Singapore, 10 October 2008 - If SingHealth’s Group Director of Nursing Lim Swee Hia had abided by her father’s wishes as a young 17-year-old, Singapore’s nursing profession would have lost a leader who has helped it make great strides.
The doting elder Mr Lim was worried that his eldest daughter would have to go through much hardship as a nurse, especially in the 1960s when nursing was perceived as a lowly job that involved only “changing bedpans” and “turning patients”. However, Madam Lim’s twin brother stood up for her and she went ahead with formal nursing training.
While attached to the paediatrics ward at Singapore General Hospital as a first-year nursing student, Madam Lim had the opportunity to understudy the senior nurses. Impressed with their medical knowledge and inspired by their genuine care for patients, her belief that nursing was a worthwhile vocation was strengthened and she was determined to excel as a nurse.
Her resolve and hard work paid off. Some 40 years later, Madam Lim not only holds the highest nursing position in SingHealth, but also received the double honours of being conferred Adjunct Associate Professorship by two leading universities in Australia and Singapore this year.
Honour of double professorships
Curtin University of Technology, one of Australia’s leading universities, has appointed Madam Lim as Adjunct Associate Professor to its School of Nursing and Midwifery, with effect from 1 July 2008. “This three-year appointment will boost the strong partnership between Singapore’s and Australia’s healthcare industry, and fuels our collaborative efforts in education and research as well as the sharing of best nursing practices,” said Madam Lim. She had also earned both her bachelor and master’s degrees in nursing from the same university.
Professor Jill Downie, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health Services at Curtin, said Madam Lim is the first international adjunct professor to be appointed for the school, signalling the university’s commitment towards internationalisation. “Together with the commissioning of the soon to be opened Singapore campus of Curtin, the appointment of Madam Lim as our first international adjunct professor cements our commitment to provide world class educational opportunities in health sciences to the South East Asian region,” said Professor Downie. A conferment ceremony was held today in Singapore to formalise this appointment. Celebrating with Madam Lim were SingHealth’s senior management and her family members, including her younger brother, Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Another appointment of Adjunct Associate Professorship for Madam Lim is by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), to its Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, on 1 September 2008. She will be teaching and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students as well as establishing research links between the school and SingHealth. Professor John Wong, Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at NUS, said Madam Lim’s years of practical nursing experience will enrich the curriculum to better prepare students for the working world. “We are glad to have Adjunct Associate Professor Lim on board with us and we look forward to working with her to advance nursing education, research, and practice in Singapore,” said Professor Wong.
Immense contributions to nursing profession
These two appointments bear testament to the leadership of and immense contributions to the nursing profession over the years by Madam Lim, now warmly addressed as “Prof Lim” by fellow colleagues in SingHealth. Through her many portfolios, she has been responsible for various initiatives that have enriched nurses’ job scope, enhanced their training opportunities, and broadened their career tracks, which went a long way in improving the recruitment and retention of nurses. In SingHealth, the number of nurses has increased by close to 30 per cent over the last five years.
Notably, she is instrumental in overseeing the growth of the SingHealth Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing , which offers nursing specialisation programmes and practice-based training for nurses in Singapore and the region, equipping them with valuable skills required for their expanded role in patient care. To relieve nurses of non-nursing duties like admission and discharge of patients and basic functions such as monitoring of patients’ vital signs and taking care of patients’ hygiene needs, she spearheaded the para-nursing scheme in 2002, which seeks to upgrade the knowledge and skills of Patient Care Assistants and Health Care Assistants to take over these tasks. This has enabled the nurses to contribute more significantly as part of a multidisciplinary medical team alongside doctors and other allied health professionals.
The introduction of the Senior Enrolled Nurse development programme enabling these nurses to progress into a higher career track as Principal Enrolled Nurses is another of Madam Lim’s efforts to enhance the career path of nurses with ITE qualifications. Unique to SingHealth institutions, this additional level in the Enrolled Nurse scheme moves these nurses beyond supporting roles, enabling them to take on a broader job scope and play a more active role in patient care and management.
