Current Role:
As a Band 6, my initial responsibility with each shift is to check the patient census, patient acuity and provide a fair patient allocation to nurses, while considering their knowledge, skills and competencies. My key role is to be the team lead for the nursing staff, who can address difficult situations and concerns from multidisciplinary team, patients and their families.
My career journey
In December 2012, I started my nursing career as a general ward staff nurse providing care to adults and children. I was then transferred as a staff nurse in Emergency Department Trauma in 2013 in the same public hospital.
In 2014, I was transferred, promoted and became the head nurse of an Emergency Department in another government-run hospital. After a year, I held the role of the head nurse of In-Patient Paediatric Ward for 2 years, and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for 1 year. I was then promoted again and worked as the nurse supervisor of Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for 1 year, and as the senior nurse supervisor of Paediatric/Medicine/Surgical/Gyne/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 2 years during the pandemic.
In December 2022, I decided to work abroad to know and experience more about paediatric nursing care. I successfully passed the international examinations and interviews and became a Band 5 staff nurse in Acorn Ward of Whipps Cross Hospital. In March 2025, I underwent the interview for the maternity cover for the Band 6 position, which I successfully obtained.
What does good leadership mean to you and how has this inspired your career?
In my viewpoint, being a good leader does not equate to being the best and the most popular and loved senior nurse in the ward. I perceive good leadership as being humane, compassionate, understanding and helpful to your colleagues and other staff members, especially when they are struggling, since you have been in that position where you started with nothing. A good leader is knowledgeable and skilful enough to provide the best quality care to patients, so that you can also support other staff members. Moreover, as what my mother always says, “Being a nurse, Cel, you always need to be patient and see your patients as human beings with emotions and as your family member who needs help.”
I started my nursing career with these viewpoints and virtues in life, and I struggled and worked hard to still maintain this kind of principle in life and in my profession. It inspired me in simple ways like smiling even when your troubled, being optimistic with the results, and working patiently and professionally under pressure. It helped me to be more knowledgeable, skilful, professional, compassionate and stronger towards life and my nursing career. There were several times when I want to give up with the issues that were thrown to me, but I honestly see the passion and drive in my heart. It helps me to become a better human being and a more caring nurse to my patients and their families. There might be personal biases, but I always try to eliminate those and promote equality in different situations.
What support can you offer to members of the Network?
I believe I will be able to support with discussions, and workshops about diseases and nursing management for paediatric patients to help provide appropriate nursing care. With this, they can build their own strength, knowledge and skills, so that in the future, they are ready to support other nursing staff.
Meditation exercises and self-assessment can also be done to know more about oneself and be able to effectively plan for the career that they want to achieve.
In addition, we can discuss patient allocation, patient acuity, equality among staff, and personal biases to jumpstart their leadership journey.
We can also provide opportunities to develop therapeutic communication skills by discussion and dramatization or scenarios.