To critically reflect on the 50-year evolution of nursing in Singapore, identify pivotal milestones that have shaped the profession, and discuss strategies to address emerging challenges over the next five decades.
Nursing in Singapore has evolved from a vocational, subordinate role into a respected profession grounded in higher education, evidence-based practice and leadership in clinical and policy domains. Reforms in education, professional identity, workforce development and technology have paved the way for addressing future challenges, including ageing populations, workforce sustainability, technological disruption, leadership equity and global health threats.
Discursive commentary informed by historical analysis, policy developments and published literature, focusing on nursing education, workforce, leadership and digital integration in Singapore.
Strategic investments in education, research and leadership have elevated nursing's status and scope, with milestones such as tertiary education, advanced practice roles and doctoral pathways enabling nurses to serve as autonomous clinicians, researchers and policy leaders. Sustaining progress will require preparing nurses for multimorbidity and healthy ageing, embedding digital competencies while preserving human connection, ensuring inclusive leadership and enhancing global research translation.
Singapore's unique blend of innovation and tradition positions it to lead in shaping the future of nursing. By adopting a systems-level approach that integrates education reform, workforce wellbeing, ethical technology adoption and global collaboration, nursing can transform emerging challenges into opportunities for national progress and international impact.
This commentary offers insights for policymakers, educators and healthcare leaders on how a mid-sized nation can strategically position its nursing workforce for future readiness. Lessons from Singapore's trajectory, particularly in education reform, leadership cultivation and technology integration, apply to other countries seeking to enhance nursing's role in achieving health equity and system resilience.
None.
To examine the evolution of intensive care nurses’ roles in pharmacological haemodynamic management from 1975 to 2025 and to explore projected responsibilities through 2075.
A scholarly commentary.
A critical synthesis of literature, historical accounts and clinical guidelines spanning 1975–2025, focussing on nursing practice, technology, workforce dynamics and patient safety in critical care pharmacology.
CINAHL, PubMed, EBSCO, Embase, Cochrane, Google Scholar and major pharmacological guideline repositories were searched for sources between 1975 and 2025, including clinical trials, systematic reviews, position papers and qualitative studies.
Nurses have progressed from unstandardised vasoactive medication titration to advanced, protocol-driven multimodal vasopressor strategies. Milestones include the early catecholamine era, nurse-led sepsis protocols and contemporary adoption of peripheral vasopressor practices supported by technology. Looking ahead, intensive care nurses will increasingly supervise technologically driven titration, manage multimodal regimens, address drug shortages and sustain resilience amid workforce pressures.
Over the past five decades, nurses have transformed vasopressor management and remain essential in bridging innovation with ethical, patient-centred care. The next 50 years will require advanced decision-making, technological fluency and improved support for the nursing workforce.
Investment in simulation-based education, workforce supports and ethical frameworks is vital to prepare nurses for expanding responsibilities and ensure patient safety.
Historical variability and future challenges in nursing roles for vasopressor management.
Nurses have driven safety and innovation and will face increasing technological, ethical and workforce demands.
Relevant to critical care nurses, nurse educators, nurse leaders and policy-makers worldwide shaping the future of critical care practice.
The uptake of research evidence on staffing issues in nursing by nursing leadership, management and into organizational policies seems to vary across Europe. This study wants to assess this uptake of research evidence.
Scoping survey.
The presidents of twelve country specific Sigma Chapters within the European Region answered written survey questions about work organisation, national staffing levels, national skill mix levels, staff characteristics, and education.
Seven of the 12 chapters could not return complete data, reported that data was unavailable, there was no national policy or only guidance related to some settings.
Enhancing the awareness of nursing research and of nursing leaders and managers regarding staffing level evidence is not enough. It seems necessary to encourage nurse leaders to lobby for staffing policies.
Research evidence on staffing issues in nursing and how it benefits health care is available. In Europe this evidence should be used more to lobby for change in staffing policies.