"While it’s widely understood that nurses provide direct patient care, many don't realise that nurses are constantly conducting complex assessments, interpreting clinical data, and making crucial decisions."
- Zhang Wei, Nurse Clinician at Woodlands Health
Please tell us more about your current role at Woodlands Health.
I am an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nurse Clinician at Woodlands Health (WH), where I co-lead and support all IPC activities. This includes conducting hospital-wide surveillance of healthcare-associated infections, monitoring device-associated infections in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and tracking multi-drug resistant organisms. I also oversee hospital-wide IPC practices and compliance, manage infectious disease exposures and potential outbreaks, conduct IPC training sessions and audits, and provide IPC-related support across all clinical areas.
How long have you been a nurse, and can you give us a brief overview of your career?
I have been a nurse for 23 years. I began my career in 2002 as a Staff Nurse in the Rehabilitation Ward at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). In 2007, I transitioned to the role of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nurse at TTSH. In 2019, I moved to Woodlands Health (WH) as the IPC co-lead nurse, where I apply my expertise in IPC to support the planning and operations at WH.
What role do you think nurses play in shaping healthcare, beyond patient care?
Nurses play a significant role in healthcare beyond direct patient care. They contribute to leadership and policy development, education and professional growth, innovation and technology adoption, public health and community engagement, healthcare system design, research, quality improvement, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Can you share a specific challenge in your role that required you to think critically or problem-solve, and how you approached it?
As an IPC nurse, I’ve faced many challenges, particularly in managing infectious disease clusters and outbreaks, which often occur suddenly and require immediate action to prevent transmission. These situations demand swift investigation to identify causes and stop further infections. New cases requiring exposure management often arise outside office hours, necessitating additional manpower and careful time management.
In such cases, I review the situation, identify urgent actions, and delegate tasks to the team to handle the situation simultaneously, ensuring we resolve it effectively.
In your opinion, what is one thing that the public doesn't fully understand about the nursing profession?
One aspect often overlooked is the critical thinking and clinical decision-making involved in nursing. While it’s widely understood that nurses provide direct patient care, many don't realise that nurses are constantly conducting complex assessments, interpreting clinical data, and making crucial decisions regarding patient care.
For example, nurses evaluate subtle changes in a patient’s condition, decide when to escalate concerns to doctors, adjust care plans based on patient responses, and anticipate complications before they arise. These decisions are often made quickly and independently, particularly during night shifts when fewer doctors are available.
This level of clinical reasoning goes beyond following doctors' orders or performing basic care tasks; it requires a deep understanding of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and the interplay between various medical conditions.
Nursing can be emotionally demanding. How do you cope with the emotional challenges of the profession, and what helps keep you motivated during difficult times?
Strong support networks, both at work and home, have been crucial in helping me cope with emotional challenges. I rely on my colleagues who understand what I’m going through. Their support helps me process difficult experiences and keeps me motivated in my profession.
What moment in your nursing career made you realise you were exactly where you were meant to be?
As a rehabilitation ward nurse, my most affirming moment was when a former patient, who had once been wheelchair-bound, returned to the ward walking independently to thank us — sometimes months or even years after their care. As an IPC nurse, my defining moment was when colleagues, who had been exposed to infectious diseases, thanked me for my presence and support during their periods of anxiety.
These moments remind me that our impact goes far beyond clinical care — it's about being there for people during their most challenging times and making a lasting difference in their lives.
Looking at your career, how has your personal life influenced your nursing practice, and vice versa?
My professional practice has helped me develop greater empathy and patience with family members, while also providing perspective on what truly matters in life after witnessing critical moments in others' lives. Over the years, I’ve become the "medical advisor" for friends and family, leveraging my nursing and IPC experience. With a deeper understanding of infection prevention, I’ve become more aware of health risks and preventive measures for my own family.
Additionally, my personal experience of caring for elderly parents has deepened my understanding of patients' situations, enhancing my ability to provide culturally sensitive care to both patients and staff.
Can you share an instance when you went above and beyond for a patient or a colleague, and what that experience taught you?
During my time as a rehabilitation ward nurse, I cared for several head injury patients who displayed temper outbursts or violent behaviour. I remained patient, understanding that these behaviours were unintentional due to their medical conditions, and helped calm them down. I also spent extra time with their family members, explaining the cause of the behaviours.
As an IPC nurse, I was involved in setting up the COVID-19 Community Care Facility (CCF) during the height of the pandemic. I provided additional support to community staff with no healthcare experience who had accidental exposures to COVID-19 at the CCF. My presence and support helped them manage their emotional stress during quarantine.
These experiences taught me that small acts of kindness can have a profound impact, and that supporting colleagues strengthens the entire healthcare team.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in nursing, knowing what you do now?
Nursing offers numerous opportunities across various paths, as long as you’re willing to learn and explore. It is a rewarding profession that makes a meaningful difference in both your own life and the lives of others.
Do you define this 24/7 shift job as demanding?
Working 24/7 shift patterns is both physically and mentally demanding. It can lead to irregular sleep patterns, particularly when switching between day and night shifts. Nurses must maintain sharp clinical decision-making abilities, even during long hours or night shifts. The profession requires unique resilience to manage this demanding schedule while consistently delivering high-quality care.
Was nursing your dream job? What made you choose nursing eventually?
Nursing was not my dream job initially. However, after receiving excellent care from nurses during my youth, I always regarded them as "angels in white". When I was offered a nursing position, I decided to give it a try and join their ranks. After several years of adjustment and exploration, I found my niche in nursing as an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) nurse.
