range of techniques to produce diagnostic images and perform three-dimensional reconstructions of the body. These images and reconstructions will enable the healthcare team to accurately diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. Physiotherapists have expertise in treating musculoskeletal system disorders, and are able to make use of a range of treatment modalities to help patients regain or improve their mobility. Occupational therapists in turn help patients return to their maximum functional capabilities through rehabilitation, use of adaptive equipment, modifications to home and work environment, as well as supporting caregivers through appropriate training.

8. Like nurses, allied health professionals in the public healthcare sector have diverse professional and career development opportunities. For example, the new degree programmes in physiotherapy and occupational therapy, offered by SIT in partnership with Trinity College Dublin, commenced in September this year. These programmes provide local degree-upgrading opportunities for diploma-trained physiotherapists and occupational therapists to upgrade their skills and knowledge. Allied health professionals in the public healthcare institutions can also further their skills through advanced training in renowned centres overseas. This continual learning and development has enabled our allied health professionals to lead innovations for better patient care and improve how healthcare is delivered.

Making the Switch to Healthcare

9. Today, WDA partners with the Nanyang Polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education to offer training pathways for those from other sectors to join healthcare professions that are in demand. Through the Healthcare Professional Conversion Programmes or PCPs, mid-career professionals can obtain the professional qualifications to enter the healthcare sector as Registered Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Diagnostic Radiographers. The Place-and-Train Programme for Enrolled Nurses or PnT EN is another healthcare training programme enabling the switch into the healthcare sector as Enrolled Nurses. These healthcare training programmes provide an opportunity for those from other sectors to realise their passion, and make the switch to healthcare.

10. Since the programmes started in 2003 for nursing and 2004¹ for the allied health disciplines, the programmes have produced more than 760 nursing graduates and 60 allied health graduates. Their backgrounds are truly diverse -- nurses who were formerly journalists and teachers, radiographers who formerly studied engineering and humanities, and therapists who had backgrounds in business and outdoor education. Over the years, we have found that these graduates, have brought fresh perspectives and useful skill-sets to their work. Many of them have taken advantage of the career development opportunities, to further enhance their professional knowledge.

11. I would like to highlight two examples. One is Ms Tan Mui Lan, who is an Assistant Nurse Manager in St Luke’s Hospital. Formerly a medical technologist, Mui Lan was motivated to become a nurse after her experience of being the care-giver to her late mother. She subsequently enrolled into WDA’s PCP² for Registered Nurses in 2003 and joined St Luke’s Hospital as a staff nurse in 2005 upon graduation. Inspired by her clinical experience in St Luke’s Hospital, she sought to advance her nursing knowledge and skills to provide better care to her patients. With strong support from St Luke’s Hospital, she successfully completed her advanced diploma in gerontology and bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2008 and 2010 respectively and is currently pursuing her Master of Nursing. As an Assistant Nurse Manager now, Mui Lan mentors and supervises junior nurses and works in multi-disciplinary healthcare teams focused on improving patient care, on top of her clinical work.

12. Another example is Mr Yeo Suan Hoe. Propelled by his desire for a more rewarding career which will impact the lives of others, Mr Yeo, who was formerly an electrical engineer, decided to enrol into WDA’s PCP³ for Diagnostic Radiographers in 2004. He is now working as a radiographer in the Singapore General Hospital, independently performing specialised radiographic examinations and supervising the junior staff in the department. While the nature of the radiographer profession is different from his previous work as an electrical engineer, his background in engineering came in useful in understanding the physics of radiography and applying the concepts learnt during the course to his current work. More than six years into the profession, he continues to find fulfilment and motivation in his work through the appreciation from his patients and the collegial work relationships with his colleagues.

Enhancements to the Healthcare PCPs

13. While many mid-career professionals have joined us in healthcare over the past few years, I understand that there are considerable challenges in making a mid-career switch to a different sector. I know all of you here today are interested in healthcare, but may be apprehensive about taking the plunge, without a clearer picture of what life as a nurse or allied health professional is about.

14. Today’s Healthcare Learning Journey provides an opportunity for you to find out more about a career in healthcare. To help you make a more informed decision regarding your potential career switch to the healthcare sector, I am pleased to announce that from 2013 onwards, all short-listed candidates for the Healthcare PCPs and PnT EN, will have the opportunity to undergo an attachment at our healthcare institutions, after the selection interviews. These attachments will provide candidates a first-hand appreciation of the work that our nurses and allied health professionals do.

15. Besides wanting to have a clearer idea of the nature of work in healthcare, I recognise that another stress point faced by many mid-career switchers is the loss of salary during the conversion training period, as well as the cost of training itself. Today, trainees in the Healthcare PCPs and PnT EN receive monthly allowances of $1,000 and $750 respectively to cover their cost of living throughout their full-time professional training duration.

16. In order to make the career switch to healthcare a more viable and attractive option for mid-career professionals like yourselves, I am pleased to announce that from AY2013 onwards, healthcare trainees will receive enhanced monthly allowance rates, which will be 50% to 70% higher than the current rates, depending on their years of work experience prior to joining the Healthcare PCPs and PnT EN. As shown on the slide (refer to Annex), the monthly training allowance rate will range from $1,100 to $1,300 for Enrolled Nurse trainees and $1,500 to $1,700 for Registered Nurse and Allied Health trainees. For example, a trainee who has around four years of work experience prior to joining the nursing conversion programme will receive around $1,550 per month in training allowance throughout the two years of professional training. Furthermore, all trainees will now have their course fees fully sponsored.

17. We understand that making a career switch to the healthcare sector is a major commitment for most mid-career professionals. Nevertheless, with these enhancements to the Healthcare PCPs and PnT EN, we hope that more dedicated and passionate mid-career professionals will consider joining the healthcare sector to make an impact on the lives of our patients.

18. I want to end off with a story that Mui Lan from St Luke’s Hospital shared with us. She views the recovery of her patients and their words of gratitude as powerful motivators in her work. One of her patients wrote to her, “I will not forget you...you had faith in me that I can do it (stand up to walk) and you helped me so that I can walk. Thank you, Nurse Tan”. For many of you here today, I am sure that it is this kind of job satisfaction – of having improved the lives of ailing people, helping them on their journey to recovery -- that you wish to achieve in a healthcare career.

19. I am confident that the journey ahead of you can be equally fulfilling and rewarding, and I look forward to welcoming you into the healthcare family. I wish you an enriching learning journey ahead.

Thank you.

¹The PCP for Diagnostic Radiographers (DR), formerly known as Strategic Manpower Conversion Programme (SMCP) for DR was first introduced in 2004 (one-off intake). It was subsequently re-launched as the PCP for DR in 2009. The PCPs for Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists were introduced in 2008.

² Formerly known as the Strategic Manpower Conversion Programme (SMCP) for Registered Nurses

³ Formerly known as Strategic Manpower Conversion Programme (SMCP) for Diagnostic Radiographers in 2004