Training and Upgrading Courses for Assistant Nurses

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Health what programmes and courses are available and in place to ensure Assistant Nurses/Enrolled Nurses can have an opportunity to upgrade themselves and move up the career ladder to become Registered Nurses.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: Enrolled Nurses (ENs), also known as Assistant Nurses in some institutions, are an integral part of the nursing workforce, providing crucial nursing care in the hospitals and intermediate and long-term care institutions. ENs can progress in their career through several pathways.

They can progress to Senior Enrolled Nurses (SENs) and Principal Enrolled Nurses (PENs) based on work experience, good performance, and by pursuing professional development courses, such as those offered by the SingHealth Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing and the National Healthcare Group College. PENs can conduct patient education as well as manage the less complex patient caseloads under the supervision of the Registered Nurses (RNs). They also provide guidance to junior nurses, nursing trainees and support staff, for example, Healthcare Assistants and Health Attendants. PEN's pay is equivalent to that of a registered nurse at the level of a staff nurse. The PEN is the apex of the EN track.

For those who have the potential to progress further, they can obtain the Diploma of Nursing offered by Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic or Parkway College, if they meet the requisite O-levels or National ITE Certificate (NITEC) requirements specified by the educational institutions. Annually, about 120 ENs enter the Diploma course and, if they successfully complete the course, they may be upgraded to RNs.

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A bridging course is also available to aid and facilitate entry into the Nursing Diploma courses for ENs who do not meet the direct entry academic requirements but have shown their capability through a period of work experience and good work performance. Since 1999, 239 ENs have gone through this bridging course and successfully obtained the Nursing Diploma and were converted to RNs.

The ITE has Higher NITEC courses for ENs to upgrade, too. These courses will equip ENs with specialised skills.

We will continue to develop more professional development pathways for our nurses to help them progress in their careers.