Jermaine Ng Wei Hao is a recipient of the Community Nursing Scholarship (CNS) offered by MOH Holdings (MOHH) in partnership with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). He will be completing his degree in nursing at the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies at NUS and will be joining NTUC Health Co-operative Ltd as a Staff Nurse after he completes his one-year compulsory nursing developmental programme as a CNS Scholar post-graduation.
Mention nursing and hospitals or clinics come to mind. However, the field stretches beyond those settings. There exists a realm - one that focuses on providing personalised care and support within the communities we call home. This is the world of community nursing, a field that demands exceptional medical expertise, empathy, and a genuine passion for improving lives.
Jermaine’s journey into the world of community nursing began with a fateful incident during his secondary school days, which sparked his interest in the healthcare industry and set him on a path towards making a difference in the lives of others.
A Life-Changing Encounter
“Back in secondary school, there was an incident where a fellow classmate injured his hand from shattered glass and sustained a deep cut,” Jermaine recounted. His classmate, trained in first aid from St John’s Brigade, quickly took charge of the situation with remarkable professionalism. “What struck me was how she kept her cool during the emergency,” he shared. “I assisted them to the sickbay and with the teachers’ supervision and trust, she administered basic treatment while we waited for the paramedics to arrive.”
“That classmate shared that pursuing nursing was always a dream of hers, and that was also the first time that I was exposed to the word ‘nursing’. ” Observing his classmate’s passion and genuine attitude towards caring for others left an indelible mental mark on Jermaine, pathing his way towards nursing.
"There is a community who will continually provide you with guidance and support. You will never feel alone on this journey.”
Jermaine Ng Wei Hao
Venturing Into Community Nursing
With an aptitude and interest in mathematics in junior college, Jermaine considered pursuing mathematics but was not convinced it was a career path he wanted for himself. He found himself pondering about a meaningful career and the thought of nursing suddenly resurfaced. “It felt like all the gears clicked in place in my head,” he said.
In particular, he recognised that nursing had the potential to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. While exploring his options, he came across CNS through social media and was immediately intrigued by the scholarship’s focus on Community Care.
“The main reason is that Singapore is an ageing society emphasising on healthy ageing and community care,” Jermaine explained. He believes that community nursing allows for a continuum of rehabilitative care to facilitate a smooth return to the community for his patients.
“This scholarship was an opportunity for me to make a difference as a community nurse, and to make it my ethos to always communicate directly with my patients to build stronger rapport. This allows me to better understand their needs and provide the best care to help them return to the community.”
CNS has provided Jermaine with financial support that covers his tuition and hostel fees, allowing him to stay on campus in NUS and to build a network that supported him during the four-year undergraduate programme.
These opportunities for development and exposure were made possible through the Scholar’s Development Fund. An event that Jermaine attended was the 27th East Asian Forum of Nursing Scholars in Hong Kong, and he shared, “I gained greater insights regarding community health from other nursing scholars and researchers from various countries.”
The unmasked individual (Jermaine) depicted in the photograph is portrayed solely for illustrative purposes in this article.
Forming a Strong Foundation
Through the nursing programme at NUS Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Jermaine was immersed in a comprehensive curriculum that taught him the fundamentals of nursing and also expanded his skills in areas such as healthcare ethics, leadership, and management.
Jermaine appreciates the holistic coverage of the programme and its structured pace for learning. “I liked how the nursing programme emphasised developing soft skills and building greater awareness into professional development,” he added.
One aspect of the programme that Jermaine particularly enjoys is the practical sessions held in the labs. “It gives us hands-on opportunities to practice what we have learnt in our lectures and tutorials. We can clarify any questions we have with nursing procedures, especially because our face-to-face lessons were heavily reduced due to COVID-19,” he elaborated.
Another area that Jermaine liked was how the faculty implemented simulation assessments that mimicked real-life situations. “I gained the most experience and learning from the simulations as I could accurately assess my current progress and areas for improvement. This experience greatly helped my transition into practice.”
Embarking on a New Chapter
With his studies soon to be completed, Jermaine is set to embark on a new chapter in his nursing career. He will be joining NTUC Health Co-operative Ltd as a Staff Nurse next year in August 2025. As part of the CNS, all scholars are required to undergo a one-year developmental programme, which comprises a six-month posting with an acute community hospital to gain exposure to a wide range of clinical cases. Following that, Jermaine will undergo another six months of posting at a different community care organisation to gain a deeper understanding of community nursing practices.
“I am looking forward to new beginnings at NTUC Health and being able to officially start my journey as a Staff Nurse in the community,” he said. “The biggest challenge I foresee transitioning into the Community Care sector is that it has many unique settings, such as community hospitals, nursing homes, and home care. Adjusting quickly to these diverse care settings seems daunting, as it will be different from the short-term clinical postings that I have been exposed to as a student nurse.”
Despite the challenges, Jermaine is excited to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those he will serve. “I am excited to be exposed to the various community nursing roles that nurses have in patient care,” he said.
“As a newly commissioned nurse, I want to focus on understanding the types of patients that require community care so that I can better understand their needs and provide them with patient-centric care.”
Aspiring for Greater Heights
Looking ahead, Jermaine plans to continue growing and developing in the field of nursing. “There are no concrete plans yet, but I intend to pursue further studies such as advanced diplomas and possibly a master’s in nursing once I know which specialty field I want to venture into.”
His goal is to stay in clinical care for an extended period, gaining valuable experience on the ground before potentially pursuing management roles or joining the education track, where he can leave an impact on the nursing sector as a whole.
For aspiring scholars interested to work in the Community Care sector, Jermaine advises, “Do not be afraid! As the name Community Care suggests, there is a community who will continually provide you with guidance and support. You will never feel alone on this journey. It is definitely not an easy journey, and you might experience setbacks along the way, but those are not what defines us as a nurse. Rather, it is how we can keep going with support from others in the community to continue caring for patients, and each other.”
This article was first published in BrightSparks Magazine July 2024. Republished with permission from Kariera Group Singapore.