Tracking the Nursing Profession in Singapore

Questionnaire data from 660 nurses in a restructured, a government, & a private hospital in Singapore are used to examine their perceptions of the field's professionalization & the degree to which nursing reflects or deviates from their professional model. Also explored are demographic & workplace components of career-related areas, eg, job satisfaction, promotion opportunities, & intention to stay. Results illustrate that 93% view nursing as a career, & 86% perceive themselves as professional caregivers, not doctors' assistants, even though their experiences do not meet their expectations. It is proposed that mobilizing nurses toward greater occupational power & increasing higher-level training & certification will have a positive impact on the morale of nurses & the effectiveness of hospitals. 1 Table, 3 Panels, 31 References. C. Haywood