3. In what ways do you bring comfort to end-of-life patients? What are some of the day-to-day and emotional challenges you encounter — and how do you overcome them?

I feel that being by a patient’s side is most important. The mere presence of a nurse helps them to better handle their emotions, especially when they are sad and do not want to talk about it anymore. Just being there for them can be an assurance and the most comforting thing for the patients, aside from relieving their physical symptoms. With compassion, we alleviate suffering and maximise the quality of life for the terminally-ill and their loved ones through a holistic approach.

Many people think that I am used to seeing death and grieving family members by now, since I have worked here for many years. But every patient is different. After a patient passes away, everyone is sad, but I try to look at it from another perspective — they no longer suffer, and that they have passed away peacefully and comfortably is a blessing.

As a nurse in a hospice, my mindset is different. Instead of curative treatment, my role is to help patients leave peacefully by meeting their unique physical, emotional, psycho-social, and spiritual needs through holistic palliative care.

4. Can you share a memorable experience/story you've had with a patient at Dover Park Hospice?

In 2017, one female patient had a boyfriend for many years and wanted to get married and be addressed as “Mrs Tan”. With a prognosis of less than three months, the Dover Park Hospice team immediately came together and worked on her wish of having a wedding solemnisation at the hospice. Some of the staff decorated the room, other nurses did the patient’s make-up. Eventually, the patient managed to get married to her boyfriend here at the hospice. It was a very touching moment that brought me to tears. I felt honoured that I could be part of fulfilling her wish. We allowed them to spend the wedding night in the hospice, where the patient passed on peacefully one week later.