Nurturing the next generation of occupational therapists
Published on 28 October 2024
Having benefitted from mentorship and support throughout her career, National University Hospital (NUH) Principal Occupational Therapist Ms Chen Zhenzhen is committed to nurturing the next generation of occupational therapists.
When Chen Zhenzhen was in secondary school, she had the opportunity to shadow an occupational therapist (OT) through a job attachment programme.
During this experience, she met a stroke patient who once believed she would never regain her independence. However, with the help of an OT, the patient not only regained the ability to perform self-care tasks, such as dressing herself, but also managed to cook a meal for her family – a milestone Zhenzhen witnessed firsthand.
That inspiring moment left a lasting impression on Zhenzhen, and played a pivotal role in shaping her path to becoming an OT.
Fast forward to today, Zhenzhen is an accomplished and highly regarded Principal Occupational Therapist at NUH – and a proud recipient of this year’s NUHS Allied Health Excellence Award.
As the main Inpatient OT Clinical Lead, Zhenzhen collaborates with other OT workgroup leaders to ensure adequate clinical coverage across all inpatient areas. She also works closely with other departments to implement initiatives aimed at reducing patients' length of stay, and helps refine standard operating procedures (SOPs) and clinical guidelines to enhance inpatient care.
One of her significant achievements was working with a team of OTs to spearhead the creation of a new OT Return-to-Work Coordination Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). This programme assists patients recovering from work injuries or medical conditions in transitioning back to the workforce. Over the past four years, it has benefitted nearly 400 workers, helping them reintegrate into their jobs and regain their pre-injury lives.
“It was an exciting journey that saw us come together to develop new workflows, undergo specialised training, and eventually become certified Return-to-Work coordinators,” Zhenzhen shared. “The goal was to help patients return not just to work but to the lives they had before their injury or illness.”
Another key project Zhenzhen contributed to was the expansion of the NUH Acute Medical Unit (AMU) in 2022, where she collaborated with her physiotherapy colleague to design a rehab facility that meets patients' rehabilitation needs holistically.
In addition to her regular duties, Zhenzhen leads the OT Neuro workgroup, where she oversees daily operations, staff development, and manpower planning for a team of OTs working across the neurology and geriatric wards, as well as outpatient services. She also monitors and ensures the timely completion of the workgroup’s projects and initiatives.
A key aspect of Zhenzhen's role as the lead of the OT Neuro workgroup is mentoring her team and supporting their training and professional development – a responsibility she relishes.
“As a leader, I believe in building strong teams and creating the right environment for my team members to grow and maximise their potential,” Zhenzhen explained. “An effective leader helps team members recognise and develop their unique strengths, allowing the team to harness these diverse abilities to become even stronger.
“Throughout my OT journey, I’ve been fortunate to benefit from mentorship by my seniors, and now I feel a deep responsibility to nurture and guide the next generation of occupational therapists.”
Thanks to Zhenzhen’s clinical and administrative excellence, as well as her ability to collaborate effectively with other Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), she has been seconded to the Ministry of Health (MOH) Chief Allied Health Officer’s Office (CAHOO) since 2018 to assist with national rehabilitation projects.
In this role, Zhenzhen provides professional input on initiatives related to occupational therapy and rehabilitation. Her contributions have included the planning and implementation of the National One Rehabilitation Framework to enhance the quality of rehabilitation in Singapore, participating in the Community Rehab Transformation Workgroup to review and streamline rehabilitation care in the community, and contributing to career branding projects for AHPs.
Reflecting on her experience at CAHOO, Zhenzhen remarked, “It opened my eyes to the macro view of the current healthcare landscape and taught me that healthcare policies result from a dedicated process of seeking stakeholder input and buy-in. I have learned a great deal about change management, project management, and strategic planning—skills that are essential for my work and professional development.”
But throughout her diverse projects and roles, Zhenzhen’s journey as an OT remains anchored to that experience in secondary school, which serves as a constant source of drive and commitment to helping patients improve their quality of life.
“I have encountered patients with challenging behaviours or needs, but I always do my best to help them regain their ability to engage in activities they used to enjoy doing,” Zhenzhen said. “For example, one patient I met was initially very resistant to engaging in therapy due to fatigue and a lack of confidence.
“As a homemaker before her admission, she used to handle all the household chores. However, during our therapy sessions at home, she was reluctant to try any activities. I decided to focus on her psychosocial and mental well-being, listening to her concerns empathetically and helping her regain confidence by simplifying complex household tasks into simpler steps so that she could complete them successfully. The next day, I was surprised to see that she had started engaging in household tasks and even agreed to walk to a nearby convenience store for shopping as part of her functional retraining.
“I learned that sometimes patients just need a listening ear, and this experience changed the way I practise as an OT.”
As she looks to the future of the profession, Zhenzhen is keenly aware of the evolving healthcare landscape and the challenges it presents. In particular, she recognises the critical need to prepare for the future demands of patients, especially given Singapore's rapidly ageing population.
“We are facing a rapidly ageing society, which will significantly increase the demand for OT services,” Zhenzhen noted. “This presents a challenge for my generation of OTs. To address these future needs, I believe we must cultivate a skilled and dedicated OT workforce while also harnessing technology to enhance our efficiency in practice.
“I look forward to collaborating with other healthcare professionals to implement positive and sustainable changes in patient care, and to continue nurturing the next generation of occupational therapists.”
Interested to join us as an Occupational Therapist? Find out more about working in our institutions and the work that they do here.
In consultation with Ms Chen Zhenzhen, Principal Occupational Therapist, NUH.
