'Practical start': Nurses laud payouts of up to S$100,000 but say workload, other issues need tackling to retain staff
SINGAPORE — Nurses here have welcomed recently announced payouts of up to S$100,000 over 20 years as a “baby step” to recognise their hard work, but said that more needs to be done to address perennial issues in order to keep them in the sector.

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- The Ministry of Health will be offering payouts of up to S$100,000 over 20 years for public sector nurses
- Nine nurses working in both the public and private healthcare sectors gave their views on this
- One called it a "baby step" in recognising the sacrifices they have made over the years, another said it was a "practical start"
- However, the financial carrot alone is insufficient to retain nurses, they said
- Their heavy workloads, having a safe and supportive work environment and a clear career progression need tackling to reduce turnover rates
SINGAPORE — Nurses here have welcomed recently announced payouts of up to S$100,000 over 20 years as a “baby step” to recognise their hard work, but said that more needs to be done to address perennial issues in order to keep them in the sector.
They suggested measures such as reducing or better managing nurses' workload, and being more responsive to their various other concerns.
They also pointed to the need for better career progression if they are to be less inclined to leave a vocation that they are otherwise passionate about.
TODAY interviewed nurses in the private and public sectors after Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Tuesday (Feb 20) announced a new retention incentive scheme that is set to benefit about 29,000 nurses in the public healthcare system.
Called the Award for Nurses’ Grace, Excellence and Loyalty (Angel), it offers up to S$100,000 over about 20 years or up to the prevailing retirement age.
Nurses aged 46 and above who have served for at least five years will receive an immediate payout, while younger or newly recruited nurses will get a payout every four to six years, starting from 2028.
Some of the nine nurses spoke to TODAY on the condition of partial or full anonymity because they had not been authorised to speak to the media.
What dimmed the scheme's appeal to some interviewees was that younger nurses have to wait a few years before getting the first payout despite having more than a decade of working experience.
They also felt that the payouts should be extended to those working in private hospitals.
‘PRACTICAL START’ TO RECOGNISE SACRIFICES
However, more broadly, the nurses were unanimous in welcoming the Angel scheme, saying that it gave recognition to their hard work over the years.
Ms Chiu Yu Cheng, 27, a senior staff nurse at Sengkang General Hospital who has been in the profession for 4.5 years, said that she appreciates the Government’s effort to boost nurse retention and described the payouts as “a practical start”.
For registered nurse Staffan Stewart, while he would not be eligible for the payout since he works at a private hospital, he was glad that the Government is “taking baby steps” in recognising nurses.
“We have been voicing out for years and slowly, we are able to see improvements for our welfare,” the 31-year-old, who has been a nurse for 10 years, said.
Still, both public and private sector nurses said that they also wish to see similar payouts made to those working in private hospitals.
A 62-year-old senior nurse working in a private hospital, who wished to be known only by his initials RK, said: “As long as you are registered with the Singapore Nursing Board, and you are here serving patients in Singapore, why should we differentiate between recognising private or public or community care nurses?”
Ms Durga Devi Chandremogan, 31, a principal enrolled nurse at Alexandra Hospital, said that the scheme recognises the hard work and dedication of nurses who have been in the career for longer.
Mr Ong said on Tuesday that the size of the payouts would vary, with those working longer in the industry likely to receive more.
Ms Durga who has been working as a nurse for 12 years said: “Additionally, with prices on the rise in Singapore, this scheme will definitely be beneficial.”
Mr Ahmad Shufi Jasmani, senior staff nurse at the National Skin Centre, said he was “confident” that the sum would go some way to reduce turnover rate in the industry.
The 39-year-old, who became a nurse in 2008, was hopeful that the scheme may further incentivise students to join the healthcare industry. This would in turn ease workload and manpower problems in the longer term, he added.
PAYOUT EQUIVALENT TO WORKING ONE LOCUM SHIFT
Some nurses pointed out that although the total maximum sum they could receive is significant, it becomes less attractive when divided across the years they have to stay on in order to receive it.
A senior nurse working in a private hospital, who gave his name only as Mr Kumar, said that the announcement excited his colleagues, who momentarily entertained the idea of going into the public sector.
