Additionally, Pan Ning plays a pivotal role in supporting the Critical Care Nursing Course (CCNC) by actively participating in the teaching of crucial topics like Pulmonary Artery Catheterisation. Beyond her regular work duties, Pan Ning goes the extra mile by volunteering in the Singapore Nursing Christian Fellowship (SNCF) where she engages in teaching and sharing sessions, offering her expertise to fellow nurses in Singapore and exemplifying her commitment to the broader nursing community.
Devoted to share her knowledge and skillsets with fellow nurses, Pan Ning puts in time and effort to sharpen her different competencies to enhance her coaching capabilities. As a notable example, she honed her video-making skills to create clearer and more effective demonstrations on nursing procedures such as, cleaning the central venous access to prevent Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infection (CLABSI). Besides this, Pan Ning also contributes to the electronic learning portal. She creates and uploads quizzes in learning resources designed to better assist nurses in mastering unit-specific procedures. Her proactive involvement in the development of these resources ensures that her colleagues have access to the best tools for ongoing professional development and excellence in patient care.
Driven by a strong desire to give back to the community, Pan Ning is highly esteemed by both her patients and colleagues through her exemplary holistic care in and outside of her working environment. The Nurses’ Merit Award serves as a testament to her outstanding commitment in nursing, and NUHCS takes immense pride in celebrating Pan Ning’s well-deserved recognition for her exemplary ethics and wholehearted dedication.
We caught up with two Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) to learn more about their journeys of growth.
As registered nurses equipped with a wide knowledge base and specialised clinical skills, Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) take on an expanded role in nursing by administering therapies, ordering basic tests & anticipating and managing complex situations. Tapping on their advanced training and skill sets, they work hand-in-hand with other healthcare professionals to provide specialty care through making diagnoses and even initiating care plans. In this heart-to-heart interview, NUHCS PULSE Editorial speaks to APNs Li Yao and Christina, Advanced Practice Nurses in Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) and Cardiology respectively, who share more on their insights and perspectives, and the challenges they face.
Q: What are the roles of an APN, beyond that of traditional nursing responsibilities?
Li Yao: APNs encompass diverse specialty areas. As nursing experts in our respective fields, we are credentialed and trained not just in the knowledge base, but also equipped with the assessment, judgment, decision-making and other skills needed to enhance patient care at an advanced level.
Currently, I work closely with cardiac surgeons to run an APN-led outpatient clinic, located at the NUHCS Heart Clinic, for patients who have undergone heart surgeries. Besides timely review of patients to pre-empt issues that might occur during recovery, I conduct in-depth exploration into factors affecting how well patients adhere to their prescribed medications, as well as the positive lifestyle habits they can be encouraged to adopt. I enjoy interacting with patients and helping them learn more about their condition, so they can manage it better.
Q: What are some of the challenges you face in your role?
Li Yao: As an APN, I juggle direct patient care with education, research, leadership, and management. With so many different roles, it can be daunting at times. However, I am inspired to face these challenges positively, as I believe that I can make a significant impact to patients’ health and well-being through specialised care.
Q: Any reflections on your nursing journey or memorable experiences you wish to highlight?
Li Yao: I was called to assist a patient who had turned cold and clammy prior to a routine chest-tube removal procedure. The 47-year-old patient had undergone a heart (mitral) valve replacement, was aphasic and could not move the right side of his body (hemiparesis). Thanks to our nurses’ sharp observation and clinical assessment, the patient underwent the appropriate diagnostic scans timely, followed by a successful thrombectomy. He was able to speak and move the right side of his body, avoiding catastrophic consequences. I felt an immense sense of satisfaction, and found great meaning in my role at that moment!
Q: What are some of the qualities an APN should have? Any words for nursing peers keen to pursue the APN route?
Li Yao: Nursing is a calling and a work of heart. In addition, to be an APN, you need the drive and passion to drive care. Given Singapore’s ageing population and the growing complexity of healthcare needs, I believe that APNs can help address these by providing specialised care and bridging the gaps in healthcare system and services.
Q: How do APNs help to improve the overall framework of care?
Christina: Cardiology APNs work alongside in consultation and collaboration with the Inpatient Cardiology Team, Nurses and Allied Healthcare Professionals to provide comprehensive care to patients with complex health needs, who require care of both extended medical functions and nursing-focused management.
We work towards improving workflow efficiencies, ensuring early review & follow-up of patients. This is all done with the aim to decrease the need for hospitalisation, unplanned readmissions and reduce waiting time. For instance, our APN-led Cardiac Stress Test Clinic provides patients who are admitted into the Emergency Department with chest pains - and who only require early cardiac evaluation without hospitalisation - to have an early review of their condition by our team of APNs. This thus reduces unnecessary admissions and reduction in waiting time in having these patients’ condition attended to.
Furthermore, our APN-led Post-Discharge Clinic enables eligible patients discharged from the Cardiology unit to be reviewed by APNs early (within 2-4 weeks post discharge) to evaluate symptoms, test results, assess for therapeutic and adverse outcomes as well as titration of drug therapeutics.
Ultimately, through these improved workflows that allow urgent patient needs to be met more efficiently, we hope to improve the standards of nursing care with better patient outcomes.
Q: What are some of the challenges you face in your role?
Christina: The need to be able to multitask efficiently, in addition to managing patients with various complex healthcare needs. The ever-changing landscape of healthcare has spurred the need for me to keep enhancing my knowledge and skills. Thanks to the continuous support from my Nursing & Clinical Supervisors, various Cardiologists/Doctors, Nurses, and Allied Health Professionals, my APN journey has truly been a fruitful and meaningful experience by far!
Q: What are some of the qualities an APN should have? Any words for nursing peers keen to pursue the APN route?
Christina: I would say having the right attitude, aptitude, good clinical reasoning skills as well as the thirst to improve oneself and others. Equally important is the forging of good interpersonal and interprofessional relationships for effective teamwork and collaboration with healthcare colleagues across various departments!
