Elena at 19 years old, freshly graduated and posing in SGH’s second
nursing uniform 

Growing as a nurse

Upon graduation, I joined Singapore General Hospital (SGH). I wanted to work in Burns or Cardiology as I was intrigued by the diseases that affected the skin and heart systems. Instead, I was posted to the Renal ward where I would ‘grow up’ for the next 20 years. In time, I fell in love with Renal Medicine. It’s a very complex specialty as patients usually have other chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, vascular issues. I got to learn all the co-morbidities and many aspects of a renal patient’s life. The long-term nature of the illness also meant I was able to get to know my patients as well. I spoke Mandarin with my Chinese patients – the Mandarin I had picked up from my classmates in secondary school and from watching Channel 8 dramas certainly helped and my Mandarin actually got quite good (at that time)!

I believe that the specialty you work in shapes you. For example, an ICU nurse will be very detail-oriented in order to care for critically ill patients, while a nurse who works in palliative care will tend to be more patient and compassionate. Over time, through interactions with your patients and your team, you hone your skills and your personality traits. As a nurse, your emotions may be in turmoil, but situations demand that you be calm and collected. I used to be very impatient, but my work has made me into a better person.

In the same way, I believe leadership can be trained. I think I have always stood out because I express my views (I like to talk, remember?), and I will step up to get things done because I want to move things along. I am lucky to have supportive bosses who empower me and inspire me with their vision and forward thinking. Through various projects, I get to work with a diverse range of people  and I naturally improve my interpersonal skills and willingly accept diversified views and opinions.  

Looking out for nurses and others

Fast forward to 2019, Group Chief Nurse Tracy Ayre spoke to me and started preparing me for taking over the tough portfolio of Nursing Manpower, which would happen in 2021. She gave me lots of encouragement, ‘I know you can do it. You’ll definitely be able to do it.’ I had already dabbled in nursing manpower in some of my projects, so I took up the challenge. 

There is a misconception that manpower is about hiring and making sure we have enough nurses. However, it is much more than that. It is also about strategic retention of nurses. While we take care of patients, what’s equally important is taking care of our nurses.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, this need became even more crucial as many healthcare workers experienced burn out.  We enhanced the Nursing Peer Supporter programme, growing their number from 30 to over 100. 

While it is good to have more nurses stepping up for each other, I strongly believe that it is more important to build a kind and caring culture. So that has been my number one focus since I took over the Nursing Manpower portfolio.

 Elena (third from right) with members from the Nursing Staff Wellness Council

With collaboration from our Medical Social Services colleagues, we hold regular meetings and trainings to equip our Nursing peer supporters to provide emotional first aid to nurses in distress. After putting in place systems for supervisors to make referral to peer supporters and for peer supporters to do outreach to nurses in distress, I have also been working on increasing self-initiated referrals. It is important for our nurses to be able to say “Yes, I need help.”

I have also been involved in mentoring newly promoted Nurse Clinicians. From my experience, the transformation from a clinical nurse to a  supervisory role overnight requires a different set of competencies. It can be difficult for this group being ‘sandwiched’ between their bosses and subordinates while dealing with the demands from their patients and colleagues at work. 

It is really enriching,  learning from my mentees. When they ask for advice, I find myself doing a fair bit of self-reflection on my past experience, asking what I have done well and how I could have done better. Learning from this, I like to ask my mentees what they have done and how can they do things differently next time.   Talking things through together really help both me, as a mentor and my mentee to gain insights.

Together with Deputy CEO Phua Ghee Chee, I have also mentored newer heads of departments for six months. It is refreshing because they are doctors, but I have since discovered that they face the same issues as nurses on their leadership journey. I am very happy because they actually want to hear how nursing does it. 

What makes an SGH Nurse?

I think what defines an SGH Nurse is our high level of skill. Whatever area you end up working, there is the benefit of working with clinicians and allied health professionals who are all at the top of their game too, dealing with acute, complex and rare cases. In addition, we are exposed to research and innovation. All these serve to cultivate finely trained nurses who are experts in their fields. Personally, although I miss doing clinical work, all the experience and knowledge I gained has been invaluable in my current role as I understand what nurses go through. 

My nursing journey has been really an enriching experience. Today, my role of taking care of nurses is as meaningful and as important as taking care of our patients. 

Scan the QR Code or click here to watch this special congratulatory video and hear heartwarming messages from colleagues as they share insights, personal anecdotes, and reflections on the invaluable lessons they have learnt from Elena.

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