SINGAPORE — Nurses or students with a strong interest in serving in the community-care sector may now apply for a new community nursing scholarship offered by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Run in collaboration with community-care providers and the public healthcare’s regional health systems, the scholarship allows Singaporeans or permanent residents to undergo the relevant nursing diploma and degree studies at Singapore polytechnics or universities, as well as at reputable overseas universities.

It is targeted at O- and A-Level students, nursing students, and nurses who are already in service. Successful applicants will get full sponsorship for their studies to support them in developing a career in community nursing.

After their studies, they will undergo a one-year development programme at an acute hospital for six months to hone their clinical skills, followed by a stint of another six months in the community where they will be posted to, to practise nursing outside the hospital setting.

They will then be bonded to one of the regional health systems or a community-care provider for the next three or four years, depending on their course of study.

Launching the scholarship at the Nurses’ Merit Award ceremony on Friday (July 7), Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that the aim of this initiative is to help build a strong pipeline of community nurse leaders. “We hope to offer the scholarship to up to 20 outstanding students and nurses each year. If you are passionate about community nursing, and believe that you can play a part in transforming healthcare, I strongly encourage you to apply for this scholarship,” he said.

Ms Tan Meng Guek, 53, who is with private eldercare services provider Econ Healthcare Group, believes that the scholarship will raise much-needed awareness for the community-care sector. The assistant director of quality management and social services said: “As (this sector) is quite dependent on foreign talent now, many nurses do not stay for a long time. We need a constant inflow of nurses.”

Applications for the scholarship is open until August 14 for this year’s intake. More information is available on the MOH-linked BrightSparks website.