The importance of work life balance has been stressed a lot across various professions. In nursing, it is the same. Even if nurses may have had years of experience in their careers, they may still need to find ways to carve out moments in their day so they can relax and enjoy the journey of life.

For Senior Staff Nurse (SSN) Neo Shi Min from Farrer Park Hospital’s Day Surgery Suite (DSS), spending her weekends and days off doing arts and craft is what helps keep her sane and of course, add colors to her life.
 

Nurse by Day, Craftsman by Night

Apart from patient care, a typical day at work for SSN Shi Min revolves around manpower allocation for surgeries, ensuring that operating theaters are well disinfected and that equipment are also well prepared.

Despite the responsibilities that SSN Shi Min takes on, she never fails to find time to do what she loves. Two years ago, she gained an interest in craftwork.
 

These days, she spends her weekends with friends attending workshops on embroidery and making clay earrings.

Besides workshops, SSN Shi Min also watches YouTube videos to further expand her knowledge in embroidery and ceramic making. Furthermore, she believes that the patience and intricacy that she has gained through such craftworks have aided her in her career too because as a nurse, ones needs to be patient and detail-oriented.
 

Despite the responsibilities that SSN Shi Min takes on, she never fails to find time to do what she loves. Two years ago, she gained an interest in craftwork.
 

These days, she spends her weekends with friends attending workshops on embroidery and making clay earrings.

“When you do what you love, it benefits your mental wellbeing. In the nursing field, we also need to have a proper state of mind as we are dealing with human lives,” shared SSN Shi Min.
 

Staying Active and Engaged

SSN Shi Min is not only an ‘artsy’ individual; she also keeps herself active by going hiking during days off with her friends. Besides hiking, she also engages herself in baking and she is constantly exploring different types of cake and pastry-making. She believes that one has to always keep themselves engaged in order to stay in this pandemic world that we live in.

According to SSN Shi Min, being a nurse can be a challenging yet heart-warming career. Finding a balance between work and life is essential in this industry and SSN Shi Min has indeed mastered the art of having a work-life balance.