Patients going into surgery benefit from new OT nursing programme

New graduate certificate in perioperative nursing launched

As I walk past an operating theatre (OT) in KKH, a young woman with glasses strides out, stripping the gloves off her hands. I wonder, what are OTs in modern-day Singapore like? So I ask her, “Excuse me, miss, would you have a few minutes to tell me more about what you do? I’m new to this place.”

Senior Staff Nurse Michelle Jane Alemandras Go’s eyes light up behind her glasses. She says she is both a scrub nurse and an anaesthetic nurse. Then, she pauses, explaining that this was a recent change, as she had only been an anaesthetic nurse till a few months ago.

Last October, she was one of 19 nurses who graduated from the new SingHealth Graduate Certificate in Perioperative Nursing. This is exciting news to me. It is quite amazing to see how Singapore has embraced such a multidisciplinary approach to OT nursing, one which spans preoperative, trans-operative and post-operative periods.

“I was thrilled when I found out about the course. It’s my chance to learn something new, gain new experience, and expand my role as a nurse,” Michelle says, as she finishes washing her hands and turns towards me.

Scrub nurses play a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of surgical procedures by providing support to the surgical team and maintaining a sterile and safe environment for the patient.

“The course was hard work but I enjoyed it,” said Michelle. The instructors shared reallife examples and tips from the different disciplines in perioperative nursing.

Their wealth of knowledge made the coursework very relatable. A buddy was also assigned to ensure that the students were proficient in the new area of training before they could work independently.

While she was studying, Michelle’s co-workers stepped up during her absence. The mother of two kindergarten-aged boys still had to find time to study or work on projects when she got home. When needed, her husband would corral their two boys into a room to give Michelle some space. “Support from my husband, colleagues and peers really helped a lot. It made my study enjoyable and a lot easier.”

Michelle then shared how she was pleasantly surprised with some of the unexpected learnings from the course. She learnt new ways of doing things—for example, having a needle counter to keep track of the needles—from stints in other SingHealth institutions. She also found that nurses from other disciplines shared their knowledge openly with each other. As a doctor, I can only imagine that such strong camaraderie among the nurses would be an asset in any hospital!

I thanked her for her time, and as she prepared to leave, I ask her how else she felt the course had impacted her. She said, “I have more confidence to speak up now about what I observe in the OT because I know not everybody may have noticed what I noticed. We need to speak up for patient safety.”