A surprise guest gatecrashed the SingHealth Nurses’ Day movie-themed party this year. Appearing in disguise, Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister for Prime Minister’s Office and Secretary-General, NTUC, heroically arrived at the party as the legendary Zorro, accompanied by a host of other popular movie characters like Batman, the Storm Troopers and Cat Woman. Zorro charmed the crowd by gallantly giving out roses to the nurses in appreciation for their hard work and dedication in caring for patients. With his identity still a mystery, and accompanied by the other movie characters, Minister then strode onto the stage to reveal his identity by removing his mask before opening the celebrations with a flourish and delighting the 2,000 nurses gathered at the party.
Giving meaning to the day’s celebrations, Minister launched a $100,000 community outreach pilot programme initiated by SingHealth nurses and the Healthcare Services Employees Union (HSEU), to help needy patients upon discharge with the necessary resources to manage their conditions at home to prevent re-admission to hospital. Later on, Minister Lim also launched a book written by the SingHealth nurses.
SingHealth Nurses - the Stars of Healthcare
This year’s Movie Magic theme for the celebrations was chosen to honour the true stars, the SingHealth nurses, who untiringly care for patients of all ages and cultural backgrounds with physical, emotional and social needs. Combining physical science, social science, nursing theory and technology to care for patients, nurses are comparable to the Wonder Women and Supermen of healthcare.
Before Minister’s arrival, a group of SingHealth nurses arrived in style at the event, riding pillion on a rumbling fleet of Harley Davidson motorcycles driven by the Harley Owners Group (HOG), Singapore Chapter, who decided to give the nurses an ‘Easy Rider’ experience and treat them to joy-rides. In partnership with HOG, Singapore Chapter, The Rotary Club of Queenstown also sponsored flowers to give out to the nurses at the event.
Stage performances at the event stayed in theme, with nurses from SGH, KKH, CGH and the national specialty centres performing songs and dances from famous movie soundtracks. SingHealth nurses were also treated to a high-energy performance of songs and dances by some 40 students from Nanyang Polytechnic, some of whom are aspiring nurses.
Continuing Care for Patients – Launch of SingHealth-HSEU Community Outreach Programme
Adding a meaningful element to the day’s celebrations, SingHealth and HSEU launched a partnership to ensure continuity of care for needy patients who are discharged from hospitals. The 1-year pilot programme will ensure that they and their caregivers are equipped with resources to manage their health conditions effectively at home, to avoid hospital readmission.
Speaking at the celebrations, Associate Professor Lim Swee Hia, SingHealth Group Nursing Director shared that “Going beyond the call of duty and caring for the less fortunate in the community is second nature to our nurses. Our SingHealth Nurse Volunteer Programme has been in existence for several years, and this year, we are grateful to have the generous support of like-minded partners like the HSEU and NTUC FairPrice Foundation, which enables our nurses to do more to improve the comfort and quality of life for their needy, discharged patients.”
With NTUC FairPrice Foundation’s generous sponsorship of $100,000 SingHealth nurses will visit patients at their homes, and help assess their needs and purchase daily necessities such as diapers, feeds, and dressings, as well as rehabilitative aids such as wheelchairs, grab bars and walking frames. The National Taxi Association will also lend a hand by including taxi transportation for the volunteer nurses when they conduct home visits to their patients.
At the event today, Minister Lim and Mr Tan Kian Chew, Group CEO, NTUC FairPrice and Director, FairPrice Foundation, presented a mock cheque of $100,000 to Professor Tan Ser Kiat, SingHealth Group CEO with representatives of the HSEU looking on.
Commenting on the donation by FairPrice Foundation, Mr Tan Kian Chew said, “We salute the nurses and healthcare services workers for their tireless efforts in caring for needy patients. Not only have they touched the hearts of the patients, they have also inspired many to share their compassion. FairPrice Foundation is glad to do our part to support this meaningful project that helps needy patients to continue to receive healthcare and improve their quality of life.”
"I am delighted that both SingHealth and HSEU have partnered in this pilot community outreach project. This project will go a long way in strengthening our labour-management relationship. It will also help the beneficiaries and at the same time help achieve the strategic outcome of reducing re-admission rates for our patients", said Ms Diana Chia, General Secretary, HSEU and Nurse Manager, SGH.
Nurses: The Pride of SingHealth
Central to the SingHealth Nurses’ Day party will be the recognition of the contributions of SingHealth nurses towards enhancing patient care.
In June this year, SGH became the first hospital in Asia to gain the Magnet® status – the highest institutional honor for nursing excellence and leadership, placing it among the top 5% of hospitals in the world to receive this prestigious recognition conferred by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). At the Nurses’ Day party today, Minister Lim unveiled the Magnet® plaque and presented an obelisk to Professor Ang Chong Lye, SGH CEO.
