SINGAPORE — Imagine being able to monitor a patient’s vital signs from anywhere in the hospital using just your mobile device – or soon, being able to speak directly with a nurse from your hospital bed with the tap of a button. These scenarios reflect how nursing at the National University Health System (NUHS) is evolving, with innovations that aim to enhance patient care and enable nurses to focus on clinical decision making and patient engagement, rather than routine tasks.
To mark Nurses’ Day 2025, NUHS is highlighting how its nurses are delivering safer, more efficient and more personalised care, supported by technology, elevated responsibilities, and care models designed to meet the evolving and increasingly complex needs of patients and the healthcare system.
NUHS Group Chief Nurse Dr Catherine Koh said: “We are seeing care needs evolve rapidly, especially with Singapore’s ageing populations and more patients living with chronic conditions. These changes to transform the roles and competency of nurses help ensure they are supported to practise effectively, with the right tools, education and autonomy to focus on what matters most: delivering quality care.”
Across the NUHS academic health system, nurses are now working with a range of technologies – including AI-enabled tools – that help reduce repetitive tasks, improve accuracy, and free up time for clinical decision making and patient engagement.
A new AI-powered initiative, the Endeavour AI Fall Risk Assessment tool, is set to be introduced at the National University Hospital (NUH) in the third quarter of this year. This system automatically analyses a patient’s medical history, medication list, mobility status and other data points to predict their risk of falling. Integrated with the hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR) system, it will generate real-time fall risk assessments three times a day and upon admission to the ward. By automating what has traditionally been a manual, time-intensive process, the tool aims to support nurses in identifying high-risk patients earlier and implementing timely interventions. This enhances both patient safety and workflow efficiency.
At present, nurses at NUH use a suite of interconnected technologies – including MyChart Bedside and bi-directional smart pumps – to deliver safer, more coordinated care. MediVoice by NUHS and Scribe by OGP are both AI-powered speech-to-text tools available across NUHS, which help ease the task of clinical documentation and enable better nursing-patient eye contact during clinical encounters. Nursing has convened a study to quantify nursing productivity savings from the use of MediVoice, with results expected later this year.
NUH nurses will also soon be supported by robot nurse companions that can handle routine tasks such as delivering medication, guiding patients around the ward, and sharing care instructions.
These tools reduce manual data entry, support timely medication administration, and give nurses a clearer view of patient care activities, allowing them to stay focused on clinical decisions and patient needs. (Please see Annex for more details on the innovations.)
With the implementation of the VitalScout project at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH), patients who require closer monitoring will put on a wearable device that enables nurses to track their vital signs in real time via mobile devices from anywhere in the ward. This enables timely intervention, reduces the need for routine manual checks, and frees up time for nurses to plan care and engage more meaningfully with patients and families.
Alexandra Hospital (AH) is pioneering virtual nursing in the wards as part of its evolving care model, showcasing one of many innovative changes unlocked by technology and artificial intelligence in healthcare. Set to be implemented by the end of 2025, this system will enable nurses to remotely monitor and interact with multiple patients in real-time through live video feeds. This approach aims to enhance response times to patient needs while reducing the frequency of routine physical rounds, potentially improving overall care efficiency.
Smart beds are also in use at AH to enhance patient safety and streamline nursing care. Equipped with built-in alarms, these beds alert nurses electronically if a patient attempts to get out of bed unassisted. Contactless sensors beneath the mattress continuously monitor heart and respiratory rates, and can weigh patients without repositioning, reducing fall risk. Lights projected onto the ward floor provide a clear visual cue indicating whether fall-prevention measures are properly activated.
NUHS@Home is a Mobile Inpatient Care at Home service where suitable patients can receive hospital treatment at home instead of a hospital ward. Tech-enabled care is provided through virtual or in-home visits by a dedicated multi-disciplinary team. NUHS@Home nurses harness the use of technology to access patient medical records on dedicated mobile devices during home visits and video calls for virtual consultations. They also facilitate patient vital signs measurement and monitoring through WhatsApp-based chatbots for patients with smartphones, or seamless Bluetooth connected devices for those without.
“These tools don’t replace nurses’ clinical judgement, but support it,” Dr Koh added. “By automating some of the more routine aspects of care, our nurses can focus on making decisions, providing comfort, and engaging more meaningfully with patients and families.”
Across the NUHS Regional Health System Office (RHSO) and National University Polyclinics (NUP), nurses are also leading preventive health, integrated care efforts and chronic disease self-management in the community.
At the RHSO, the Step-up/Step-down Nurse-Led Community Care Model enables nurses to lead seamless care transitions between hospital, home, and community settings. By practising advanced assessment, case management, and social prescribing, nurses help residents access the right care at the right time – including assessing suitable patients for referral to doctors for admissions to NUHS@Home or community hospitals when appropriate, reducing unnecessary emergency visits and acute hospital stay.
At NUP, nurses are using the population-based Chronic Disease Management Programme (CHAMP) chatbot, which is WhatsApp-based, to better support patients managing high blood pressure. By receiving blood pressure readings in advance, nurses can prepare more targeted non-pharmacological interventions and focus on meaningful, patient-centred conversations during consultations. This approach enables nurses to guide patients more effectively in taking charge of their own health.
A practical shift for an evolving healthcare landscape
Dr Koh said: “What sets our nurses apart is their spirit of innovation. They are not just adapting, but they are leading change with purpose, reimagining how care is delivered across our hospitals, communities and homes.”
The redesign of nursing at NUHS goes beyond adopting new tools. It involves shifting mindsets, redefining roles, and equipping nurses to meet the demands of future care. These tools and care models are part of a broader effort to reimagine how care is delivered – enabling teams to manage rising healthcare needs while maintaining quality and compassion.”
Together, these innovations reflect NUHS’s commitment to building a resilient, highly competent, and future-ready nursing workforce.
To download the PDF version of the media release, click here.
