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Close to 1,000 local nursing graduates have joined public healthcare clusters this year, maintaining levels similar to the past two years.
Singapore’s restructured hospitals recorded more than 900 nursing job vacancies in the past three months, according to a Parliamentary reply by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The Ministry was responding to a question aised by Fadli Fawzi, Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC, who asked about the current vacancy rate for nursing positions, how it compares with recent local nursing graduates seeking placements, and whether local graduates are prioritised before hiring non-resident nurses.
On the vacancy rate, MOH emphasised that the vacancy rate alone is not a meaningful measure in healthcare given that the system is expanding, with recruitment often running ahead of demand to fill positions needed when new hospitals and redevelopments are opened, including the upcoming Eastern General Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital redevelopment.
The Ministry also noted that the hiring of nurses has not slowed – highlighting that close to 1,000 local nursing graduates have joined public healthcare clusters this year, maintaining levels similar to the past two years.
Finally, the Ministry added, some clusters have reported that certain applicants have preferences for specific work locations or shift patterns that do not meet current hiring needs. To that effect, it encouraged nursing graduates to remain open to a wider variety of work conditions, which it said can provide more valuable work experience.
Looking ahead, Singapore aims to grow its national healthcare workforce by 20% by 2030 to support expanding capacity. While local nurses remain a priority, foreign nurses will continue to supplement manpower to meet these targets, MOH concluded.
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