SINGAPORE : Singapore celebrated Nurses' Day on Monday across
the island, including the Istana, where three nurses were
recognised for their outstanding contribution to healthcare.
Director of Nursing at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Kwek Puay Ee was
presented the President's Award for Nurses.
Ms Kwek drives research-based initiatives to improve patient
outcomes and has presented her work at overseas conferences.
Two other nurses also received the award this year - Cynthia Pang
and Lina Ma.
Ms Pang has been in nursing for three decades.
When she started as a breast-feeding specialist 13 years ago, only
half of mothers breast fed.
But her dedication to educating and helping women breast feed has
paid off.
Now 90% of mothers choose the breast over the bottle and her
efforts have been recognised with the President's Award for
Nurses.
"Awareness has changed. Mothers are now aware of the benefits of
breast feeding. They want to breast feed but they need more help to
manage and breast feed for a longer period," said Cynthia Pang, a
lactation consultant with KK Hospital.
Another winner of this year's President's Award for Nurses is
changing the face of eldercare to help meet the needs of the aging
population.
At a special unit of the Lions Nursing Home for Elders, residents
look after themselves.
The Assisted Living Unit, which opened two weeks ago, is for people
who no longer require nursing care but are not yet able to live at
home.
There is just one assistant on hand to help them build up
confidence and independence so they can return to their
families.
It's the brainchild of the home's manager, Lina Ma, who has worked
with the elderly for more than 30 years.
"If we can do something like, maybe speak on behalf of them and to
get round the administrative issue, help them get what they rightly
deserve, then I think it's worth everything," said Lina Ma, Manager
of the Lions Nursing Home for Elders.
Care of the elderly is not seen as a glamorous medical specialty.
But Ms Ma hopes her President's award will inspire more nurses to
take it up and see the benefits of adding life to years.
- CNA /ls