March 06, 2024, 05:40 PM
What does a nurse do?
- Assist doctors
- Look after patients
- Admin duties
- All the above
You picked option 4, didn’t you?
Well, you’re wrong because the correct answer is secret option 5: “All the above and so much more”.
Even though nursing has evolved from basic caretaking to a career that offers multiple pathways and specialisations, our perception of nurses has yet to.
Many still think that a nurse's job revolves around taking blood pressure readings and cleaning bedpans.
And this incorrect thinking informs the way we treat our nurses: Very badly and with little respect.
Is being a nurse really as challenging as many make it out to be? Why, then, do nurses continue doing what they do?
Amanda Tan and Joshua Chia, senior staff nurses at Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) and National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), respectively, shared with Mothership the realities of working as a nurse and what attracted them to this profession.
Did someone or something inspire you to be a nurse?
Tan: I realised from a young age that I had a natural inclination to care for others in need.
My late grandmother used to stay over at my house once in a while, and I remember vividly that I loved to sit by her side and help dispense medications for her.
Amanda Tan, a senior staff nurse, interacting with a patient. Image courtesy of SKH.
Chia: I chose to pursue nursing because I wanted to learn how to care for my parents better. While serving as an emergency ambulance medic in National Service, I came to understand the importance of acquiring the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide high-quality care.
Witnessing health challenges faced by patients and their families further affirmed my aspiration to be a nurse.
How different were your expectations from the realities of a nursing career?
Tan: There wasn’t any difference in my expectations from the realities of a nursing career. I guess part of the reason was that we had attachments in between our semesters at nursing school, so we were slowly exposed to the realities of nursing, which was helpful.
Chia: I realised that the reality of being a nurse is far more challenging than I had expected, requiring swift critical thinking and problem-solving skills and the resilience to withstand fast-changing environments.
For instance, we need to think on our feet and respond fast if a patient suddenly gets into cardiopulmonary arrest while undergoing a procedure to reopen his clogged arteries.
However, the sense of fulfilment in making a difference in the well-being of patients and their loved ones greatly outweighs the challenges.
Joshua Chia (left) is seen here assisting the doctor in a cardiac catheterisation procedure. He shared that the sense of fulfilment he gets in making a difference in the well-being of patients greatly outweighs the challenges he faces at work. Image courtesy of NHCS.
What is one thing that shocked you when you became a nurse?
Tan: I was surprised by the negative side of human behaviour. Yet, I have also seen the good in people, reflected in the perseverance of dedicated caregivers and the warmth of appreciative patients when they remind us nurses to take our breaks.
Chia: I was taken aback by the emotional intensity of the job.
During times of distress, nurses not only have to continue providing care, we also help manage the emotions of patients and their families while remaining professional. It is not easy and overtime, I realised that a profound level of emotional connection and support for patients afflicted with cardiac conditions is needed to do the job well.
Therefore, it is crucial for nurses to acknowledge the importance of self-care and for the public to appreciate the complexities of nursing, which in turn better supports nurses in their work.
What do you enjoy most about being a nurse?
Tan: I love that I get to interact with patients from vastly different backgrounds and listen to their life stories and experiences.
At the same time, I love that this job allows me to make a difference — no matter how big or small — in someone's life.
Chia: One of the most gratifying elements of being a nurse in NHCS is the opportunity to work closely with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals who run the gamut from fellow nurses to pharmacists.
This has allowed me to acquire valuable knowledge and experience in innovative approaches to patient care and gain insights into complex medical cases.
Overall, the sense of camaraderie, shared purpose, and mutual support that teamwork brings are what I enjoy most about this profession.
Chia (right) enjoys the sense of camaraderie, shared purpose, and mutual support he encounters in the nursing profession. Image courtesy of NHCS.
What is one thing the public doesn’t see or fully understand about a nurse’s work?
Tan: I think one aspect often overlooked by the public is the behind-the-scenes work, like the extensive documentation we must diligently follow. Sometimes, we end up prioritising our patients' needs above our own.
There were times when my colleagues and I were so occupied with our tasks throughout the entire shift — assisting patients with their meals, feeding them either orally or via feeding tubes, and changing their soiled diapers, etc. — that we barely had the time to grab a bite or use the toilet.
Tan said that sometimes nurses end up prioritising the needs of the patients above their own. Image courtesy of SKH.
Chia: Nurses being at the forefront of patient care, are constantly exposed to evolving healthcare changes.
