News
Solving the healthcare challenges of tomorrow, today
15 September 2025
Participants, mentors and the judging panel of SHIFT gathered for a photograph at the end of the final showcase.
“No man is an island.” This maxim held true during the inaugural Shaping Healthcare Innovation For Tomorrow (SHIFT) hackathon, a ground-up hackathon that empowers students to co-create innovative solutions to real-world healthcare challenges.
Organised by the Singapore Nursing Innovation Group (SNIG), a student-led initiative under the NUS Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies (NUS Nursing), over 100 students from five local universities and polytechnics — NUS, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Ngee Ann Polytechnic , Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and the Institute of Technical Education — collaborated on winning innovations spanning three subthemes: Chronic Disease Prevention & Early Detection, Lifestyle & Behavioural Health Modification, and Ageing Population & Preventive Care.
Held from 31 August to 6 September 2025, the interdisciplinary hackathon comprised almost 30 teams, with at least one Nursing student per team, offering a valuable opportunity for students to collaborate across fields and gain mentorship from healthcare professionals.
At the final showcase on 6 September 2025, three teams walked away with top honours for their innovative ideas — a smart sock, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) social network, and a behavioural change virtual pet — all poised to shape the future of healthcare.
Grand Prize: SafeStep Smart Sock
NUS Nursing Assistant Professor Jocelyn Chew, also the founder of SNIG, presented the grand prize to Team Wildcard.
The top prize went to Team Wildcard — a trio from NUS comprising Magdalene Lim from NUS Nursing, Roopashini Sivananthan from NUS College of Design and Engineering, and Hanzalah bin Azmi from the NUS Faculty of Law. Their prototype, SafeStep, is a breathable smart sock equipped with sensors that detect falls in real time and alert both wearer and caregiver. Designed for visually impaired elders, the sock aims to reduce fall-related injuries, one of the greatest impediments to seniors’ independence.
The smart sock is not the team’s first healthcare project. The trio, who first met at a design thinking workshop, had earlier collaborated on a pacifier for babies with cleft palates. They are now testing the viability and user experience of SafeStep by advancing it into the prototyping stage, with plans to conduct user interviews and design validation to ensure it meets patient and caregiver needs.
For Magdalene, the hackathon was a chance to bridge classroom learning with real-world insights. “As a student nurse, I don’t always have the full picture of what is being done in the community,” she said. “Our mentor’s wealth of experience really helped us see where the true pain points and gaps lie. That guidance shaped how we refined our idea, and it gave me a much deeper appreciation of how innovation must be rooted in real-world practice.”
1st Runner-Up: KampongNET for Seniors
NUS Nursing Asst Prof Jocelyn Chew presented the first runner-up prize to Team Ctrl + Alt + Debride.
Ctrl + Alt + Debride — comprising Winnie Low and Ivan Tan from NUS Nursing and NUS Faculty of Science (FoS), Maryam Syamilah Binti Mahmood Shah from SIT Computing Science, and Yi Jiaxin and Onquit Jake Davis Areglo from NYP School of Information Technology — took second place with KampongNET, a digital social platform with an AI voice assistant. Built for seniors living in rental homes within Silver Zone areas, the solution combats social isolation by fostering conversations and connections.
Several members of the team first met in NYP as volunteers. Winnie was the catalyst who brought them together, spurred by the opportunity to merge two disciplines rarely seen side by side. “Coding and nursing are such distinct fields, but through this hackathon we finally had the opportunity to merge them. I don’t see many nursing-focused hackathons — most are technically heavy and can feel daunting. When I saw this opportunity, I wanted to give it a try, especially with friends I knew from NYP,” she said.
2nd Runner-Up: HabiTot Virtual Pet
NUS Nursing Asst Prof Jocelyn Chew presented the second runner-up prize to Team The Fantastic Four.
In third place, The Fantastic Four — Jin Li Yao and Daniel Chong Zhao Yang from FoS), Guo Xinyi from NUS Nursing, and Peh Jia En Leticia from NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences — developed HabiTot, a Tamagotchi-inspired virtual pet that rewards children for spending less time on screens. The playful interface nudges kids toward social interaction, hobbies, and healthier daily routines.
Team member Li Yao said the hackathon provided a springboard for the team to think bigger. “We see real potential in HabiTot, and when time allows, we hope to expand the idea into a patent and explore collaborations to turn it into a working prototype. This hackathon gave us a starting point, and we’re excited to see how far it could go with the right partners.”
For NUS Nursing Asst Prof Jocelyn Chew, who founded SNIG, this stemmed from a conviction that nursing should be recognised not only for its role in bedside care, but also for its strength in problem-solving at the frontlines.
Her vision is for SNIG to grow into a national platform where nurses at all levels engage in cross-institutional collaboration, entrepreneurship, and evidence-based change. “We want to create an ecosystem that empowers nurses to go beyond solely delivering care, to also design the systems, technologies, and models of care that will shape the future of healthcare,” she said. That philosophy inspired SNIG’s first flagship project, the SHIFT Hackathon — a proving ground where students, practitioners, technologists, and community partners came together to co-create solutions.
