Nursing intranet for communication and knowledge management.

Leveraging on staff's familiarity with the global Internet and the Hospital Information Technology infrastructure, nurses at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) first took the challenge to design and develop an in-house intranet, which serves as a communication network in 1997. This nursing intranet was further enhanced using multi-media technology to develop e-learning modules on nursing specialty, skill-based, and audio slides presentation training. In addition, it also serves as a repository for policies, operational, nursing procedure documents and catalogue of forms, patient instruction pamphlets. Nurses can easily print all these forms and teaching brochures on-line. The nursing intranet offers cost-effective solution for distributing information through virtual network and accessible from over 700 points in SGH, 6 other affiliated medical institutions, and from nurses' homes too.

An e-learning portal for nurses in Singapore General Hospital.

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) pioneered e-learning systems in Singapore as a knowledge management initiative for nurses. This paradigm shift in nursing education is a proactive step taken to address the increasing sophistication of healthcare systems, expanding demand and perennial shortage of nursing talent. E-learning has been a success at SGH, through providing systematic sharing of knowledge and capture of experience, through both formal and informal online channels. It also made training more effective and less costly. Formal methods of knowledge sharing comprise online learning through interactive training modules and slides presentation with narration, while informal learning comprises of peer group discussion and journal review. Both elements have been essential in making e-learning a success and in creating a lifelong learning culture in SGH.