Hence, contrary to popular belief, nurses do not just provide bedside care, we must in fact, constantly keep ourselves updated on the latest innovations in healthcare digitalisation and technologies to keep pace with best practices in delivering quality patient care.
If you could speak to your younger self, what would you tell them, knowing that they will become a nurse in future?
Tan: I would tell her that it will not be an easy journey — there will be tough times, but there will also be good times.
You'll get to meet many different people who will mould you into a better nurse and person. Don't be afraid of what's to come, but keep your head high and press on. You got this.
Chia: Do not give up because the path you are on now has always been the one you need and want!
Tan and Chia entered the nursing field equipped with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Practice offered by the University of Manchester in collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
This was SIT’s pioneer nursing programme. Developed in consultation with the Ministry of Health, the curriculum paid special attention to particular areas of need in Singapore, such as long-term palliative care.
Both senior staff nurses tell us what attracted them to SIT, which recently launched an exciting through-train nursing programme (details at the end of the article).
What made you choose SIT’s nursing programme?
Tan: SIT’s nursing programme offered unique modules like palliative nursing and teaching/mentoring-related modules, which I think weren’t common in other nursing programmes at the time.
Plus, I appreciated that it was a full-time, two-year course with the opportunity to graduate with honours.
Chia: I chose SIT’s nursing programme because of the good reputation that SIT and the University of Manchester had.
Moreover, the curriculum and course structure were relevant to my work and appealed greatly to me.
Chia checking on a patient at the observation area after a cardiac catheterisation procedure. He took up the nursing programme at SIT because its course structure and curriculum were relevant to his work. Image courtesy of NHCS.
What is your favourite memory of your time in the nursing programme?
Tan: My favourite memory was during our overseas immersion programme, where my classmates and I travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) for three weeks.
We explored our partner campus and were posted to a local hospital, where we experienced the similarities and differences between the UK and Singapore healthcare systems.
On top of that, we also participated in volunteer work where we removed stinging nettles (with proper safety gear in place, of course) and had the chance to perform for nursing home residents, sharing our local culture with them.
Chia: It would definitely be the toughest time of each semester – revising for tests and brainstorming for ideas to put together the essays with my classmates!
We were able to help one another better understand the concepts and theories by discussing and explaining them to each other. As the saying goes, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
How has the programme equipped you for a nursing career?
Tan: It taught me relevant mentoring skills, which I could apply in practice.
Chia: What I learned greatly broadened my perspectives and insights into contemporary nursing practices, both locally and abroad.
In particular, the leadership module provided me an opportunity to travel to Manchester for our clinical placement at Salford Royal Hospital, allowing me to witness different nursing leadership styles and contemporary nursing practices.
Furthermore, the module also incorporated a graded challenge for our sub-group at Burnage Community Centre. We had to organise a one-day programme for a childcare centre with young children.
The programme not only armed us with nursing knowledge and clinical skills but also motivated us to employ our critical thinking and problem-solving skills in real-life scenarios outside of the professional setting.
Use only 3 words to describe the benefits of SIT's nursing programme.
Tan: Engaging, fun, educational.
Chia: Comprehensive, transformative, empowering.
SIT’s BSN-MSN pathway
If Tan and Chia have inspired you to find your further calling in nursing, SIT has a new through-train programme that might interest you.
It is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Master of Science in Nursing (BSN-MSN) programme.
Developed in collaboration with Singapore’s largest public healthcare group, SingHealth, the BSN-MSN programme will equip future nursing leaders to face the growing burden of chronic and complex health conditions, and stay ahead of the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.
SIT is the first Autonomous University in Singapore to offer this integrated Bachelor’s to Master’s pathway.
This is a five-year programme, comprising a three-year Bachelor’s-level study and a two-year Master’s-level study.
The Bachelor’s-level study portion adopts a Term-In Term-Out structure where students alternate between spending one to two trimesters taking modules on campus, and a trimester-long clinical residency at a SingHealth institution every academic year.
The Master’s-level study portion enables nurses to remain in practice in clinical settings, where they will be trained to be specialist nurses in four different domains:
- Medical/Surgical Nursing
- High Acuity Care Nursing
- Peri-operative Nursing
- Community Care Nursing
Students who successfully complete the programme will be awarded two separate degrees – the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing.
You can find out more about the BSN-MSN programme here. Admissions are currently open from now till Mar. 19.
This article, which was sponsored by SIT, made this writer think about all the times he didn’t say “Thank you” to the nurses he sees at the hospital. Cover images courtesy of SKH and NHCS.
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