SHIFT’s student organising committee, led by third-year NUS Nursing students Weslyn Low and Magdalene Tong, spearheaded the planning of the hackathon. They were supported by 25 nursing mentors from hospitals across Singapore, who guided teams through the fast-paced ideation and prototyping process.
Dr Lee Yee Mei, Deputy Director of Nursing at National University Hospital and one of the mentors, described the hackathon as both inspiring and a proud moment for the profession. Seeing students step up to innovate, she said, showed their potential to create ideas that benefit patients and nurses alike. She encouraged students to view innovation as part of nursing education itself — where even something as basic as measuring vital signs can be re-imagined.
Mr Wong Kok Cheong, Deputy Director of Nursing at Changi General Hospital and one of the judges for the hackathon, shared that it was indicative of a larger shift in nursing as a profession. “Nursing innovation is the next milestone for nurses – with an ageing population and shrinking workforce, innovation is essential to improving productivity and patient outcomes.”
This article was first published in NUS News on 11 September 2025.
Singapore’s first Doctor of Nursing Practice and three new Master’s programmes are set to develop nursing leadership locally and globally, while deepening expertise in community health, critical care and infection control.
Singapore, 1 August 2025 — With an ageing population, rising chronic disease burden, a global nursing shortage, and rapid medical advancements, Singapore’s increasingly complex healthcare landscape requires a highly competent nursing workforce to lead care, make critical decisions, and ensure safe, high-quality patient outcomes. In response to these evolving healthcare needs, the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Nursing), is expanding its programmes to offer nurses and healthcare professionals clearer pathways for career advancement and specialised training.
In conjunction with Nurses Day, and the Centre’s 20th anniversary celebration, it is launching Singapore’s first Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programme and three new Master’s programmes – Master of Community Health, Master of Science in Critical Care Nursing, and Master of Science in Infection Prevention and Control.
To mark its 20th anniversary, the Centre also launched its new Nursing Education Gallery showcasing the evolution, milestones, and impact of nursing education and practice in Singapore over the past 20 years. The event was graced by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.
Empowering Nurses to Lead Care through the DNP
The DNP is a two-year, part-time programme designed to equip experienced nurses holding a Master’s degree with advanced clinical expertise, critical thinking, and leadership capabilities. Aligned with international standards, the DNP prepares nurses to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care, lead multidisciplinary teams, and drive healthcare innovation and policy. Its introduction marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Singapore’s nursing education, underscoring the profession’s expanding role in managing complex patient needs and delivering patient-centred care. The programme also reflects strong national confidence in the capabilities of nurses and affirms the country’s commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. By establishing the DNP, Singapore strengthens its position as a regional leader in nursing education, fostering international recognition, collaboration, and new pathways for professional growth.
Nurses can continue working while pursuing the DNP, as the programme is designed to support their professional development through a work-study arrangement, allowing them to upskill in tandem with their job responsibilities. Applications for the DNP opened on 1 April 2025, with the first cohort set to begin classes in August 2025. The inaugural run of the programme will welcome 16 local and international students.
Strengthening Nursing Expertise and Leadership through Work-Study Master’s Programmes
To further strengthen professional development across the nursing and healthcare workforce, NUS Nursing has introduced three new stackable, work-study Graduate Certificate-to-Master’s pathways to meet the growing demand for highly competent nurses in community health as well as in critical care nursing and infection control.
In response to Singapore’s rapidly ageing population and in line with the national vision to support citizens in maximising their quality of life and productivity within the community, the Master of Community Health (offered via the Graduate Certificate in Integrated Health) aims to build a robust and future-ready healthcare workforce. The programme is designed to equip nurses, allied health practitioners, and healthcare administrators with both clinical expertise and the advanced knowledge needed to deliver comprehensive, patient-centred care across community settings. With a strong focus on the social determinants of health, collaborative competencies, and sustainable care practices, the programme supports healthcare professionals in taking on leadership roles in nursing homes, delivering end-of-life care, and strengthening the delivery of integrated, seamless care. By doing so, it reinforces Singapore’s national shift towards preventive and community-based care, ensuring that the health system remains responsive, resilient, and anchored in the needs of the population.
The Master of Science in Critical Care Nursing (via the Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing) trains nurses to manage complex, life-threatening patient conditions through evidence-based practice and interprofessional collaboration. The programme builds on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, when Singaporean nurses rapidly upskilled to care for critically ill patients in intensive care.
The Master of Science in Infection Prevention and Control (via the Graduate Certificate in Infection Prevention and Control) equips healthcare professionals with advanced competencies in infection surveillance, outbreak management, responsible antibiotic use, and quality improvement. Covering microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases, the programme trains students to assess emerging health threats and apply evidence-based strategies in clinical and public health settings. Developed partly in response to lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, it incorporates the best international practices and real-world crisis preparedness to prepare graduates to lead infection control efforts and protect patients and healthcare workers.