The event also saw the launch of SingHealth nurses’ seventh publication, “Steady, Stable and Safe – An Overview of Fall Prevention”. With real-life examples of fall prevention initiatives developed by SingHealth nurses and insightful statistics from expert research, it is a valuable resource for healthcare professionals who need to manage patient falls.
Professor Tan Ser Kiat, SingHealth Group CEO said, “It is gratifying to see how much SingHealth nurses have worked to further the profession through their outstanding performance and contributions. We salute and honour our nurses whose achievements have made a mark for the profession. You have earned local and international awards, accolades, and appreciation that make you role models that the whole organisation can be proud of. To our nurses, a big ‘thank you’ for your untiring work.”
Top nurses from various SingHealth institutions were presented with awards and scholarships. Minister Lim presented 12 nurses with the SingHealth–Lee Foundation–D.S. Lee Foundation Nursing Awards – the highest honour for nurses in SingHealth for their outstanding work performance, dedication and passion. Another 13 nurses received the SingHealth - Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing Scholarship, enabling them to pursue further studies at local and overseas universities to enhance their expertise in areas that will contribute significantly to patient care in Singapore.
Star Treatment for Our Stars of Healthcare
Amidst all the formalities, Minister Lim, SingHealth’s senior management, and doctors gave the nurses the star treatment by helming hawker stalls and serving up local delights such as ice kachang, mee siam, muah chee, kachang puteh, soya beancurd, and ice cream. Minister Lim’s ice kachang stall is expected to attract a horde of nurses who will snap up the colourful, icy dessert.
Earlier in the week, SingHealth senior management delivered gifts to nurses in the wards and clinics in appreciation of their relentless efforts to provide quality patient care.
[Please refer to Annex A for the list of award and scholarship recipients.]
[Please refer to Annex B for a fact sheet on the SingHealth-HSEU Community Outreach Programme.]
[Please refer to Annex C for details on “Steady, Stable and Safe – An Overview of Fall Prevention”.]
For media queries and interviews, please contact:
Ms Janet Low
SingHealth Group Communications
DID: 6557 4949
Email: janet.low.t.l@singhealth.com.sg
Ms Serene Ng
SingHealth Group Communications
DID: 6557 4912
Email: serene.ng.sining@singhealth.com.sg
Annex A
SingHealth – Lee Foundation – D.S. Lee Foundation Nursing Award
The award was initiated in 2004 and made possible by the generosity of the Lee Foundation and the D.S. Lee Foundation. It is SingHealth’s highest honour for nurses, recognising outstanding nurses for their excellent work performance, dedication and passion.
The award is open to any nurses who may be nominated by any staff of SingHealth, including their subordinates, peers, supervisors and non-nursing colleagues. Nominees will be assessed based on professional competency, professional conduct, professional and personal development and contribution to the Community.
This year, 12 nurses will be receiving the award, which comprises a plaque, a collar pin and a $2,000 cash prize. The winners are recognised in 3 categories, as follows:
Nursing Leaders Category
1 Ms Stephanie Teo Swee Hong, Nurse Manager, SingHealth Polyclinics (Bedok)
2 Ms Liu Li Chu, Senior Nurse Manager, Changi General Hospital
3 Ms Chiew Cheng Fong, Senior Chemotherapy Nurse Clinician, National Cancer Centre Singapore
Registered Nurses Category
1 Ms Wang Xia, Senior Staff Nurse, Changi General Hospital
2 Ms Li Kejia Lily, Senior Staff Nurse I, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
3 Ms Ho Foong Nun, Senior Staff Nurse, National Heart Centre Singapore
4 Ms Rachel Chua Li Hong, Senior Staff Nurse, Singapore National Eye Centre
5 Mr Malek Bin Amat, Senior Staff Nurse I, Singapore General Hospital
6 Ms Peggy Cheng Lay See, Senior Staff Nurse II, Singapore General Hospital
Enrolled Nurses Category
1 Ms Ang Poo Yong, Principal Enrolled Nurse, Changi General Hospital
2 Ms Lee Mui Mui, Principal Enrolled Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
3 Ms Khatijah Bte Kassim, Principal Enrolled Nurse, National Heart Centre Singapore
SingHealth - Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing (IAN) Scholarship
The SingHealth - Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing (IAN) Scholarship was established in 2005 to encourage and support SingHealth nurses who wish to realise their academic goals. The scholarship provides outstanding nurses with the opportunity to upgrade their professional knowledge and clinical skills and allow them to develop to their fullest potential.
