Issue 47
Aug 2023
THE BANYAN TREE
Healthcare Ethics and Governance
Dr Sumytra Menon
Deputy Director, Centre for Biomedical Ethics Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine)
Q: What are some of the challenges facing healthcare professionals in the domain of Healthcare Ethics and Governance?
A: Technology is moving at a tremendous pace which society often lags behind. We can’t create new laws or new rules fast enough to accommodate the pace. So that then raises certain questions—just because we have the ability to do things, should we be doing them? Is it right that we do them?
Healthcare ethics cannot be separated from the practice of medicine, and the practice of caring for patients. It’s integral in healthcare. Ethics allow healthcare professionals to think more deeply about the issues that affect patients and caregivers.
Q: What are some CET programmes offered by NUS Medicine to equip healthcare professionals to tackle the challenges ahead?
A: We currently offer the Educators’ Course in Healthcare Ethics, Law and Professionalism. We also offer the programme catered to both nurses and allied healthcare professionals, focusing on the common ethical dilemmas they may face in the healthcare setting.
Nursing Studies
A/Prof Zhou Wentao
Director of Education (CET), Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, NUS Medicine
Q: What are some of the challenges facing healthcare professionals in the domain of Nursing Studies?
A: In addition to the global shortage of nurses, the need for nurses to upskill and reskill to remain relevant is no longer optional, but imperative. Our team is committed to continue developing the strong relationship with our healthcare industry partners and alumni. This way, we can better understand the learning needs and develop high quality training programmes to upskill the local and international nursing workforce.
Q: What are some CET programmes offered by NUS Medicine to equip healthcare professionals to tackle the challenges ahead?
A: We offer quite a number of CET programmes at the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies at NUS Medicine, such as the Bachelor of Science (Nursing Practice) part-time programme, Graduate Certificate in Child and Family Health in the Community, Graduate Certification in Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals, and more. The main aim of these CET programmes is to enhance nurses’ ability to better address populational health needs and to enable nurses to provide competent care for patients with acute and chronic diseases, as well as complex healthcare needs.
Health Information Technology
A/Prof Ngiam Kee Yuan
Head, Department of Biomedical Informatics
NUS Medicine
Q: What are some of the challenges facing healthcare professionals in the domain of Health Information Technology?
A: Healthcare is increasingly data driven. Many healthcare organisations are starting to use data to derive insights into better patient care. We are also seeing the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in healthcare, to provide predictive functions for better patient treatment and management. It goes without saying that we have a strong demand for people with the skills to process these healthcare data, in order to deliver better care to our patients.
Q: What are some CET programmes offered by NUS Medicine to equip healthcare professionals to tackle the challenges ahead?
A: We offer a Master’s of Science in Biomedical Informatics, which is a comprehensive postgraduate degree programme to equip learners with the skills to function as independent data scientists. This programme is open to both clinicians and non-clinicians, and is especially useful for people working in healthcare related sectors.
This column is dedicated to the pursuit of continuous learning and development and takes its name from the banyan tree. It has roots that grow deep, anchoring it firmly in the soil. The tree spreads its shade wide and far and provides space for reflection and discussion. We invite you to come and take a seat under its shade.
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