Speech by Mr Heng Chee How, Minister of State For Health, at the SIM - University of Sydney Graduation Ceremony

29 Sep 2006

By Mr Heng Chee How

I am delighted to join you at today’s graduation ceremony and congratulate all graduates for successfully completing your studies. You have invested much time and effort into this endeavour, and your determination and perseverance are admirable. I am told that some 250 healthcare professionals are graduating today. I hope your achievement would spur many others to follow.

I also commend SIM and the University of Sydney, which through such collaborative programmes have enabled many people to upgrade their skills, qualifications and professionalism whilst continuing with their careers.

The need for continuing professional development Singapore wants to provide well for the healthcare needs of our citizens and population, and also be an international medical hub, and a centre of excellent medical research and education.

Key to achieving this goal is to enlarge the size, spectrum and depth of our pool of well-trained, well-qualified healthcare professionals.

In 2005, the Nurses and Midwives Act was amended to establish the Advanced Practice Nurse register. To date, some 30 nurses have completed the Masters programme to become Advanced Practice Nurses. The Ministry of Health and the restructured hospitals are sponsoring 25 nurses for that Masters programme in 2007. While these are helpful steps, there is clearly much scope for more nurses to upgrade themselves onto this level. I hope many of you would do so.

Broad-base advance

Beyond nursing, the training and upgrading of specialist doctors, clinician scientists, family physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers, radiotherapists and other allied healthcare professionals will all receive due attention.

Retention

While the upgrading of skills and qualifications is important, we would all agree that capability building depends critically on how such talent is retained in the healthcare sector.If many good health professionals switch professions rather than stay and excel in the discipline they were trained in, then it would be a situation of a rolling stone gathering no moss. That would be frustrating to the professionals, and value-destroying for the system and society.

To retain well, both push and pull factors in personnel management must be carefully examined and addressed. The aim must be to make such careers in the healthcare sector attractive through employment terms that are competitive, work that is challenging, meaningful and developmental, leadership that is exemplary and inspiring, and prospects that are good. In respect of the nursing profession, I am told that the balance between administrative work, research and direct patient care as one moves up the career ladder is an important matter to manage.

A survey of the more senior APN interns carried out locally in 2004 found that they spend 20-50% of their time in direct patient care. A more recent survey done in May this year showed that APN interns are now spending about 60% of their time in clinical care. In US and Canada, APNs usually spend about 80 to 100% of their time in direct patient care. What then should be the optimal balance for Advanced Practice Nurses? Would spending two thirds time in direct patient care and one third in teaching, research and administrative work be optimal in our context, or should it be something else? It is a practical matter to study, decide upon and design into the system.

When well done, successful retention and development would render to the Allied Health professions a strong, sustained sense of pride and dignity based on skill and the nobility of their calling. This would in turn further raise the status of and respect for these professions in society. The Ministry of Health understands the importance of this, and will continually develop and fine-tune HR policies and practices to bring about such better outcomes.

I wish all graduates great passion, purpose and success in your careers. Thank you.