Photo: Dr Felicia Tan, Dr Tan Yu-Meng and Vicky Tan (left to right)
Introduce yourself.
Hey there, My name is Vicky Tan, a Nurse Manager at FeM Surgery @ MacPherson. I decided to study nursing as I didn’t excel in my schooling years. However, my experience as a St. John Ambulance Brigade cadet in secondary school was something that I truly enjoyed. Therefore, I decided to pursue it. Although studying nursing was not my favourite thing to do as I couldn’t adapt well, I managed to graduate through the encouragement and support from my tutors. It was then that I began to love nursing more.
What have you learned on your caregiving journey?
We have to find the positive in negative situations no matter how small or large it may be. This has helped me to hone a new level of patience. When things get bad, we have the love, support and respect from our doctors, colleagues, family members and patients. We should have the passion, knowledge and skills to do the best we can without compromising the patient’s safety and our own integrity.
Caregiving can be very challenging. What keeps you going?
The joy of seeing our patients become well and healthy after their surgeries and treatment. Knowing that you played a part in their healing process is what makes nursing worthwhile. I love that am learning something new every single day and strange as it seems, I enjoy being in the operating theatre, assisting in long, gruesome surgeries even till’ today and I’m part of it. I am also glad to know that our team of doctors and nurses have the ability to help the patients in the best way we can.
What would you like to say to someone who might be going through a difficult time?
In facing difficulties, know that they are not sent to destroy you. They’re sent to make you stronger. As much as I like to think that I’ve inspired my patients, they’re the ones who have inspired me with their courage and strength. I have said this before and I will say it again: “The day you stop feeling sad for the patient is the day you lose empathy and compassion.”
I remember a few years back, I had a patient who was about the same age as me. He was diagnosed with CA Pancreas, the worse possible cancer you can get. After 8 to 10 hours of whipples surgery with aggressive chemo and radiation, he passed away a couple of months later. He was married to a wonderful and beautiful lady with two lovely, young children. A week or two before he passed away, I spoke to his teary wife about him and his kids. I couldn’t help but cry as well.
Although my colleague told me not to get so emotionally attached to my patients and their family, sometimes I still feel so bonded to them and their family as I have taken care of them for months. To me, caring for each other is what makes us human. The moment we stop caring is the moment we lose our humanity. It does not matter if we are in the healthcare profession or not. Ultimately, we do care.