Fresh nursing grads in SG can’t get jobs… so what “shortage” are we talking about? 🤔

[Heriophant]

 

[Ironside]

Not true la. Just a few years ago, my friend that used to a nurse quit nursing job to be a HR staff specialised in nursing staff. After a year quit said the market turnover too high, very stressful so quite.

Another one is near 60yo. Out of compassion go for nursing career training, then got a nursing job.

 

[dgeralds]

U don’t really need nurses to have degrees

Singapore hospital wants nurses - what nurse?

Hospital wants cheap degree holder nurses from neighbouring countries. They do NOT want expensive degree holder nurses from Singapore, not even polytechnic diploma nurses from Singapore. Period.

 

[Heriophant]

Singapore hospital wants nurses - what nurse?

Hospital wants cheap degree holder nurses from neighbouring countries. They do NOT want expensive degree holder nurses from Singapore, not even polytechnic diploma nurses from Singapore. Period.

 

[dambio]

Fresh nursing grads in SG can’t get jobs… so what “shortage” are we talking about?

I’m a recent local nursing degree graduate who is unsponsored. Been applying for jobs since March.
Public hospitals say they need nurses. Job postings everywhere.
But interviews? Almost none. Offers? Zero.

And it’s not just me.
the.unconventional.nurse on IG did a straw poll ([see here](https://www.instagram.com/p/DM1bpnIBeS2/)), a *lot* of fresh grads are also jobless months after graduation.

So what’s happening?

* Are hospitals freezing hiring?
* Is there no budget to train locals?
* Or is “shortage” just a nice word to justify something else?

Feels like a huge disconnect between what’s being said publicly and what’s happening on the ground.

If you’re in nursing, HR, or know someone who’s been through this, please share your experience.
Because if even local grads from "#8 nursing school in the world" can’t get hired, this is concerning.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SGExams/s/TzxUU0CJuW

Becos not cheap enuff or not foreigners? Tis really brings up a weird situation in nursing hiring market n wat hospitals or healthcare institutions r up to?

 

[Milodrink]

ur post puts I’m a recent local nursing degree graduate who is unsponsored. Been applying for jobs since March.

Yeah. Just sharing another case. Seems diploma cheaper liao also got same issue.

 

[alex22]

Fresh nursing grads in SG can’t get jobs… so what “shortage” are we talking about?

I’m a recent local nursing degree graduate who is unsponsored. Been applying for jobs since March.
Public hospitals say they need nurses. Job postings everywhere.
But interviews? Almost none. Offers? Zero.

And it’s not just me.
the.unconventional.nurse on IG did a straw poll ([see here](https://www.instagram.com/p/DM1bpnIBeS2/)), a *lot* of fresh grads are also jobless months after graduation.

So what’s happening?

* Are hospitals freezing hiring?
* Is there no budget to train locals?
* Or is “shortage” just a nice word to justify something else?

Feels like a huge disconnect between what’s being said publicly and what’s happening on the ground.

If you’re in nursing, HR, or know someone who’s been through this, please share your experience.
Because if even local grads from "#8 nursing school in the world" can’t get hired, this is concerning.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SGExams/s/TzxUU0CJuW

Shortage of celery lor

 

[Hakuna Matata]

Low starting pay? Atas hospitals no vacancies?

 

[moonlighter_sg]

Hospitals operates as a business entity. The cheaper the better.

 

[pclow59]

Can look out of Singapore
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/a...nurses-from-spore-uk-us-to-fill-dire-shortage

 

[alex22]

Not true la. Just a few years ago, my friend that used to a nurse quit nursing job to be a HR staff specialised in nursing staff. After a year quit said the market turnover too high, very stressful so quite.

Another one is near 60yo. Out of compassion go for nursing career training, then got a nursing job.

Cos cheap, contract and got subidy from gahmen from hiring beyond retirement age are some of the reasons why they hire 60+

 

[alex22]

Can look out of Singapore
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/a...nurses-from-spore-uk-us-to-fill-dire-shortage

Doing this for the last 50 years, Philippines

 

[Milodrink]

 

[moonlighter_sg]

Domestic helpers can take up courses too. They can also work in hospitals. Government helps to find more resources to tackle the shortage issue. Well done.

 

[Fightfat]

She can become an insurance agent as her next career option cos she can relate to customers about high rising medical costs that couldn’t even afford to hire her .
Perhaps that is one of the reason why so many graduates went into insurance or housing sales cos there isn’t many jobs for local .

 

[mikhail_k]

got such thing one meh, i never see b4 my healthcare frens who work missy or lohkun bo gang zho one

 

[johnsonheng]

Actually if supress salaries a bit further? Can extend headcount and hire more people?

Maybe that's the way to go? Instead of giving so high salaries?

nurse salary are not high to begin with
it the doctors and the adminstrative side that is drawing high payt

 

[spunkbrat]

Gan Kim Yong talks up opportunities created by S'pore-India cooperation, including in healthcare & trade​

August 14, 2025, 04:32 PM​

Nursing training

Gan also spoke about the opportunities to expand collaboration between Singapore and India in the healthcare space.

Noting that there were already many Indian nationals working in Singapore as nurses, he said that both governments were keen to continue to work together to improve training standards, to make them more aligned with Singapore’s needs.

Each country had different curricula and approaches to training, and currently, there was a need for additional training and refreshers when India-trained nurses worked in Singapore.

Gan said Singapore and India would work to realign their training to facilitate nurses to work in Singapore.

This would benefit both countries, improving the level of training in India while meeting Singapore’s nursing needs.

https://mothership.sg/2025/08/gan-kim-yong-talks-up-spore-india-opportunities/

 

[Multiversal]

Already signed treaty to hire from better country

The vast majority of the nurses working in Singapore are from the Philippines. Myanmar nurses are now increasing in numbers...maybe the newer batches have better English than the older ones.

Malaysia is another source of nurses, which is a good one because they can speak Chinese dialects and Malay besides English.

Those from India are a minority.

Singaporean nurses? I think we need a Great Reset. We educated our women (and men) to degree level, but are we willing to pay more for healthcare to pay these local nurses with degrees more?

Those with a degree...are they intending to work as a hands-on nurse, or do they want to do nursing administrative/office work including as nurse manager, nurse educator? In an org chart, such jobs would be "there's only one manager in the dept, all the rest are workers"

 

[Multiversal]

Gan Kim Yong talks up opportunities created by S'pore-India cooperation, including in healthcare & trade​

August 14, 2025, 04:32 PM​

Nursing training

Gan also spoke about the opportunities to expand collaboration between Singapore and India in the healthcare space.

Noting that there were already many Indian nationals working in Singapore as nurses, he said that both governments were keen to continue to work together to improve training standards, to make them more aligned with Singapore’s needs.

Each country had different curricula and approaches to training, and currently, there was a need for additional training and refreshers when India-trained nurses worked in Singapore.

Gan said Singapore and India would work to realign their training to facilitate nurses to work in Singapore.

This would benefit both countries, improving the level of training in India while meeting Singapore’s nursing needs.

https://mothership.sg/2025/08/gan-kim-yong-talks-up-spore-india-opportunities/

Do yourself a favour and visit a few of our hospitals and get better informed.

The vast majority of our nurses are not from India. Your ignorance is very embarrassing...for you.