CHANG, Beatrice Bee Eng 郑美英
Medical Services in Singapore,
Accession Number 003266
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 6
Total Reels
- Lye Soo Choon 赖素春
Interviewer
- 05:16:00
Total Running Time
- Cantonese, English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 6
Metadata
- 2 Dec 2009
Recording Date
- 00:56:22
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Describe what is nursing meant to her and why she chose to study nursing. What her mother would like her to study. Studied enrolled nursing course after secondary four, basic training. Gave up further study to be Registered Nurse as she got married. Enrolled to nursing school after interview and submitted her results. Training in a hospital at Thomson Road. Stayed in nursing hostel in Thomson Road. Spoke about her training schedule. How she felt after three months of training, able to adopt. Her only complaint. How she spent her free time. Things that she studied. Many students drop-off, reasons why they drop-off. Satisfaction from her job. Elaborate on why she was not scare of dead bodies. Recall things that her grandmother taught her, not frighten of unusual things. Nursing hostels environment was not bad. Boyfriend would visit her on her off days. Allowances she received. Posted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for attachment, took care of tuberculosis patient.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 6
Metadata
- 2 Dec 2009
Recording Date
- 00:57:43
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Compare Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Had greater work pressures in SGH. Emotionally affected by her work. Things she did during free time. Learnt a lot in General Ward. How shift work affected her life. Transferred to Mandalay Hospital after SGH for her final nursing training. Spoke about Mandalay Hospital which was more like an old folks home ran by convent. The nuns there were trained nurse. Describe work she did and things she learnt there. How she handled her emotions when she dealt with old patients. Interactions with patients. Enjoyed working there because there was no emergency case, less pressures and had fun with the patients. Became volunteer for old folks home after she graduated from nursing training. Posted to Toa Payoh Hospital after nursing training, under probation for one year. Her salary and annual increment. Talk about work appraisal reports. Recall her adverse reports.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 6
Metadata
- 8 Nov 2012
Recording Date
- 00:57:18
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
How she felt when she completed her nursing training. Started working in mid 1960s. Worked in Mandalay Hospital and then to Thomson Hospital. Thomson Hospital in mid 1960s, only three wards, surrounded by village. Additional divisions were setup in Thomson Hospital and later it became Tao Payoh Hospital. Worked there till she retired in 1984 at age of 45. Talk about the promotion system. Elaborate on why she was not interested and had never applied for promotion. Forgo the chance to be registered under World Health Organisation (WHO) due to family commitments. Changes in her nursing duties. Satisfactions she had from her job. How she handled her shift work and her family. Reasons for never thought of giving up her job. Talk about appraisal system which was depended on Sister’s (senior female nurse) recommendations. How she felt of doing beyond her job scopes. Government policy in banning enrolled nurse in some duties such as injection, taking blood etc. She never followed the policy for emergency cases. Not affected by the changes when Thomson Hospital when it became Tao Payoh Hospital. Her relationship with patients. Recall patient with post-natal blues that slapped her. Describe the incident.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 6
Metadata
- 9 Nov 2012
Recording Date
- 00:58:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Recalled patient with post-natal blues that slapped her. Describe the incident. How Sister (senior female nurse) handled the case, her reaction. Described an incident that she got emotional over the death of a boy. Did not follow Sister’s order as she sympathised the boy’s granny. How she released herself from emotions from her job. Never brought her emotion home. Relationship with doctors, cite a doctor at Gleneagles Hospital as example. Relationship with Ayahs (helpers). Changes in Sister’s duties over the years. Talk about pension that she received after her retirement. Retired at age 45 in 1984, became freelance nurse that worked through employment agency, received three times her usual pay. Why she preferred to work through agency rather than contract with hospital. Talk about her work after retirement. Why she liked to work in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and A & E (Accident & Emergency). Worked till year 2000. Injured her leg and stopped work.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 6
Metadata
- 8 Nov 2012
Recording Date
- 00:28:44
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Spoke about operation of her injured leg and stopped to be freelance nurse. Why there was a shortage of nurses in Singapore. Worked in A & E (Accident & Emergency). Recall a suicide case that affected her for weeks. Changes in benefits for nurses. Love nursing work.
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