The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a nationwide shortage of registered nurses, making it more critical than ever for governments to invest in higher education, coordinate initiatives to relieve strains on the nursing workforce and make the overall healthcare system more egalitarian and stable. Singapore, for example, has one of the world's worst nursing shortages, with only 17 nurses servicing every 10,000 people.
Although, nursing education in Singapore has advanced significantly since the 1990s. It is important for nursing services and education in Singapore to keep pace with the dynamic healthcare landscape and international nursing capability development trends. Here’s how the region’s nursing education is adapting to the new normal.
New Trend In Education System
Evidence-based practice plays a critical part in nursing education. This necessitates the ability to analyze and review the literature, pick the best evidence from studies, adapt them to the clinical situation, and assess their efficacy on the local population. Nurses must consider patient preferences and values when providing evidence-based care in order to provide quality treatment and achieve the best patient outcomes.
Curriculum Enhancement
According to an article on singaporetech.edu.sg, the curriculum at Singapore Institute of Technology is geared to prepare students to deal with larger concerns, such as the current public health crises. The Health Systems Module, for example, addresses various healthcare systems and encourages students to think about challenges from regional and worldwide perspectives.
Soft skills are also taught equally. Nurses deal with "life-threatening, life-changing situations [and] assisting patients in dealing with their medical issues" on a daily basis. Empathy, compassion, and the capacity to assess and evaluate medical circumstances help nurses to comprehend patients' needs and provide the best possible care.
Emerging Technologies In Healthcare
Students in the nursing program are also taught about the impact of developing technologies on healthcare. Students in the Healthcare Innovation Module are encouraged to consider how technology might improve and impact patient care. Students learn about numerous technologies utilized in Singapore, including mobile health and telehealth — which has grown in importance given the low number of hospital visits during Covid-19 — and artificial intelligence.
Maximize AI Technologies In Healthcare
Singapore has changed the way it provides healthcare. AI tools have proved their ability to assist the invention and implementation of better chronic disease management services. AI-based techniques have the potential to empower people to take control of their health while also improving the quality and accessibility of care. Nurses are taught how to apply artificial intelligence to their work. It is critical to ensure that all AI-based techniques are supported by clinical proofs-of-concept.
In Singapore, there are approximately 34,200 nurses. The educational system is evolving in innovative ways to stay up with the latest trends in nursing practice. Registered nurses, local nursing associations, and academic institutions should be given the authority to establish their own clinical, educational, and research capacities to meet future healthcare concerns in order to progress in nursing education. Singapore's healthcare system is shifting toward comprehensive, long-term, preventive, and personalized care.
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