Keen learner: Ms Santhi (right), who holds an ITE certificate in nursing, is the only enrolled nurse who counsels breast cancer patients, a job usually done by registered nurses with diplomas or degrees. (ST photo: Francis Ong)
By Lee Hui Chieh
THE course in breast cancer counselling was for senior nurses, but Ms Santhi Baloo, a more junior-level nurse, did not let that stop her from asking to go on it.
She was allowed to attend it, and today, five years on, the 43-year-old is the only enrolled nurse here to counsel breast cancer patients, a job usually done by nurses with diplomas or degrees.
For her passion and drive, Ms Santhi, a senior enrolled nurse of the Singapore General Hospital's breast cancer service, was last night given the top award, the Challenge Trophy, of this year's Tan Chin Tuan Nursing Award.
The award, inaugurated last year, is given by the D.S. Lee Foundation to outstanding enrolled nurses.
These nurses, who hold certificates in nursing from the Institute of Technical Education, help registered nurses - the diploma or degree holders - with tasks such as dressing wounds and inserting feeding tubes.
They make up almost one in four - 5,163 - of Singapore's pool of 20,927 nurses.
Ms Santhi, a mother of three, feels blessed for the opportunities she has had.
Of her award, she said: 'Not many people know what enrolled nurses do. It makes me feel good that we are being recognised.'
Her trophy will be displayed at SGH for a year.
She, along with two special commendation winners - the Institute of Mental Health's senior assistant nurse Hardev Kaur and Alexandra Hospital's senior assistant nurse Siti Aminah - were each given a Florence Nightingale gold medallion and $2,000 by Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, and Dr Della Lee, chairman of the D.S. Lee Foundation.
Seven other nurses from Changi General, Gleneagles, KK Women's and Children's, National University and Singapore General hospitals, and the National Cancer Centre picked up merit awards.
The 10 winners were selected from 40 nominees by a panel of nursing professionals and community leaders.
Madam Halimah Yacob, who chaired the panel and who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Health, said of the winners: 'We were impressed with their level of dedication and professionalism. Listening to them, you can tell they have a lot of passion and commitment to their work.'
Mr Khaw was gratified to note that more people have taken up nursing as a result of the improved salary and career prospects.
Saying that nurses held the key to good patient care in hospitals and the community, he added: 'You can have the best surgeon and world-class surgery, but if the post-surgical care - which is largely undertaken by nurses - is sub-standard, then patient care will always be compromised.'