Read the stories behind those who wield the Power of Care.

Dietician Nutrition Healthcare

Bernice Tan Avatar
#HumansOfPower – Knowing I Could Improve Things for a Man Being Fed Through a Tube

I’m Bernice Tan, a dietitian with the National University Polyclinics. Of all areas of food and nutrition, I choose to be a dietitian because I get to directly impact people’s lives.

Read the stories behind those who wield the Power of Care.

Radiation TherapistTeamworkHealthcare
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Renuka NagalinghamAvatar
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Ho Guan DaAvatar
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Bernice TanAvatar
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Tham Pek MunAvatar
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Benjamin FunAvatar
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Mizahairi Bin MahadiAvatar

Ho
Guan Da
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#HumansOfPower – No Cancer Patient Should Feel Alone

I have the power to change mindsets. I’m Guan Da, a radiation therapist at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS). Us radiation therapists work closely in teams.

Read the stories behind those who wield the Power of Care.

DieticianNutritionHealthcare
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Renuka NagalinghamAvatar
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Ho Guan DaAvatar
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Bernice TanAvatar
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Tham Pek MunAvatar
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Benjamin FunAvatar
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Mizahairi Bin MahadiAvatar

Bernice
Tan
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#HumansOfPower – Knowing I Could Improve Things for a Man Being Fed Through a Tube

I’m Bernice Tan, a dietitian with the National University Polyclinics. Of all areas of food and nutrition, I choose to be a dietitian because I get to directly impact people’s lives.

Read the stories behind those who wield the Power of Care.

NursingMedicineHealthcare
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Renuka NagalinghamAvatar
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Ho
Guan Da
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Bernice
Tan
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Tham Pek MunAvatar
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Benjamin FunAvatar
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Mizahairi Bin MahadiAvatar

Tham Pek Mun Avatar
#HumansOfPower – She’s My Family Even Though We Don’t Even Speak the Same Language

I’m Pek Mun, Staff Nurse at New Horizon Centre (Bukit Batok), Dementia Singapore. I have the power to provide a higher quality of care.

Read the stories behind those who wield the Power of Care.

Neurological PhysiotherapistHealthcare
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Renuka NagalinghamAvatar
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Ho
Guan Da
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Bernice
Tan
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Tham Pek MunAvatar
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Benjamin FunAvatar
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Mizahairi Bin MahadiAvatar

Benjamin Fun Avatar
#HumansOfPower - Seeing Others Follow in My Footsteps as I Help Patients Walk

I have the power to facilitate positive change. My name is Benjamin Fun and I’m a physiotherapist at Jurong Community Hospital’s day rehab centre.

Read the stories behind those who wield the Power of Care.

Community CareHealthcare
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Renuka NagalinghamAvatar
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Ho
Guan Da
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Bernice
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Tham Pek MunAvatar
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Benjamin FunAvatar
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Mizahairi Bin MahadiAvatar

Mizahairi Bin Mahadi Avatar
#HumansOfPower - Aged Care Made Vibrant (and Groovy!) through Music

I’m Mizahairi Bin Mahadi, a community care associate at Ren Ci Hospital, and I have the power to contribute and empower!

One memory which stays with me is meeting a patient who had to be fed through a tube. It was not hard to imagine the mental toll of having to ingest food through a tube. So I worked with his doctor and speech therapist to find out the types of food textures he could handle and created a meal plan according to his condition and his required nutritional intake.

He gained confidence and, shortly after, was able to return to a diet of solid foods. He was so happy that even the act of sipping water again brought so much joy to him!

Around three to four of us operate a machine called the linear accelerator, a high precision radiation therapy machine that treats cancer by targeting specific areas of a patient.

We typically treat 30 to 40 patients a day. Sessions can go on for one day and all the way to two months at times. During this time, we would bond with the cancer patients under our care.

Anyone dealing with cancer will know that the treatment can be daunting. They will have to overcome the anxiety of staying still and alone inside the bunker during their treatment.

One memory which stays with me is meeting a patient who had to be fed through a tube. It was not hard to imagine the mental toll of having to ingest food through a tube. So I worked with his doctor and speech therapist to find out the types of food textures he could handle and created a meal plan according to his condition and his required nutritional intake.

He gained confidence and, shortly after, was able to return to a diet of solid foods. He was so happy that even the act of sipping water again brought so much joy to him!

My nursing journey began at age 13 when I was caring for my cancer-stricken grandmother. I knew back then that this would be my calling. You might ask, what’s so fulfilling about nursing? Easy! Helping a patient recover really makes my day. I know then that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life.

I once cared for a patient from Dubai during my nursing school attachment. She was in Singapore for treatment, and I was assigned to her. Because of our difference in languages, we conversed only in sign language. Still, we bonded greatly over that time, to the point that she became like another grandmother to me. It was a very emotional moment when my attachment ended and we parted ways.

