Nursing Care Support Staff play an integral role in the wider healthcare system, assisting to deliver quality care to patients. We speak to three of them to find out what they do and what drives them.

Spreading joy to others

Paul Ian Lorica, Senior Patient Care Assistant, Sengkang Community Hospital

Five years ago, Senior Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Paul Ian Lorica, 34, made the decision to move to Singapore from the Philippines to work in Sengkang Community Hospital (SKCH). He wanted to hone his professional skills, enrich his global perspective, and provide a better life for himself and his family.

As a PCA, Paul assists patients at their bedside, helping them with basic activities of daily living such as showering and toileting. He also encourages his patients, many of whom are elderly with dementia, to engage in activities such as horticulture or art therapy organised by the hospital. Paul works alongside the nurses in his ward, “making sure that patients are receiving the best care we can offer as a team”. A promotion last year to Senior PCA also means he has the opportunity to guide newer staff in the same role.

With his jovial personality and positive demeanour, Paul was quick to adapt to his new environment and form strong bonds with his colleagues, many of whom are now good friends. He appreciates the opportunity to work with a variety of nationalities at work, and deems it as a career highlight. He took the initiative to pick up other languages, including basic Malay and Sinhala, to communicate with both his patients and colleagues.

Paul also gives back to others in his unique way. An avid dancer and K-pop fan, Paul has his own YouTube and TikTok channels, and actively participates in many SingHealth events. He also teaches dance to colleagues in his spare time. “It allows us to bond, and I enjoy spreading my happiness to others.”

In his time here, Paul has been presented with several awards, such as the SCH WeCare Award, the COVID-19 Healthcare Hero Award, and the COVID-19 Resilience Award. He takes pride in these achievements, especially as some were due to the positive feedback he had received from patients. “I’m thankful that my hard work is recognised by my patients, my colleagues, and my supervisor. It boosts my confidence and makes me strive to do more, knowing that all my efforts, big or small, are appreciated,” he said.

Paul advises others not to be afraid to pursue their dreams. “Just be yourself and don’t be afraid to try new things. Stress and challenges can be overcome by forging bonds with others, just as it did for me.”

Providing 35 years of care and support

Salbiah Binte Seri, Senior Patient Service Associate, Singapore General Hospital

With 35 years of experience at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Senior Patient Service Associate Salbiah Binte Seri has seen the hospital change dramatically over the decades.

For her, it is not just the structural improvements and expansion. She has seen colleagues and doctors she has worked with grow with the organisation and rise through the ranks. SGH’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Kenneth Kwek, is one of them. “I worked with him 30 years ago when he was a houseman. I’m so happy and proud to see him as our CEO today,” said Salbiah.

Despite working in the same ward these last few decades, the job is never dull or stressful, said Salbiah. “There are different tasks to do each day, with new patients to attend to. Every day is like a new day to me,” she shared.

Salbiah supports nurses and doctors by ensuring that the daily necessities for ward operations are met, and also in ensuring that patients get treated without delay. Besides administrative tasks such as filing and emailing, she also handles patients’ appointments and enquiries, as well as any ad-hoc duties requested by nursing colleagues.

Salbiah has also taken part in several Quality Improvement (QI) projects. For one particular project in 2020, her team found a way to improve the efficiency of conducting a skin biopsy. The project won a Gold Award. Together with another patient service associate and a nurse clinician, the team brainstormed and tried different methods of collating items required for a skin biopsy. Given the name ‘As Easy as 1, 2, 3’, the team created a special pack that included all the necessary items. This greatly reduced the time spent by nurses to find and collate the individual items, reducing their administrative load.

Her extensive experience means that Salbiah has learned to perform a wide variety of tasks, be it through on-the-job or additional skills training. “Working in the same organisation for so many years has enabled me to better understand the patient’s journey, from admission to post-discharge, and the different work processes by different departments,” said Salbiah, who has weathered both the SARS crisis and COVID-19 pandemic. “The network that I’ve built over the course of my career helps me to facilitate the patient journey,” she added with pride.

What keeps Salbiah going is the relationships she has forged with her colleagues, both nursing and non-nursing, who have grown along with her. “The colleagues who are in senior roles treat me as an equal and value my thoughts and opinions when dealing with administrative processes. I’m also very happy to hear from patients that their hospital of choice is SGH due to their experience and trust. I hope to see SGH scale to greater heights regionally and internationally.”

Restoring more than just smiles

Nur Azera Binte Johana, Senior Dental Surgery Assistant, National Dental Centre Singapore

Senior Dental Surgery Assistant Nur Azera Binte Johana has been at the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) for 18 years, and it is a job she proudly holds.

Unlike regular dental assistants, Azera’s role is specialised in the cases she typically deals with. She assists prosthodontists (dentists who specialise in treating complex dental and facial problems) across a spectrum of dental procedures. “We see a lot of patients with facial defects or intraoral defects due to cancer or trauma who require surgery,” said Azera. The goal is to “restore not only patients’ oral health but also their appearance”, she added.

As a senior staff member in the department, she is happy to impart her knowledge to younger colleagues and reassure newer staff, who may be nervous about assisting doctors during surgery.

Described as a hardworking and steadfast worker by her colleagues, Azera is always ever willing to lend a helping hand. With 18 years of experience under her belt, most of her daily tasks have almost become second nature to her.

What motivates Azera is the profound impact her role has on patients’ lives. “Working in the field of maxillofacial prosthetics allows me to be a part of a team that restores not just smiles, but also dignity and confidence to individuals facing significant challenges,” she said, adding that she has witnessed patients tear up after seeing the results of their surgery. One of the youngest patients she has encountered in her work is a four-month-old who needed to be fitted with a prosthetic eye.

Other than helping dental surgeons and patients, Azera also works closely with laboratory staff and nurses in her department to deliver patient care. “It takes many people to make the patient experience seamless for just one person,” she shared.

Azera is proud to be working in the specialised department. “Because this specialty is not something that everyone is exposed to, so to be one of the staff here in this department is an achievement on its own.”

She understands, however, that there are those who may feel intimidated to even consider a job like hers. But Azera feels it would be a missed opportunity. Her advice? “Put those feelings aside and give it a try. You’ll realise that when you see your patients go through the process and the different emotions — from being sad and down to coming out of treatment with the prosthesis and renewed confidence — it will give you a sense of satisfaction.”

Get the latest updates about Singapore Health in your mailbox! Click here to subscribe.