Dear fellow nurses,

Every year, on 1 August, we celebrate Singapore Nurses’ Day to commemorate the our rich nursing history and the very important role that we play to support the health of our nation, friends and families. This year marks 131 years of nursing in Singapore.

It is no secret that Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare industry with more than one out of every two healthcare professionals in Singapore being a nurse. More than that, we are especially skilled and uniquely placed within the industry to share the highs and lows that our patients face. Whether it is dealing with the loss of a loved one, the joy of welcoming a new addition to the family, or the satisfaction of seeing a patient recover to good health and return home. We are there.

Today, we are needed more than ever with the wide patient demographics and with today’s competitive market, public healthcare needs are emerging and nursing manpower is critical to support healthcare administration.

Over the last decade, Singapore nursing has been pushing the boundaries of nursing practice. The recommendations from the National Nursing Taskforce have contributed to more career opportunities for our Enrolled Nurses, and greater autonomy and recognition for all nurses.

Today, the lines between the role of a nurse and a doctor are blurring. We have more nurses than ever, who have attained their Masters in Nursing and their PhDs, who have acquired an expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills and clinical competencies for extended practice.

Nurse-led clinics by Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) are a key example of how nurses now have greater clinical accountability and decision-making authority which allow them to take on roles and responsibilities that were once under the sole jurisdiction of doctors.

In acknowledgment of the nurses’ contributions, many awards are presented annually including; 100 Nurses Merit Awards was presented on 19 July 2016 and The President’s Award for nurses, which was presented by the President of Singapore on 28 July at the Istana, is the highest national award given in recognition of outstanding performance, and significant contributions made to the profession and to the community.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations to this year’s recipients, Ms Hanijah Binte Abdul Hamid (Assistant Director of Nursing, Changi General Hospital), Mr Raveen Dev Ram Dev (Senior Nurse Clinician & Advanced Practice Nurse, Institute of Mental Health), Ms Lathy D/O Prabhakaran (Senior Nurse Clinician, Tan Tock Seng Hospital) and, Ms Chen Yee Chui (Chief Nurse, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics) who is also the Chairperson of SNA’s Executive Nurses Chapter, for all their hard work, dedication and contribution to nursing.

Keeping true to our mission to raise the profile of nursing, not just locally but globally, the Singapore Nurses Association (SNA) continues to play an active role within the International Council of Nurses (ICN) – a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide.

The ICN hosts a bi-annual Congress which attracts thousands of nurses and leading experts from all over the world. It is with great pleasure for me to announce that the ICN has selected Singapore, and SNA, to host the Congress in 2019.

This will be the first time that ICN Congress, which is the most prestigious nursing conference attended by thousands of nurses all over the world, will be held in Singapore and is a testament to the progress that we have made over the years. The Congress will provide a platform to build relationships and to disseminate nursing knowledge and leadership across specialties, cultures and countries.

We continue to push on with professional development, through the hard work and dedication of the various SNA Committees, Chapters, their leaders and all members who continue to work together to push nursing forward.

SNA has also been looking at providing more for members. This year we developed new relationships and fortified old ones with our Lifestyle Partners to bring even more value to the SNA membership.

From last year, SNA members will receive a new Kopitiam card which will entitle the holder to 20% discount at all Kopitiams located in hospitals, and 10% discount at any other Kopitiam outlet.

We have also worked together with many other partners to provide discounts and benefits to members by working with partners such as Starhub, Singtel, Grand Copthorne Hotel, Bengawan Solo, Savio Staff travel, Soullegs and many more.

We will also be holding a Lucky Draw at the end of September 2016 for all members (members on GIRO will get double the chance of winning) with a Grand Prize of a Samsung Tablet PC.

Once again I would like to wish all of you a very happy Nurses Day and urge you to continue your good work. We look forward with great anticipation to your future contributions in the nursing profession.

Yours Sincerely,
President and the Board of Directors.

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