After a 17-year hiatus, Enrolled Nurse Kaliyaperumal Vijayalakshmi is happy to resume her nursing career through the Return-to-Nursing programme, as she can put her clinical knowledge to good use, and help make a difference in other people’s lives.

Regarded as the highest accolade in Singapore’s nursing profession, the President’s Award for Nurses recognises those who have been stellar in areas of patient care delivery, education, research and administration. Six recipients share their pride and honour with us.

After a four-year stint in the oil and gas industry, Sengkang General Hospital Senior Staff Nurse Serena Ong decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a nurse. She credits her mother, a nurse of over forty years, for inspiring her journey.

The support of her colleagues and family, the tranquility of nature… these are some of the things that help National Centre for Infectious Diseases Senior Staff Nurse Nur Hazlinda Nasrom overcome the fatigue from the fight against COVID-19.

In 2009, Mohamed Firdaus Mohamed Salleh, Senior Staff Nurse at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases made a life-changing decision of leaving his work in the aircraft maintenance industry to join nursing.

As a young student, I always aspired to have a career that would allow me to interact with people as opposed to a deskbound job. I considered teaching at first but perhaps, fate had something else in store for me – nursing.

For Dr Siriwan Lim, nursing is neither a marathon nor a sprint – it is about lifelong learning. She hopes to inculcate that spirit amongst her students. Dr Siriwan pens her thoughts on teaching during this pandemic, and her hopes for her students.

Nursing had been in my mind for the longest time, but it took me more than 20 years to take that leap of faith into a new career. Now that my children have grown up, and with an ageing mum, it was an opportune time to rekindle my interest in nursing.

Our heartfelt congratulations to all 125 winners of the Nurses’ Merit Award this year!

For most women, there is no greater joy than being a mother. Two midwives show us what a day is like in the delivery suite and pay tributes to their own mothers!

In 2018, at the age of 60, Wendy Wong took a bold leap of faith to pursue a career in the community care sector. Two years on, she is part of the team fighting COVID-19 on the front line..

>The Nurses’ Merit Award is handed out to stellar nurses for their performance. Beyond the hospital grounds, recipients must have also made significant contributions to the profession. Three recipients share their thoughts on their new milestone.

July is a month of distinction for Singapore’s nurses because two highly notable awards are handed out to deserving recipients… one being the President’s Award for Nurses. Two recipients recall their days in nursing.

When I learnt that I would be on the front line during this COVID-19 outbreak, my immediate concern was how it would affect my loved ones, particularly my elderly parents who live with me. Yet, I soldiered on despite the trying circumstances.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic nursing lecturer Mis’Rohaiza Amin plays an important role in grooming nursing students for the bigger challenges they will face as registered nurses. She shares her thoughts on being on the front lines of nursing education.

Like many, I wanted to contribute. When Ng Teng Fong General Hospital called for staff volunteers to join the fight against COVID-19, I had no qualms about it.

Deeply honoured! That was the emotion I felt deeply when asked to fight COVID-19 on the front line.

The past few months have been a whirlwind for Senior Nurse Manager Tan Pek Hoon, Head Nurse of Yishun Polyclinic, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP).

Since young, Eddie Hee had a thing for science. When he chose to pursue a diploma in biomedical science, it came as no surprise to most. However, his choice of pursuing a nursing degree did meet with some concerns.

It was not an easy decision to leave a cushy job in the banking industry during the early years of my professional career. However, I yearned to do more.

It all began when I was a little girl. In a family of healthcare workers, I had grown up on a diet of stories about the hospital and its patients.

Growing up, my childhood had been vastly different from my peers. A bulk of my adolescent days was spent at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for regular check-ups and monthly blood transfusions.

I did not choose to be a nurse. I had always been laidback, especially so as a teenager. Aware of my relaxed attitude, my anxious parents pushed me towards nursing, believing it to be a stable career.

Three Chief Nurses from different health sectors (acute, primary and community care), one Deputy Director of Nursing and one Deputy director from the education sector… and one things unites them all.

Bright and approachable, 23-year-old Nicholas Chan remains humble despite the long road he has taken, starting from his days as a student nurse at the Institute of Technical Education College East.

Nursing found its way to me through my stint with a technology company in 2003 – the fateful year Singapore was hit by the Sars epidemic.

