SINGAPORE : The Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has received global recognition for its nursing practices and patient care.
It is the first hospital in Asia to be accredited under the
"Magnet Recognition Programme".
With this accreditation, SGH now stands alongside the top five per cent
of hospitals in the world which also have been recognised.
It is a morale booster for the 3,300 nurses at SGH. They now don gold
pin badges on their uniforms - a sign that the hospital has attained
'Magnet' status.
Deputy director of Nursing, Lim Swee Hia, said: "Getting this 'Magnet'
recognition for Singapore General Hospital is like getting an Olympic
Gold Medal for all the staff in the hospital.
"And I can say is that getting 'Magnet' recognition is not just for the
nurses (in SGH), but I think it's across for all the nurses in
Singapore."
In the past three years, the nursing department has emphasised greater
communication. Junior nurses are encouraged to manage committees and
voice their concerns in weekly meetings.
The change in work processes seems to reflect the low attrition rate of
five per cent. And the hospital believes a healthy working environment
translates to quality patient care.
Advanced practice nurse Lim Su Fee, who has worked in SGH for 20 years,
said: "Even upon discharge, our relationship with her (the patient)
doesn't end, when the patients get discharged. It's actually a long-term
relationship.
"So I still provide contact with them, and occasionally they still call
me for advice over the phone."
Singapore is the latest among five countries to have their hospitals or
medical centres receive the 'Magnet' accreditation. The other countries
are the United States, Lebanon, New Zealand, and Australia.
The American-based programme selects applicants according to their
ability to attract and retain professional nurses. It also looks at
patient outcomes and patient satisfaction.
- CNA/al
Well, this is not the first time sgh got accreditation. Accreditation or not service still sucks as ever.
hopefully it means e hunger to do even better.