More than 30 years ago, I stood at the crossroads, contemplating my future—just like you today. Young, passionate, and eager to make a difference to others’ lives, Nursing was my calling. My journey to Nursing was filled with numerous opportunities, starting as a frontline nurse, then transitioning to a Nursing lecturer, and eventually becoming a Nursing professor.
Nursing has evolved significantly since my days as a young nurse working in the wards. In tandem with changes in our healthcare system, nurses’ work today is no longer confined to bedside care. Instead, they may be caring for patients in the community or through tele-consultations. Beyond their Nursing responsibilities, they may also be involved in teaching and training younger nurses, conducting research, integrating technology into Nursing workflows, and even participating in hospital operations and planning. Naturally, these changes mean that their career development and pathways are very diverse.
There are more opportunities than ever in Nursing. But as the saying goes, “chance favours the prepared mind”. That is why we are committed to equipping our Nursing students with the knowledge and skills they need to effectively navigate the demands of the healthcare landscape—and thrive.
This preparation begins on day one when they join the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies (NUS Nursing), National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. The Common Curriculum for Health Professional Education with other healthcare students—including medical, dentistry and pharmacy students—readies our Nursing students for future interprofessional collaborations, while Student Exchange Programmes, Study Trips for Engagement and EnRichment, and Overseas Community Involvement Projects provide valuable insights into global healthcare systems.
Even after our students have graduated, we continue to journey with them and participate in their personal and professional growth—albeit in a different manner. We support their aspirations to achieve mastery over their clinical skills, and hone their teaching and research capabilities through our Master’s, PhD and Doctorate programmes.
Our alumni can attest to how the rigour of our curriculum has not only prepared them well for their clinical work but also provided a strong foundation to explore their interest in different specialties. Ong Shu Fen is one of them. After earning her degree, she tried her hand at caring for patients in the wards, then research, before returning to NUS Nursing for her Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) training. Now, she is an APN with the KTPH@Home team, where she provides care to patients in the community as well as trains and guides younger nurses. Recently, she received an award in Compassion at the Healthcare Humanity Awards 2024. We are proud of Shu Fen.
But she’s not the only one. Dr Brigitte Woo, our Research Fellow, also started her Nursing journey with us as an undergraduate. Like Shu Fen, she came back to do her PhD before joining us as a Research Fellow. Last year, she became the second Singaporean to be awarded the Harkness Fellowship in Health Care Policy and Practice. Currently based at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Brigitte is researching the viability of using artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline the Nursing documentation process.
Similarly, our alumni—Dr Jeremy Cheng Ling Jie, Lubna Shah, Kiren T and Eugene Tan—have each excelled in their different capacities. They are well on their way to fulfilling their ambitions—and we are cheering them on. I encourage you to check out their diverse Nursing journeys—and see the profession through their lens. You might find a glimpse of your future self in one of them.
But if you don’t, it simply means that you have the opportunity to forge your own path. We will be here to support you every step of the way. Together, I am confident that we will achieve meaningful advancements—for your future, the Nursing community and the healthcare landscape.
Professor Liaw Sok Ying
Head (NUS Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies)
