A chance encounter inspired Nurses’ Merit Award winner, Nurashiqah to find her calling.

When Nurashiqah was 12, a single encounter with a nurse who attended to her grandmother inspired her to pursue her dream job.

“My dad had brought my grandmother to the hospital because she had fractured her arm,” recalls Nurashiqah Binte Abdul Razak. “At the A&E, Grandma refused treatment and was screaming that she just wanted to go home. Now you must understand - my grandmother was very stubborn, and caring for her was difficult for my parents.

 But this nurse managed to calm her down and even got her to wear a splint. I was amazed, ‘How did she manage to get Grandma to listen to her?’ Watching that nurse work, I told myself, 'It's cool to be a nurse.’”

Today Nurashiqah, 43, has become just like the very nurse whom she had admired. A Principal Enrolled Nurse in SGH's geriatric ward for 15 years and counting, she cares for elderly patients even more difficult than her grandmother.

“They shout at me, scold me, even throw medication,” she says. “Initially I was frustrated. But I told myself, ‘Every problem has a solution.’ I started reading articles on communicating with elderly patients. Now, when my patients are upset, I stay quiet, let them calm down, and then speak to them gently. Sometimes I offer them a cup of Milo. Once they feel comfortable with me, they open up. Often, their anger is really frustration with their own situation — and we nurses just happen to be there to take on their intense emotions.   I remember a patient telling me she was upset that her children had not visited her in hospital.”

Nurashiqah’s calm, empathic approach once helped her win over an elderly patient who refused to stay in the hospital. “She kept insisting on being discharged even though her blood pressure was very high,” says Nurashiqah. “When I asked why, she eventually revealed that she was worried about her helper, who was new to Singapore and did not know how to get home from the hospital. My patient had no family, so this helper was all the social support that she had. So I volunteered to accompany her helper home to Clementi since I lived in the west, too.”

Her supervisor, Senior Nurse Manager Tamilchelvi Sinnappan, nominated her for the 2025 Nurses’ Merit Award. She praises Nurashiqah not only for her care of patients but also for her guidance to junior staff. “Nurashiqah actively mentors younger nurses, providing bedside teaching that nurtures critical thinking.”

Nurashiqah explains, “Some junior nurses follow procedures blindly. When I teach, I always ask them why they are doing something. Nurses need to understand the reasons behind every step — like why we clean a wound from the inside out. We must be able to explain the steps clearly to the caregivers too, so that they can continue to provide the proper care at home.”

The wellness corner and photo wall encourage interaction and bonding amongst colleagues.

She also looks after the wellbeing of her colleagues. To help everyone cope with the fast pace of ward work, she set up a wellness corner stocked with snacks, board games, Lego, and a wall filled with photos of colleagues with their families. “My colleagues can take a quick break, have a chocolate, or chat while looking at the photo wall. Sometimes we play games together. It helps us destress and bond. Bonding is important because in healthcare we work as a team,” she says.

Nurashiqah’s QI project reduced wastage of micropore tapes in her ward by 80% within 3 months.

Equally passionate about sustainability, Nurashiqah was part of a Quality Improvement (QI) project with her teammates to reduce wastage of micropore tapes. “Our ward was running out of micropore tapes too quickly,” she explains. “We realised nurses were leaving partially used rolls around the ward, which had to be discarded for infection control. So, we placed three tapes of different sizes in a zip-lock bag labelled with the patient’s name, stored them in the bedside drawer for patients who required wound dressing upon admission, and reminded nurses to check the drawers first before opening a new roll. This simple system reduced our use from 10 boxes a month to just six — each box holding 12 tapes.”

Says SNM Tamilchelvi, “Nurashiqah consistently upholds the values and standards expected of a Principal Enrolled Nurse. She is an exemplary role model. Her passion for nursing and dedication to going above and beyond make her a truly deserving recipient of the Nurses’ Merit Award.”