President's Award For Nurses 2001

01 Aug 2001

Two nurses will receive the President's Award on 1 August 2001 in recognition of their dedication, invaluable contributions and excellent service to the nursing profession. They will receive from the President a trophy, a certificate and $6,000. The recipients can use the $6,000 for attending international and local conferences as well as for professional training and development purposes.

This prestigious President's Award for Nurses recognises exemplary nurses for their outstanding professional competence, resourcefulness, and innovation in their work as well as their significant contributions to community outreach and voluntary work. They are role models with the ability to motivate and inspire younger nurses and peers. The President's Award was inaugurated last year.

The Ministry of Health received 157 nominations from patients/relatives, doctors, fellow nurses, and other healthcare professionals. The hospitals/institutions shortlisted their nominees, and a panel selected the two recipients.

The 2 recipients are

(a) Miss Lee Yoke Lan

Yoke Lan has been a nurse for 43 years. Over the years, she has always been a champion for the concerns and well being of nurses to her later advocacy for the advancement of the nursing profession. As the Director of Nursing in KK Hospital since 1986, she has been a pillar of strength and exemplary role model for her peers and younger colleagues. She led by example and earned the respect of nurses, the medical team and other professionals in the hospital as well as her other nursing colleagues in the healthcare service.

Yoke Lan's dedication to the nursing profession is clearly seen in her boundless energy and unceasing efforts to move the nursing profession to a higher level. She is the prime mover and supporter of training in various disciplines and specialties for the nurses in KK Hospital. She encouraged and supported selected candidates to undergo rigorous training at appropriate overseas courses and attachments over the years. This resulted in a growing core of highly competent and respected Nurse Clinicians with the profession gaining recognition to inspire younger nurses.

Through her astute leadership, openness to innovative ideas and a willingness to make tough decisions, she is able to get her staff's support to engage in many projects. One of the most outstanding initiatives she introduced is the flexible working arrangements where different shift and compressed workweek scheme are implemented in the hospital to the nurses' satisfaction.

She has served in numerous committees at hospital and Ministry levels. Her contributions and effectiveness are always well thought through and highly effective. Her many other involvements and contributions in other services has earned her many accolades over the years. In 1987, she was accorded the National Day Public Administration Bronze Medal. She received the AUPE Meritorious Medal in January 2001 for her distinguished service towards AUPE's growth. She was an active unionist and organised many activities to provide opportunities for fellow nurses to contribute their service to the community.

Yoke Lan was also the pioneer group of nurses to be trained as SAF Volunteer officers. She was involved in the setting up of the 1st Field Hospital in the Singapore Armed Forces and received the SAF Good Service Medal in 1979.

At the International level, she is an active volunteer of the Singapore International Foundation's Singapore Volunteers Overseas Programme. In 1997, she co-conducted a training course in Midwifery's skills in Laos. Together with a KKH neonatologist, she was involved in a study on neonatal care in Myanmar in 1998. The following year, she participated in a care project in O&G in Myanmar with her medical colleagues. Since then, the team has made three trips to Myanmar.

(b) Ms Nagalingam Saraswathi

Ms Saraswathi is a pioneer Breast Care Nurse Clinician in SGH since 1992 and she is the first in Singapore. Ms Saraswathi has a deep compassion and dedication in the care of her patients and a sense of responsibility to teach and mentor other nurses. She provides tremendous support and encouragement to her patients and their families. She goes out of the way to help her patients by making herself available at any time after her working hours and even at the time when her own husband is ill and her mother has just passed away. She has been providing breast care services to about 1,800 patients yearly and more each year.

A highly innovative and motivated officer, she seeks new ways to improve her nursing practice and management of patients. She implemented the "Unoplast" drainage bottle for use, which reduced the patient's hospital stay from 10 to 4 days. She initiated the Lymphoedema Team, working in collaboration with the paramedical professionals.

Ms Saraswathi is an effective communicator who listens to feedback from patients with empathy and sincerity. Her monthly education programmes on breast screening for high-risk patients and relatives are conducted not only in English but also in Mandarin.

She gives public talks and health education in community centres in Siglap, Eunos, Yew Tee, West Coast, Geylang Serai and Marine Parade. She is much sought after for interviews on Radio and TV and to give talks in the public forum. Internationally, she is recognised for her professionalism and expertise in her special area of practice. She has been invited to present papers at overseas conferences/seminars and workshops in India, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.