Nurses who combine grit and compassion

Trio exemplify dedication and hard work required as nation marks Nurses' Day today

- Judith Tan

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.