Nurse praised for patient care at SGH

When Darius Foh, 23, saw a photo of himself on Facebook, he was shocked because he thought someone had complained about him.

The picture, which shows the enrolled nurse in scrubs, feeding an elderly patient at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), was posted in the Complaint Singapore group on Sept 2.

Despite where it was posted, the Facebook post was actually commending Darius.

It read: “I saw a very hardworking male nurse. During his shift, an elderly patient wouldn’t eat or drink. Every day, he patiently spent a whole hour carefully feeding her porridge, spoonful by spoonful, afraid of scalding her. If she wouldn’t take her medicine, he would mix it into the porridge. After she finished eating, he would wipe her mouth. Kudos to him.”

Darius told Stomp that he assisted in feeding the elderly woman, as she was weak and could not eat on her own. He did not realise he had been photographed until colleagues forwarded him the Facebook post.

“Honestly, I was quite shocked because I thought I kena complained,” he said in an interview on Oct 1. “But after reading the post, I realised it was actually a good thing and felt happy to have my efforts recognised.”

‘I didn’t do anything special’

When presented with a Stomp Goody Bag, Darius described the media recognition as “surreal” and a surprise.

“I would have never expected to be interviewed over this,” he said. “To me, I was just doing my basic day-to-day work as a nurse and I didn’t feel I did anything special.”

Darius, who has been at SGH for over a year, said nursing has always been his calling.

He studied nursing at the Institute of Technical Education and was a medic during his National Service days.

“When I was young, I saw my dad taking care of my grandma, and it really inspired me to pursue nursing,” he shared.

“I love to take care of people. I find it very rewarding when my patients get better, and I see them recover and be happier.”

Darius acknowledged that being hospitalised might be a “very gloomy thing”, but hopes that his care will make a patient’s stay better.

Debunking misconceptions about nursing

“I feel like a common misconception is that nursing is a very female-dominated industry,” he said. “But there are a lot of male nurses like me as well, who are willing to take care of the elderly and everyone.”

The Facebook post, which has garnered over 1,800 likes, saw netizens chiming in with their own equally positive experiences with male nurses and at SGH.

Several also praised Darius, with one user commenting: “The photo speaks volumes about this nurse’s compassion towards his patient. Well done!”

Another wrote: “I was warded two months in SGH and I know how hard the staff work. You’re right (that) they are angels.”

Darius encourages his peers in healthcare to keep up the good work, adding: “Just chase your dreams. Be happy.”

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