“At first I was considering it, too, but then when I saw that the payout is going to be over 20 years… I have no idea yet, I still need to think about it,” the 32-year-old said. He has worked in both private and public hospitals.
A 30-year-old senior staff nurse working in a public hospital, who wished to be known only as Gina, said that dividing the maximum payout on offer by the number of years would translate to about S$417 a month.
“That’s basically like doing one to two locum shifts,” she added. She has been a nurse for 12 years.
A few nurses who spoke to TODAY said that some of them — including full-time employees — discreetly do locum or part-time shifts outside of their institutions to earn extra income.
Some wondered about the need for nurses under 46 having to wait for four years or so before getting the first tranche of payouts, especially considering that those who are in their 30s would typically have already slogged for about a decade in the industry.
A 28-year-old senior staff nurse at a public hospital, who gave her name only as Ms Tan, said that bumping up monthly pay for nurses to offer a more “immediate”, “consistent” reward for hard work might work better in making them feel appreciated and retaining them.
Ms Tan, who has about five years’ working experience as a nurse, added: “Honestly, the 'long-termness' of the wait is a bit of a turnoff for quite a few nurses.”
Some nurses said that they knew of colleagues who have suggested that they might just stay on long enough to get the first lump-sum payment and then leave.
GOOD, BUT NOT ENOUGH
Many nurses were not confident that financial perks alone would suffice to make them stay on the job.
“I’ve seen nurses, even though they're about to get their bonus, they resign. They don’t even care about their bonus after working so hard for the year,” Mr Kumar the private hospital nurse recalled.
Ms Tan the senior staff nurse said that the money would certainly further motivate those who are still relatively happy with their career.
“But for those who are very jaded or 50-50 about staying or leaving, I’m not sure how much the scheme would incentivise them to stay.”
To prevent nurses from becoming very jaded, more must be done, the various nurses said.
Manpower shortages and the resulting heavy workload is one perennial issue that most of the nurses brought up, though they also noted that it is not something that can be addressed overnight.
Mr Ong on Tuesday said that nursing intake numbers in the institutes of higher learning grew about 30 per cent from 2013 to 2023.
Other strategies included enhancing pathways for mid-career switchers and recruiting nurses from abroad.
When faced with overwhelming workload, it is the support from families, friends and fellow colleagues who are down in the trenches with them that keep them going, the nurses said.
This is why, they added, fostering a supportive work environment with empathetic colleagues and managers can make a huge difference.
Ms Teo Lay Sze, assistant director of nursing at National University Polyclinics, recalled how during the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were many nurses who wanted to tender their resignation due to burnout.
“Our nurse managers have been very supportive, and they try their very best to meet their charges’ needs such as giving leave days when possible, and I think by doing so, this helped the nurses to stay.”
Patients and their family members also have a great impact on the nurses’ working environment.
“As the majority of nurses on the ground are foreigners, some locals love using the phrase ‘I am Singaporean’ and expect to be attended to as soon as possible,” Ms Gina the senior staff nurse said.
She cited this as an example of entitled or bad behaviour that healthcare workers have to handle daily.
Ms Chiu said that continuous public education to foster respect towards healthcare workers, on top of safeguards to protect them from abuses, are among the "pivotal" factors in retaining nurses.
In December, MOH announced a new framework to empower healthcare workers to speak up against abuse from patients and visitors. Among the protocols under the framework include the denial of treatment to abusers who do not need urgent medical care.
Nurses who spoke to TODAY, who were mostly Singaporean, lauded the fact that the Angel scheme payout will also be extended to non-citizen nurses, given their contribution to people here.
Besides this being the right thing to do, they noted the international competition to hire healthcare workers. This makes it all the more important that all healthcare professionals here, domestic or otherwise, are appropriately remunerated.
“These (foreign nurses) are the people that we want to keep, because they have been trained here for so long. You don't want to lose them,” Mr RK said.
Providing professional development opportunities and career growth are also important to retain workers, the nurses proposed.
Ms Durga said that besides support from her loved ones and colleagues, it is the "continuous learning environment in Alexandra Hospital” that has kept her going for over a decade.
Career advancement also provides a sense of added fulfilment for nurses.
“Even if you give me money, but I don't see myself improving in my career and learning, that defeats the purpose (of staying on),” Ms Teo from National University Polyclinics said.