It was my father who put the idea of nursing into my head. I applied to the School of Nursing in 1982 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Though I was enrolled in a digital media design course at Nanyang Polytechnic, I knew it was not what I wanted after one semester. I wanted to be in a profession that touched lives and made a difference.  

Nuranis Mohamad (better known as Cindy) was motivated to take up an education in nursing when her mother was diagnosed with diabetes, and her father with kidney failure.  

2009 was a trying year for the family. My dad had been involved in a road traffic accident, and it was painful watching the head of the family struggle.  

I hope you enjoyed the short account of my double life as a mummy and a nurse! Some days, it gets even more hectic as I have to send my children for swimming classes.  

Delphine Lim applied for the Community Nursing Scholarship as she strongly believes that it is important for the elderly to recover in the comfort of their homes and the community.  

As a nurse, she has a personal mission. She wants to advocate for better health management for her patients, especially those who are diabetic.   

She counts herself lucky to be blessed with supportive family members who never once doubted her passion for nursing and lifelong learning – even at the age of 53.   

We’re sure you already know all about what nurses do in the hospital. But have you ever wondered about what they do in the community? It’s a different ball game altogether! 

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in my nursing journey so far, it’s this: Every little thing you do as a nurse makes a difference to your patients.   

Tampines Care Home Acting Director of Nursing Grace Ho once aspired to be a doctor or a pharmacist, but a major stomach surgery when she was 20 years old rerouted her path.  

Did Tan Tock Seng Hospital Senior Nurse Manager Rujia Ali’s amazing accomplishments influence her daughter Shamira Natasha to study nursing? We speak to mother and daughter to find out more about their nursing stories.

Her days as a Red Cross Youth cadet in secondary school piqued her interest in first aid, and brought out the humanitarian in her.  

A team of nurses toil tirelessly behind the scenes of drama serial You Can Be An Angel 3 to ensure that nursing is presented in an accurate light.

Started by a group of nurses, Project Light serves the less fortunate within the society, hoping to inspire interest in global health and challenges that are faced by disadvantaged communities.  

Supported by some 60 nurses and allied health professionals – the Community Health on Wheels programme by local humanitarian organisation, Singapore Red Cross, was introduced in July this year.  

Nursing is the future of healthcare. This belief motivated me to accept the term appointment as Programme Director, Nursing at the Singapore Institute of Technology.  

What makes nursing so special for me? I get to witness the entire spectrum of life, from hearing a baby’s first cry to watching over a patient who is drawing his last breath.

I was just like any other student. I struggled with my studies and was not as confident of my skills. Now, I teach at my alma mater, the Institute of Technical Education College East.

The top accolade in Singapore’s nursing profession, the President’s Award for Nurses honours nurses who have made excellent contributions to the profession and community.

Nursing and the operating theatre both came a little unexpected to me but with time, I have grown to love these chance encounters.

No request is too big or too small. Even if you’re in the midst of something and a patient asks for water, it is our duty to deliver.  

My mother objected when she found out about my dream to become a nurse. I never thought I would be able to fulfil my childhood ambition.  

I love sharing my stories from work and my two sons, aged eight and 11, are the perfect audience!

It was just 12 months into community nursing when I encountered an unconscious patient in her home.

I did not have an easy childhood. The tattoos on my hand and ankles are reminders of a painful, not-so-distant past that I want to leave behind.  

My children had grown up listening to stories about my job as a nurse; the work I do, the patients I visit and the interesting issues I encounter. I had never realised their impact.

During my battle with SARS, I told myself one thing: “I will fight on, survive and carry on my work to save lives if it’s not my time to go.”  

The outbreak of SARS in 2003 remains one of the most poignant events in Singapore. 

I am no stranger to hospital grounds as my family members had extended stays there, and one thing stood out sharply from the countless hospital trips. The nurses. 

I knew I wanted to be a nurse since I was a teenager when I witnessed how nurses cared for my mother. Unfortunately, my road to nursing was not without its hurdles. 

I am a unique professional. Have you heard of an occupational health nurse? We are the gatekeepers of health and well-being in workplaces.  

Koh Ying Xi was a promising student from Raffles Institution. However, life's blips prompted her to make an unconventional decision.  

From nursing to funeral planning – and back again. Jeridiah Tan, third-year nursing student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic has come full circle in her nursing journey. 

At 56 years old, Nurse Clinician Hafizah Ismail from the Institute of Mental Health was one of the oldest graduates at her nursing degree course.