"When I was young, I aspired to have a career that was interesting, challenging, and would impact others. I decided to pursue nursing after witnessing the interactions between nurses and their patients, and learning how they are responsible for diverse aspects in patient care.
I had the opportunity to be a preceptor to new nurses and nursing students while working in the Neuroscience wards. The skills that I’ve gained – adaptability, empathy and flexibility - proved useful when I joined the Institute of Advanced Nursing in 2008. My journey as a Nurse Educator began through a small gesture by one of my patients – she had kept the pictures that I drew for her, of the human brain. This incident made me realise that I can impact others by providing quality nursing education and patient care.
My role as an educator includes formulating curriculums and evaluating the effectiveness of various training programmes, supervising nursing students and trainees and mentoring clinical instructors.
The increased use of digital technology in the delivery of patient care has also translated to training and education. Thus, it is important for me to create a contextualised learning environment for my students in order for them to stay current. I recall using the game-based learning platform ‘Kahoot’ during one of my classes and my students were excited about this refreshing way of learning. In fact, the innovation projects that I am currently working on are also related to game-based learning – for example, a game about intravenous cannulation that was developed together with my colleagues from the nursing quality department.
I find joy in continual learning; doing so hones my proficiency as an educator as well. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and taking care of my pet bird and turtle. Their adorable nature restores a sense of calm in me and alleviates any tiredness that I may experience after a day’s work."
- Ms Kathlyn Wang
Nurse Educator, SingHealth Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing, Singapore General Hospital
