Tiffany Wong Shi Min

Diploma in Health Sciences (Nursing)

School of Health Sciences

Othe​r Awards

• SingHealth Gold Medal & Prize

• Diploma with Merit

• National University Hospital Prize

A bout of depression and spate of illnesses set off a chain of events that altered Tiffany Wong’s direction.

The former Integrated Programme student was only 15 years old when she was hit with multiple ailments that led her to think more deeply about her purpose in life.

“I just kept falling sick and life felt bleak. When I couldn’t attend classes, it felt like a big part of me was taken away. At that point, I started thinking that there must be more to life than just studying,” recounted Tiffany, who used to study at National Junior College.

During that time, Tiffany carefully considered her pathways and gained a stronger sense of self-awareness. One thing was clear to her – she wanted to pursue a meaningful job that would give her a sense of fulfilment. Nursing as a career stood out for Tiffany, because she wanted to “make a positive difference in the lives of those struggling with health issues”.

She said: “I realised how important it was to live healthily. Being sick for a long period also helped me to understand and connect with the emotions and experiences of people who are ill.”

Tiffany took a leap of faith and applied for the Health Sciences (Nursing) course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), and has been using her skills to help people get back on their feet ever since.

As part of her course, Tiffany was attached to various local hospitals, with each stint lasting two weeks to three months. There, she gained hands-on experience while working in different wards, including those that specialised in surgical, urological and geriatric medicine. She completed an overseas internship at Apollo Hospital in Chennai, India, where she was inspired by the nurses’ resourcefulness, passion and heart, despite their lack of sophisticated equipment.

Describing the stints as eye-opening, Tiffany is grateful that she was also exposed to a wide range of cases. Through interactions with the patients and working closely with the nurses, she picked up practical skills as well as valuable soft skills, such as attentive listening and observation for non-verbal cues.

“Sometimes, it’s what the patient doesn’t say that is more powerful. During one of my hospital attachments, I noticed a patient was more withdrawn than usual and felt something was up,” said Tiffany.

“It turned out that he felt fearful about his hospital stay and had no one to talk to, so I took the time to reassure him. He teared up and started to share what was on his mind.”

That is why Tiffany is always willing to invest her time and put her heart into caring for her patients, and believes her love for people will stand her in good stead.

“The rapport and trust I get to build with my patients and their family is precious. I want the patients to know that they can have an avenue to express themselves, and know that they are heard and not forgotten.”