First, patients were perceived to possess lowly perception of
nurses and lack respect for nurses. These stood out strongly as
communication inhibitors in the local setting. Nurses in
Singapore are commonly perceived as ‘maids’ or ‘helpers’
(foreign domestic workers). These foreign domestic workers
are lowly paid and usually come from similar countries as our
foreign-trained nurses, i.e. the Philippines, India or Indonesia.
The consequence for nursing and the tendency of Singaporeans to link nurses and ‘helpers’ together is that patients/
relatives are more likely to approach doctors than nurses for
support and information. To overcome this perception,
nursing leaders in Singapore need to concentrate on a
nationwide education programme to improve the image of
modern nurses and their work with the general public.