A $10 million donation from the Lee Foundation in 2004 towards the Alice Lee IAN made it possible for SingHealth to grant the scholarships to its deserving nurses.
This year, SingHealth is giving out 13 scholarships to nurses across its institutions. Eleven of these nurses will be pursuing their Bachelor’s degree and two will be embarking on their Masters degree.
The scholarship recipients are:
Basic Nursing Degree Scholarship
1 Ms Lok Hui Lu, Staff Nurse II, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
2 Mr Seah Ngee Chuag, Registered Nurse, Changi General Hospital
3 Ms Lim Siew Ling Yvonne, Staff Nurse II, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
4 Aisha Alhadad, Staff Nurse, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
5 Ms Tee Ning, Registered Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
6 Mr Harminder Singh Olikh, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
7 Mr Guo Bing, Senior Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
8 Ms Tan Pai Ling, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
9 Ms Quek Yanting, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
10 Mr Chan Wai Chean Maximillian, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
11 Mr Chua Lai Heng Andy, Staff Nurse II, Singapore General Hospital
Masters Nursing Degree Scholarship
1 Mdm Thuraiya Bte Jais, Nurse Manager, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
2 Ms Chang Yee Yee, Senior Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
Annex B
Fact Sheet on SingHealth-HSEU Community Outreach Programme
What is the programme about?
This joint programme by SingHealth and the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU) aims to ensure continuity of care for needy patients who are discharged from hospitals. They and their caregivers will be equipped with resources to manage their health conditions at home, so as to avoid hospital readmission.
SingHealth’s volunteer nurses, many of whom are also HSEU’s leaders and members, conduct home visits to assess the needs of these patients and help them with:
- Purchase of consumables such as diapers, feeds, dressings, urinary bags,
- Purchase of rehabilitative aids such as commodes, grab bars, walking frames, wheelchairs,
- Referral to community support services such as befriending services, and/or
- Nursing care and health education.
Who benefits?
In-patients who wish to recuperate at home after their discharge from SingHealth hospitals, such as Singapore General Hospital, and who require financial and care support services will benefit from this one-year programme.
Patients are encouraged to return home after their discharge so that they can recuperate in familiar surroundings with their family members. However, some of these patients require long term home-based care such as incontinence care, tube feeding, regular dressing, and aid with mobility, which could be financially and emotionally draining for their caregivers. SingHealth nurses at the wards will identify these patients, conduct home visits and offer resources and care support to them and their caregivers to manage their conditions.
With proper home care, these patients can effectively manage their conditions at home and avoid being readmitted to hospitals, which will help to relieve the bed crunch situation. The programme is estimated to benefit about 200 patients during the one-year period.
How does it work?
A group of about 300 SingHealth volunteer nurses will conduct home visits to assess the needs of the patients. The nurses will purchase the required items, and deliver them to the patients’ homes. For long-term continued care and support, the nurses may link them up with community support services and befriending services.
Funding and Implementation Support
This one-year programme is made possible by the generous sponsorship of $100,000 from NTUC FairPrice Foundation. This contribution is aligned with NTUC FairPrice Foundation’s objective of helping the disadvantaged members of the community. The money will go towards addressing patients’ medical needs such as the purchase of diapers, feeds, dressings, urinary bags, rehabilitative aids like commodes, grab bars, walking frames, wheelchairs, and eldercare services. It will also include taxi transportation for the volunteer nurses when they conduct home visits.
Other supporting organisations in this programme include NTUC Healthcare Co-operative Limited, NTUC Eldercare Co-operative Limited, and National Taxi Association.
When will it be launched?
This programme will be launched in conjunction with the SingHealth Nurses’ Day celebrations end July. It will kick off on 1 August 2010 and will last a period of one year till 31 July 2011. The programme will be reviewed and fine-tuned based on first year outcomes, and feedback from the patients and volunteer nurses.
Annex C
“Steady, Stable and Safe – An Overview of Fall Prevention”
The SingHealth book, Steady, Stable and Safe – An Overview of Fall Prevention, is the first local publication of its kind for care providers in Singapore who care for patients at risk of falls. Conceptualised by SingHealth nurses and put together by the SingHealth Academy publishing team, the book gives insight to care providers on important areas such as identifying patients who are at risk of falling and implementing different fall prevention measures and post-fall management.
Real-life examples of fall prevention initiatives developed by SingHealth nurses and insightful statistics from expert research have also been included. This makes the book a valuable aid to care providers in a healthcare setting.
Contributors
- SingHealth nurses who have successfully implemented a range of strategies to mitigate the incidence of falls among patients, with additional input from physiotherapists, occupational therapists, geriatricians and pharmacists.
Price
- Retails at S$9.90 (includes GST).