All three programmes are SkillsFuture-subsidised and structured to support work-study integration, enabling participants to pursue postgraduate qualifications while remaining active in the workforce.
Professor Liaw Sok Ying, Head, NUS Nursing, said, “Nurses, as architects of care and patient advocates, are increasingly taking on leadership roles not only in management but also in specialised clinical areas that address the needs of Singapore’s healthcare system. With the introduction of the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master’s in Community Health, Critical Care Nursing and Infection Prevention and Control programmes, we aim to provide a platform for current nurses to upskill, lead care teams and drive better patient outcomes. This is also a means to attract and retain nurses, and further professionalise and elevate the nursing profession in Singapore.”
The launch of these new programmes marks two decades of NUS Nursing’s commitment to advancing nursing education, research, and leadership. Since the inception of NUS Nursing in 2005, it has grown from a single undergraduate cohort to a leading global institution, ranked 8th in the world in the 2025 QS World University Rankings. To date, the School has trained over 3,500 nursing professionals who are now serving across Singapore’s healthcare landscape.
Neddy the NUS Nursing bear and friends at the NUS Nursing programme booth for NUS Open House 2025.
Students and faculty ready to host visitors of the NUS Nursing programme booth at the NUS Open House on 8 March 2025.
The NUS Open House was back on 8 March 2025 and better than ever. Held at the College of Alice and Peter Tan (CAPT) at University Town (UTown), around 780 visitors dropped by the NUS Nursing programme booth, the highest number in recent years, to speak with student and faculty ambassadors on everything NUS Nursing.
Ambassadors in the iconic NUS Nursing blue scrubs chatting with prospective students.
Across the bridge in the dining hall, five powerhouse alumni—each thriving in different nursing specialties—shared their nursing journeys and shed light on the diversity of pathways a nursing degree offers.
The panel discussion was hosted by NUS Nursing alumna, Kimberley-Ann Tan, who is senior staff nurse and creative lead of a nursing social media page at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (@nursesofttsh on Instagram). Our alumni generously shared their first experiences at NUS Nursing, and how they went on to specialise in their respective exciting tracks.
From left to right: Kimberley-Ann Tan Zi Ying, Senior Staff Nurse II, Tan Tock Seng Hospital; Eugene Tan Wei Jie, Senior Staff Nurse and Nurse Informaticist, SingHealth (nested in Singapore General Hospital); Ping Zuo Er, Nurse Clinician, Changi General Hospital; Nicholas Neo Wee Siong, PhD candidate, NUS Nursing; Sukmawati Binte Supar, Ward-based Clinical Instructor and Senior Staff Nurse, Changi General Hospital, Samuel Soon Guo Yu, Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Meanwhile, in UT Auditorium 3, visitors lived out their Grey’s Anatomy dreams (minus the drama) by testing out the skills and tech that NUS Nursing students use in their daily curriculum.
Top 10, an inflatable manikin co-developed by NUS Nursing and the College of Design and Engineering, Nursing’s latest teaching innovation designed to make training even more realistic.
Immersive VR simulations that threw participants straight into clinical action, with high-stakes scenarios in a simulated operating theatre.
Did you know: this was not the school’s first Open House rodeo of the year? Just two months ago, NUS Nursing held an Open House specially for polytechnic students and graduates, where visitors toured the state-of-the-art simulation wards, practised CPR on lifelike manikins, and—of course—got another round of VR playthroughs.
Both Open Houses signalled the beginning of a milestone year for NUS Nursing as 2025 marks 20 years of shaping future healthcare leaders.
Applications for junior college graduates and diploma holders are open till 19 March 2025. Learn how to apply here: medicine.nus.edu.sg/nursing/education-admissions
Neddy welcomes you to NUS Nursing!
As our society faces evolving public health challenges, the need for skilled community health professionals has never been greater. NUS Nursing’s new Master in Community Health (MCH) programme enhances your understanding of public health, equipping you with the skills to address social factors and drive sustainable healthcare solutions.
📌 Find out more here.
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🔗 Click here to access the Zoom link (same link for all talks).
Have questions? Contact us at nurbox13@nus.edu.sg or call us at 6516 8685.
The Master of Science (MSc) in Critical Care Nursing is designed for active nurses with a Bachelor’s degree working in acute hospital ICU settings. This work-study programme blends theory, clinical immersion, leadership training, research, and infection control, preparing nurses to specialise and lead in critical care settings.
📌 Find out more here.
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🔗 Click here to access the Zoom link.
Have questions? Contact us at nurbox13@nus.edu.sg or call us at 6516 8685.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the pinnacle of advanced nursing education, designed for nursing leaders who want to transform healthcare systems, enhance patient outcomes, and drive evidence-based practice. With a strong focus on innovation, leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration, this programme prepares graduates to lead system-wide improvements in healthcare.
📌 Find out more here.
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Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) |
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Speakers |
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🔗 Click here to access the Zoom link (same link for all talks).
Have questions? Contact us at nurbox13@nus.edu.sg or call us at 6516 8685.
