Hear from Our Students and Alumni

Our graduate Nigel Leong who pursued a Nursing degree through the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) is now a registered nurse at Sengkang Community Hospital. Nigel in his own words says, “I find nursing to be a job full of purpose and it is spiritually rewarding to help those who are sick and vulnerable. I find significance in being able to help and make a difference in patients’ lives…”

His story is made even more interesting by the fact that he decided on a career change when he was a regional manager of a multinational company. Aside from navigating the massive shift from corporate life to a calling in healthcare, he too had to fight against the prejudice some still had towards men in nursing at the time.

“Needless to say, it was a complete career switch! But I decided to pursue a Nursing degree because I wanted to fulfil a calling that I could not answer during my younger days. With my passion to influence, I am trying my best to create a positive impact on the next generation of Singapore nurses. I hope to change the stigma of nursing and encourage younger local nurses to join the battle,” he adds. Nigel became a CCP graduate, Class of 2022.

At 49-years-old, Nigel is a proud nursing graduate who has finally found his footing in a career that matched his experiences, skillset, as well as his heartfelt passions.

“I aspire to specialise in Gerontology Nursing, with hopes of contributing and supporting the ageing population. I hope to be part of an effective nursing workforce and cushion the impact of the local manpower crunch, working alongside foreign nurses to battle the silver tsunami,” he describes.

In more than one way, Nigel’s story reflects who we are at NUS and how we envision our nursing graduates.

With us, discover an intellectually stimulating and enriching environment that helps you gain valuable knowledge, as well as acquire much-needed skill sets that prepare nurses for real-life medical settings.

“What’s my advice to those looking to switch careers to Nursing? It is a tough challenge to pick up new medical knowledge and skills. As such, one must be fully committed to studying hard and staying resilient, quickly learning to adapt to a completely new work environment,” he says.