Of her two appointments, Madam Lim said she hopes to be able to share her 40 years of nursing experience with the younger generation of nurses, “I hope to inspire our nurses and future nursing leaders to give of their best, do all they can to achieve quality patient care, and continue to push the frontiers of nursing.”
Her father would certainly have been proud of her.
(Please refer to the Annex for the bio-data of Adjunct Associate Professor Lim Swee Hia.)
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Annex
Adjunct Associate Professor Lim Swee Hia (林瑞霞副教授)
Group Director, Nursing, SingHealth (新加坡保健服务集团护士总监)
Director, Nursing, Singapore General Hospital (SGH)
Director, Nursing, National Heart Centre Singapore (NHC)
Adjunct Associate Professor Lim is the Group Director, Nursing, of Singapore Health Services (SingHealth). She is concurrently the Director, Nursing, for Singapore General Hospital and National Heart Centre Singapore.
Under her leadership, A/Prof Lim synergised and integrated the nursing profession’s roles, thus enhancing operational efficiency and effectiveness within SingHealth. She has spearheaded the Skills Training Employability Enhancement for Retrenched and Unemployed Workers (STEER) and Return-To-Nursing Training Programme for Registered and Enrolled Nurses (RTN). These programmes help retrenched/unemployed individuals and non-practising nurses to gain employment opportunities in the healthcare workforce. She also initiated work redesign projects, which aim to expand and raise the professionalism of nursing jobs, as well as increase staff retention and job satisfaction.
A/Prof Lim actively shares and contributes her nursing experience and expertise in many healthcare committees and education organisations. She is a member of the Singapore Nursing Board, Advanced Practice Nurse Development Committee, and the Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) Taskforce of SGH and NHC.
She has also previously served as a member of Ministry of Health (Singapore)’s National Medical Ethics Committee, Courage Fund Bursary Awards for Nurses & Allied Healthcare Committee, Health Career Committee, National Ethics Committee, and the Rapid Testing Team.
Her passion for nursing education led her to serve as an advisory member of the School of Health Sciences Nursing (Nanyang Polytechnic), and Health Sciences Advisory Committee (Ngee Ann Polytechnic). Above all, A/Prof Lim contributes greatly to the community as a member of the Healthcare Industry Skills & Training Committee (Workforce Development Authority), and Skills Redevelopment Steering Committee (National Trades Union Congress).
In recognition of her exceptional leadership and significant contribution to the nursing profession and community, she was conferred the 2002 President’s Award for Nurses, Excellent Service Super Star Award by Spring Singapore, SARS Commendation Medal, Commendation Medal for the National Day Award, MOH Merit Award and Public Administration Medal (Silver).
On 1 July 2008, A/Prof Lim was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor to the School of Nursing and Midwifery by Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia, which expands her healthcare networks with international bodies to contribute towards the nursing community in Singapore. On 1 September 2008, A/Prof Lim was also appointed Adjunct Associate Professor to the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
For media enquiries and interviews, please contact:
Ms Janet Low
Group Communications
Singapore Health Services
DID: 6557 4949
E-mail: janet.low.t.l@singhealth.com.sg
About Singapore Health Services (SingHealth)
SingHealth is the largest healthcare group in Singapore, offering a complete range of multi-disciplinary and integrated medical care. The group consists of 3 Hospitals, 5 National Specialty Centres, and a network of 9 polyclinics. We have a faculty of internationally qualified medical specialists and are also well equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment medical technology. We are dedicated to providing quality healthcare that is affordable and accessible to our patients. Through clinical excellence, commitment, and collaboration, we aim to be the trusted leader in healthcare for our patients, partners, staff and the community.
Members of the SingHealth group:
Hospitals:
Changi General Hospital, KK Women's and Children's Hospital and Singapore General Hospital
National Specialty Centres:
National Cancer Centre Singapore, National Dental Centre of Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, National Neuroscience Institute, and Singapore National Eye Centre
SingHealth Polyclinics:
Bedok, Bukit Merah, Geylang, Marine Parade, Outram, Pasir Ris, Queenstown, Sengkang and Tampines