Profiles in dedication: 3 Singapore nurses who combine grit and compassion

SINGAPORE – Ms Noor Rasha Sapuan juggled work and study while also raising her three children and caring for her elderly mother who had kidney failure.

She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from King’s College London.

As a prison officer, Ms Nazrina Hoque was changing lives for the better. However, having to be emotionally restrained in that environment left her yearning for deeper connections with those around her.

She made a mid-career switch to nursing and never looked back.

Getting to hold a new life in her hands was so magical for obstetrics nurse Ang Mei Qi that she became a midwife.

Having been in “the baby game” for the last 13 years, she sees herself continuing for the next 13 too.

These three women exemplify the dedication and hard work required of nurses, as the nation gears up to celebrate Nurses’ Day on Aug 1.

According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), there were 46,344 nurses and registered midwives in Singapore in 2023.

This comprised those employed in the public sector and in private practice, as well as those not in active practice, according to MOH.

The ministry said on March 27

that with salary increases from July 1, which were over and above the annual increments, the public healthcare sector would be better positioned to attract and retain staff.

Noor Rasha Sapuan: Studying to be a nurse is a juggling game

When she was a child, Ms Rasha spent many a day in hospital.

“My older brother had leukaemia and I witnessed at first hand how the nurses treated him, helping to relieve his fear and pain. Also, how sympathetic and kind they were towards my mother. That was when I told myself that when I grew up, I wanted to be a nurse,” the 40-year-old told The Straits Times.

Both her aunts – who are practising nurses – helped to pay for her studies and textbooks at the then Institute of Technical Education in Bishan before she started working as an enrolled nurse following her graduation in 2006.

Ms Rasha progressed to become a staff nurse through various sponsored programmes, completing an Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Gerontology) at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) in 2020 before pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at King’s College.

“By then, I was already married and had three children to mind,” she said.

But she had help. Her husband and parents-in-law not only encouraged her to improve her lot at work, they also took care of the children whenever she needed to prepare for exams.

Unfortunately, her mother, who had diabetes and renal failure, had fallen very ill.

“She raised my siblings and me single-handedly, and knowing she was not well, I wanted to repay her by taking care of her,” Ms Rasha said.

But her mother refused to undergo dialysis due to financial concerns.

“I was lucky to have my younger brother convince her and take her (to the dialysis centre) until she had her leg amputated from the knee,” Ms Rasha said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Her mother died in 2022, and never saw Ms Rasha graduate. She got her degree in April.

Ms Rasha said her nursing education provided her with a better understanding of the disease process and helped her provide care for her elderly patients.

For her resilience, she was nominated for the Healthcare Humanity Award 2024, which honours healthcare professionals who go above and beyond, recognising virtues like courage, compassion and teamwork.

The award was established in 2004, a year after Singapore faced the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) crisis, and is a continuing legacy of the Courage Award given out in 2003 to healthcare workers for their valiant fight against Sars.

Nazrina Hoque: From taking charge of prisoners to taking care of patients

Her first job was a rigid one, marked by strict discipline, routine and a need for emotional restraint.

Ms Nazrina, now 40, was a prison officer.

“The prisoners had to squat whenever I walked into the prison. Often, I felt sorry, especially when I saw the same faces coming in again. But I had to keep a professional distance and appear stern and unemotional,” said the mother of four.

Today, Ms Nazrina has a different demeanour – her facial expression is softer, and she smiles more.

She is a staff nurse with Yishun Community Hospital, taking care of elderly patients with dementia.

Ms Nazrina said she joined the Singapore Prison Service when she was 19 years old.

But the highly procedural environment that focused on order and security left her yearning for a chance to make a deeper connection with those around her.

After more than 10 years there, she decided on a career change.

The decision to undertake nursing training at the age of 32 was not an easy one. As a mother with four young children then, balancing family life with rigorous full-time studies posed significant challenges.

“I did my homework only at night after I put the children to bed,” Ms Nazrina said, remembering her time studying at NYP. She added that it was tiring, but she was determined to do well.

After a stint at Yishun Community Hospital, she realised her interest was in geriatric nursing, caring for seniors with dementia. She went on to attain an advanced diploma in gerontology – the study of old age and the process of ageing – from NYP.

She was also grateful that having been a prison officer, she knows how to handle aggressive patients experiencing high emotions, confusion and frustration, “with no harm caused”.

She said many elderly patients, especially those with dementia, respond positively to consistent, empathetic care, and the approach has led to remarkable transformations in patients who were once withdrawn or agitated.

If nothing else, the way Ms Nazrina stands betrays her past as a prison officer.

“I still square my shoulders and stand rather rigidly, but I’m trying to change that,” she said, laughing.

Ang Mei Qi: Delivering hope, one baby at a time

Being a midwife at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital helped Ms Ang stay calm when she had her own children.

“When I was having my daughter, I was not anxious at all. In fact, my sister who has four children was more anxious and worried,” said Ms Ang, 39.

She added that she had not wanted to be a nurse when she was growing up.

“I was inspired by my teachers and I wanted to teach. It was not until a relative had to spend a long time in the hospital that I saw how dedicated the nurses were in helping him and making him comfortable that I felt that was where I wanted to be,” she said with a smile.

After working as an obstetrics nurse for a year, Ms Ang said she felt “it was a privilege to witness life beginning as the women gave birth”.

That was when she went back to school to learn midwifery.

In Singapore, midwives need to take specialised postgraduate programmes. Registered nurses who wish to become midwives typically have to go through an Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery) at NYP. 

“Midwives play a crucial role in caring for women and newborns during pregnancy, labour, and after the babies are born. They are experts in ensuring the well-being of both mother and baby,” Ms Ang said.

Today, she has published several papers on the topic of women’s health in peer-reviewed journals.

She said she is even open to having men work as midwives, as it is a noble profession.

“I have a junior colleague, and he is very interested in midwifery. I said, ‘why not?’. Since we have men as obstetricians and gynaecologists, how different is it having one as a midwife?”