Inspired by her grandfather, former chef joins nursing after almost 10 years in F&B industry

“Being humble means recognising we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.” — Gordon B. Hinckley.

To Jean Loh, nursing is a selfless profession. The MOH Holdings (Singapore) Community Nursing Scholar believes that the lives of patients should always take precedence over her own job achievements and glories. She witnessed this first-hand when she became a caregiver herself. “It was only when I became my grandfather’s caregiver in my mid-twenties that I was truly exposed to the warmth, empathy and love that nurses exude”, Jean said.

Her grandfather, who was suffering from dementia, had told her during one of his lucid moments that if the disease took over him entirely, he hoped that Jean would “step into his world” instead of getting frustrated with him. This made the former chef think about how she could better care for and communicate with psychogeriatric patients in Singapore. She then realised that she could combine her love for the elderly with her desire to care for such patients through nursing.

In 2020, she enrolled in Nanyang Polytechnic ’s Diploma in Nursing programme after having been in the F&B industry for almost 10 years. Despite the challenges that came with the course, the Singapore Nurses Association Silver Medal winner was able to get through it because of her genuine passion for the profession and her interest in topics such as pharmacology and pathophysiology.

“It is always easy to accept mediocrity in school. Many students believe that it is okay to ‘just pass’ because you’re going to get a diploma and a nursing license anyway. However, there is a lot of merit in and reason to begin your journey by taking your studies seriously, and this is something I have endeavoured to do since day one,” the 31-year-old said.

As the number of cases of individuals with dementia rise yearly, Jean aims to advance psychogeriatric care in Singapore. She hopes to better the lives of patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals through research and ward-based nursing.

In August, the scholar will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the Singapore Institute of Technology. She will be working at a Singhealth Community Hospital after she completes her studies.