Local Students from International Baccalaureate Diploma and Integrated Programmes Admitted to Nursing Diploma or Degree Courses

1 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry has data on the number of students from the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and the Integrated Programme (IP) who have been admitted to diploma in nursing or degree in nursing programmes at local Institutes of Higher Learning in the past three years.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Deputy Speaker, over the past three years, a total of 10 students from the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and Integrated Programme (IP) were admitted to the National University of Singapore (NUS)’s Nursing degree programme. There were five students from the IBDP and IP admitted to Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)’s and Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP)’s Nursing diploma programmes, where most entered after completing Year 4 of their IB or IP studies.

Our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) will assess all applicants for nursing courses holistically, taking into account both academic performance and course fit. For IBDP or IP students who are keen on nursing as a career, we encourage them to apply for admission to polytechnic Nursing diploma programmes on the basis of Year 4 grades, and the NUS Nursing degree programme on the basis of Year 6 grades.

An overview of the various admission pathways into Nursing programmes at the IHLs is available on MOH Holdings’ Care to Go Beyond website. Information on each IHL’s admission processes and requirements can also be found on their respective websites.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Yip.

Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her response. Can she provide an update on the nursing manpower situation in our local restructured hospitals? And based on her reply, only 15 students entered Nursing programmes from the IBDP and IP. What more can be done to encourage more students to take up nursing from these educational routes?

Ms Rahayu Mahzam: I thank the Member for his interest in this matter. Indeed, this is something close to our hearts and it is of concern. We are trying to grow the manpower and we are on track on building the numbers.

In respect of getting the numbers from the local institutions, we are doing a few things. We are facilitating this process. The numbers are small now, but we are encouraging movements from the different tracks. We are tracking the numbers from institutions to understand why there may be leakage or why people drop off from the courses and do not enter the profession. We are working with schools and the healthcare institutions to ensure smooth transition, so that after they graduate, they enter into the profession. To facilitate entry into the profession, we are also reviewing the remuneration framework to ensure that the profession remains attractive. There are various work streams to look into how we can improve the profession, increase its stature as well as improve the work environments, so that overall, there is attraction to this profession.

We are doing different efforts on different fronts. Hopefully, in time, this will improve the manpower situation.