A Match Between Two Lifelong Loves

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We all know that Nurse Clinician Chua Chiou Hann is a good nurse. So good in fact, that she won the Nurses Merit Award from MOH this year. But what we didn't know about Chiou Hann is that she is also an awesome table tennis player who found a deep and meaningful connection between her two loves of table tennis and nursing. 

Growing up in a small village in Malaysia where recreational activities were limited, nine-year old Chiou Hann discovered table tennis and was instantly intrigued by the sport even though she had never played it before. Upon seeing her interest, her uncle gifted her a table tennis bat and there was just no looking back. Her love for table tennis would stay with her and she would devote countless hours at the table, honing her skills. Chiou Hann even represented her school for competitions.

Alongside her blossoming table tennis skills, the young Chiou Hann also began to develop an interest in Nursing. When she got the news that she had received a sponsorship offer from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) to pursue a Diploma in Nursing at Nanyang Polytechnic, she was over the moon.

From a young age, she had known that her purpose lay in caring for others with compassion and tenderness,

"The driving force behind my inspiration to join the Nursing profession stems from the fact that nursing allows me to have a positive impact on the lives of all the patients that I meet and interact with."

Chiou Hann also appreciates the extensive range of avenues for professional growth, specialisation and advancement that Nursing could provide.

Sharing a memory which left a deep impression on her, Chiou Hann described an encounter with a patient with dementia. The patient had required a fixed routine to her daily activities and the items used in during mealtimes had to be consistent. Sensing the family's anxiety about the patient's return home, the care team worked with them to meticulously plan every detail such as replicating mealtime routines to getting the exact items that were used in the ward during the patient's stay.

"For me, being able to help the patient's family gain confidence in providing care to the patient has granted me an indescribable sense of purpose, knowing that I am a catalyst for transformative and compassionate patient care," she shared.

Of course, she also found time to play table tennis, presenting SGH in competitions and bonding with colleagues who also loved the game.

Chiou Hann shares how her table tennis skills were able to help her in her nursing profession, "My years of playing table tennis has taught me invaluable attributes such as hand-eye coordination, focus, and quick reflexes – skills that proved beneficial in performing tasks at work that required precision and manual dexterity." Moreover, table tennis instilled in her the values of teamwork, discipline, and stress management, making her an even more adept and empathetic caregiver.

After all these years, Chiou Hann's passion for both table tennis and nursing remains the same. Since joining SCH, Chiou Hann is heartened to find herself in a surrounded by effective leadership and colleagues who embraces a culture of camaraderie.

For her outstanding performance, persistence towards her professional development and contributions to the nursing profession, Chiou Hann was awarded the Nurses' Merit Award 2023 by the Ministry of Health. Congratulations Chiou Hann!