Return to Nursing

Name: Kaliyaperumal Vijayalakshmi?

Age: 46

Enrolled Nurse, SKH

Share your nursing journey with us.

I graduated from PSG college of Nursing in 1999 in Tamil Nadu, India. I started my nursing journey in a 400-bed multi-specialty hospital, named Kovai Medical Center and hospital at Coimbatore in India where I worked as a staff nurse in a medical, surgical and oncology ward. After moving to Singapore, I joined KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) as an Enrolled Nurse in 2002. I practiced nursing till 2004 until gave birth to my first child and I decided to take care of my child for a few years before resuming my work. When I was pregnant with twins in 2007, I decided to give up the idea of going back to work for a few years. ?

I was sad to leave nursing as I have a strong passion for the profession. ??

When and why did you return to nursing?

I chose to return to work once my kids were in secondary school and I came to know about the Return to Nursing (RTN) program in 2021.?I approached Alice Lee Institute of Nursing under SingHealth and had the opportunity to practice nursing again. The RTN programme was for three months and I noticed that there were quite a few notable changes in the industry such as technology, modern equipment in patient care, advancement in techniques and procedure.

Looking back, is there any aspect of nursing that you still hold dearly and feel nostalgic about?

The ability to care for patients and providing quality health care with compassion and empathy are things I still hold close to my heart.

What are some of the changes and challenges you had to face when you re-joined nursing?

I had to learn changes to procedures and use of latest equipment as well as new terminology related medicine and medical products; those were hard for me to understand at first. With the help of my tutors in the programme, wonderful colleagues and supervisors, I was able to adapt quickly and perform my duties well.

What are some of the nicest memories of the RTN programme?

I met wonderful and passionate teaching staff and a lovable group of friends who like myself, had to give up nursing and returned because of our desire to serve.

Can you share a memorable story you had with a patient? Why and how did she/he leave an impact on you?

I was caring for an elderly patient who required a bedside procedure, and she told me that I had impressed her with my knowledge and warmth, and asked how long I have been working. When I shared I had just came back to nursing for the last six months, she was surprised and said I was very good, caring and have good work ethics. I was very pleased hearing it from the patient, and this really motivated me to do better and reinforced my decision to return to the workforce.

What do you aspire to achieve as a nurse?

As a nurse, I want to make a difference in someone's life and be there when they need somebody as nurses often counsel patients and families after a devastating diagnosis, celebrate with them when they receive good news, and become trusted confidantes.

Finally, do you have any advice for those who would like to return to nursing?

Having graduated and returned to work after a long hiatus I’m glad that I made the choice to resume my nursing career. I can now put my clinical knowledge to good use, and at the same time I feel that I am contributing to and helping society. I would recommend those who may have initially left nursing to reconsider and return to nursing career. To re-ignite the love for the career and to spread the service from the heart, this is something only a nurse will understand.