The power of person-centred care

For Joel Nai, his first exposure to Nursing occurred in Secondary school – as a member of the St John Brigade. Calling it a ‘watershed moment’, the empathetic NUS Nursing Year 3 student surmised that the experience was a turning point that would eventually see him taking up the path of healthcare. “But what solidified my calling in my formative years was the time I spent in hospitals with my grandparents, who were often warded for long durations,” he reveals.

Fondly nicknamed “ah boy” by the nurses for being such a regular presence in the geriatric ward, the 23-year-old reminisced about studying for his PSLE in the hospital daily. “One day, a nurse invited me to study in the meeting room, as the noisy ward was distracting me. She also asked if I wanted a cup of Milo. This memory has stuck with me to this day, testifying to the impact that nurses can have on those they serve and the person-centred care that is a priority of the profession.” he recalls. His subsequent encounters with ICU nurses and palliative care nurses further cemented his view about the nursing profession and his resolve to pursue Nursing at NUS. 

Heart & head, in the right space

Dispelling what is possibly the biggest misconception about Nursing, Joel shares:  

“Nursing is often perceived as a less-prestigious career focused on more menial tasks and a less advanced skill set. However, nurses are the strongest advocates for the patients they care for, with the expertise to adapt to various challenging situations.”

For those students interested in enrolling in Nursing, Joel encourages them to clarify their leanings in order to make the best decision on whether this profession is suited for them. He elaborates: “Being clear on your “why” is so important, especially as you deal with the rigor of the work and the criticism of people who may not understand this choice of yours.  But there is so much beauty to the work, and meaning to the stories of our patients - you need to find this for yourself. Ultimately, your heart and head must be in the right space.”

Nursing my interests

Amongst the Nursing courses he has taken thus far, Joel deemed the ‘Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Nursing Practice’ (PPNP) foundational courses, taken every year, as the most enjoyable and challenging. He elaborates: “These six modular credits cover all the human systems and are considered the ‘bread and butter’ of why we study Nursing. They also carry the most intensive workload with a mix of Nursing labs, lectures and tutorials. My Year 2 speciality courses like NUR2204C: Women and Children Health and NUR2113: Mental Health Nursing also piqued my interest.” Whilst not a requirement, Joel decided to also undertake a Minor in Public Health as he is deeply interested in public health and its possible applications in his future clinical practice. Joel also completed the two-year Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) Programme, which are a series of courses at RVRC dealing with sustainability, inclusion and community engagement – all areas in which he has a strong interest.

Tagging the culture of the Nursing Faculty as accepting of diversity and friendly towards people from all walks of life, Joel shares that the typical NUS Nursing student is very driven to learn. “They just want to give the best care, and be equipped to advocate for their patient’s best interests - spending extra time in the nursing labs to hone their skills or studying extra hard to ensure our nursing diagnoses are insightful and precise. Bottomline: nurses are really the front-line as well as the last catch for patients,” he offers. 

Wider vistas, deeper insights

Since the end of 2022, Joel has been working as a Research Assistant at NUS Nursing, under Assistant Professor Catherine Dong and Research Fellow Dr Darryl Ang, on two different research topics close to his own heart: palliative care and geriatrics. On how the research stints have helped him, Joel shares: “It has increased my knowledge in areas where I have a keen interest. I also enjoy interacting with the research participants and the opportunity to apply my research skills.”

Besides gaining clinical experience and local hospital postings, Joel also attended an overseas conference in Dubai this year, where he had an opportunity to study the healthcare systems in Middle Eastern countries. There, he found interesting differences in nursing practice and infrastructure. Next on the cards, Joel is looking at a Summer Programme in Vancouver, Canada at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for his overseas immersion and studies – something the avid traveller looks forward to. Ever eager to explore unfamiliar places and novel experiences, Joel relishes solo travel and the excitement of new discoveries and experiences. 

Living a holistic life

A self-proclaimed ‘extroverted introvert’, Joel shares that while he loves going out with friends, he also likes to self-reflect and improve himself holistically. On the personal front, the ever-pragmatic Joel is currently polishing his Excel skills with online courses, just as he had previously picked up basic Malay to facilitate his patients' interaction at clinical work.

Besides working out at the gym regularly, along with running and swimming weekly, the sporty student takes a mental break by shooting hoops as well. Having led the basketball teams for Medicine Inter-Faculty Games (IFG) and Ridge View Residential College (RVRC), as Captain and Vice-Captain respectively, Joel shares: “I enjoy playing basketball and I make it a point to be fully rounded in my development. Leading my teammates for the IFG has helped me to get better acquainted with my peers from Medicine and Nursing. Living on campus at RVRC also allowed me to experience the homely ‘kampong’ feel of a tight cosy community as I made friends from all walks of life.”

Leaving each place a little better

While his grandmother has shaped Joel’s core values to be a genuine and good person, it was his parents who first exposed him to charity work. The teenage Joel had followed his parents on a trip to Nepal where they sponsored items for the Jangchub Choeling Monastery. As a member of St John Brigade then, he managed to secure and donate a batch of CPR dummies, and purchased first-aid supplies with his own savings, for the monasteries. He also taught first aid to the monks in the mountainside, in hopes of empowering those with limited access to healthcare.

“My personal philosophy is to ‘become the change I want to see’ and it is my hope to leave a positive impact in every place I visit,” he elaborates. This mindset is clearly evident in his continuing passion for charity involvement, community building and giving back at large.

Transforming communities

As someone who started working part-time at the age of 14 to help alleviate the financial burden on his parents, Joel has always had a soft spot for the less privileged in society, and has even made time to volunteer at the South East Community Development Council from 2015 to 2019, in projects aimed to uplift and empower vulnerable communities such as the elderly and the disabled.

In 2022, Joel also helmed NUS Project Caring Hearts, which aims to destigmatise the issue of mortality and end-of-life conversations and work with HCA Hospice (HCA) to enrich the lives of palliative patients through befriending and wish fulfilment. “As the Project Director, I worked assiduously to create systems to ensure the sustainability of the project beyond my term, while building new connections. We now have over 30 active student volunteers and a higher engagement rate,” he shares. Joel continues to volunteer actively, assisting with befriending and legacy cases with HCA.

All of us, changemakers

Armed with the fervent belief that anyone can be a changemaker, Joel has pledged to do one major charity project every year around the time of his birthday in March. He recounts rallying his friends to raise funds and distribute breakfast to rental blocks in Geylang Bahru as well as care packages for paediatric patients at KK Women's and Children's Hospital. His latest effort is founding a small charity called Household Blessings in 2024. With the help and generous donations of peers, Joel works with Thye Hwa Kwan Moral Charities to identify and acquire items required by disadvantaged households.

“For me, it is all about drawing on the unique skills and talents of those I work with, while driving towards a common goal,” says Joel. “I connect well with the elderly and am able to identify their needs - and I’m also proactive in fostering future collaborations while always on the lookout to work with sponsors for essential items for the elderly, so that’s a natural fit. I derive an inherent motivation and satisfaction from such community-centric undertakings. I enjoy seeing my beneficiaries happy! While occasionally exhausting, I find it very fulfilling at the same time,” he reflects.  

As a kid, Joel dreamt of “changing lives within a village”. While far-fetched to some, Joel shared that his concept of what constitutes transformative impact for such a village is both expansive and fluid. It could encompass many factors, such as better access to healthcare or education, or improving infrastructure. For the future, he hopes he can help influence policy-making, or should the opportunity arise, maybe even become a key decision-maker on health issues. His efforts are hopefully steps leading towards such an eventual goal.