I started off because of my interest in sports. When I was young, I played a lot of Football Manager, and saw how a physiotherapist could influence the duration of a player’s injury. When I went to school, it further cemented my interest in physiotherapy leading me to where I am today.

I work with patients with neurological conditions like stroke and traumatic brain injury - a group that really needs physiotherapy, and making a difference in their lives is why I chose healthcare.

In the past two years, I took a year off to take a Masters in education to help me further my skills in teaching students. The best moment in this journey is seeing my students grow and tell you that you have made them more confident about being a physiotherapist. It can be daunting when you face challenges without anyone to guide you. Hence, I view being an educator as another way of helping others.

Career wise, I had options. But I chose the one that lets me serve our seniors. My biggest challenge? Accommodating different needs. Because each resident is unique. And we do our best to work with those needs and brighten their lives. For me, all it takes is my electronic keyboard to jazz up the atmosphere. And boy, can these folks sing!

My background in the music industry comes in handy too. Once, I used it to strike a chord with a depressed resident. We bonded over our common experiences and love for music. We shared inside jokes every chance we got. It means a lot that I can make these kinds of impact.

I have the power to impact lives.

Some call me the Food Police, or the Weight-loss Doctor. (Pro tip: you don’t have to binge on salad to stay healthy.) That said, I’m more than just an advocate for healthy eating. I champion the all- round recovery of each patient. I collaborate with all many experts in their fields to provide more holistic care for my patients.

That means I work with doctors, speech therapists, psychologists, social workers, and even financial counsellors!

As a dietitian, I have the power to impact lives. With food, no less! And yes, you can still have your rice and carbs. Even I indulge in the occasional ice cream.

I have the power to change mindsets.

So we, as a team, find ways to help patients calm their nerves. What patients like is us interacting with them like normal people do. So we ask about their day, and take their mind off their ordeal.

Our work never goes unrecognised. One patient even cooked us a feast so big we could feed an entire department. Another patient gifted us a potted plant. That one potted plant led to more lush green gifts from other patients. These gifts grew into a small ‘garden’. And that blossomed into a community of patients who help us nurture the plants.

What keeps me going in this profession? It’s the never-ending quest for knowledge. In radiation therapy, we are never starved of new things to learn. There are new concepts to grasp, new technologies to adopt.

We want to enrich ourselves for our patients. There are misconceptions and myths about the world of radiotherapy to address. There are mindsets to change. This job gives me the power to do that, and more.

I have the power to impact lives.

Some call me the Food Police, or the Weight-loss Doctor. (Pro tip: you don’t have to binge on salad to stay healthy.) That said, I’m more than just an advocate for healthy eating. I champion the all- round recovery of each patient. I collaborate with all many experts in their fields to provide more holistic care for my patients.

That means I work with doctors, speech therapists, psychologists, social workers, and even financial counsellors!

As a dietitian, I have the power to impact lives. With food, no less! And yes, you can still have your rice and carbs. Even I indulge in the occasional ice cream.

I have the power to provide a higher quality of care.

Today, I care for clients at a centre for persons living with dementia. Of course, there’s more to nursing than just caring for others. My role is to manage teams to respond to emergencies effectively. More than that, my team and myself are focused on empowering our clients. We ensure they stay engaged through activities like Tai Chi sessions, karaoke singing and piano sessions.

Being a nurse also means being ready to lend an ear. My clients often confide in me on issues that they cannot share with their own families.

Everything boils down to the power of passion. Even in times of limited resources, it allows us to deliver a higher quality of care. You just need that little bit of passion, and you can ignite large flames of change! #CareToGoBeyond

I have the power to facilitate positive change.

I had a patient of a larger build recovering from a spinal surgery once. Her condition was not optimistic as she was a high fall risk. However, she is considered pretty young, so we just had to try to help her get back on her feet. We had brought in new technology consisting of a safety harness and I thought that it was the perfect opportunity to utilise this new machine to help her! When we tried it, she was very surprised that she could stand on her own. Step by step, we encouraged her.

On the last day of her recuperation, she walked out on her own with her family. What was most heartwarming was that her young son accompanied her on her follow-up check-ups. There, he revealed that seeing his mother recover and able to enjoy the things she used to do inspired him to pursue a physiotherapist career himself!

Sometimes it isn’t just about how fast the recovery is, but what the patient wants. Some want to cycle again, some want only to be able to carry their grandchild again. It is about helping them achieve these goals that brings a heartfelt purpose to the job.

I have the power to contribute and empower.

Is it a thankless job? Far from it! A resident and his mother once wrote me a letter of gratitude. A little gesture from them spoke volumes about the work I do. I feel appreciated. I am touching lives.

Life in aged care is livelier than you’d think. Where else can I get to combine my love for music and my love for helping others?

It doesn’t take a lot to make a difference. The little, simple acts of kindness never go unnoticed. And every one has the power to contribute.