More than 53 years later, those formative lessons were why she chose to stay on.

“I was not ready to stop nursing completely,” Ms Ker said. “I still felt that I could contribute.” What continued to motivate her, she explained, was purpose rather than routine.

Over decades of practice, she learnt that nursing depended not only on technical skill, but also on judgement and composure.

“With experience, you develop a kind of instinct,” she said. “Sometimes, you can sense when a patient or caregiver is unwell just by observing them.” In tense situations, younger nurses often looked to her for reassurance. Her value, she said, was often in steadying the room before action followed.

“Staying calm makes a big difference in stressful situations,” she said. “When I remain steady, it helps younger nurses feel calmer too. Sometimes, simply being present gives them the confidence to carry on.”

These were lessons she wished she had understood earlier herself. Staying on, she said, allowed her to pass them on deliberately [remove] intentionally.

After 57 years in nursing, Ms Lee Heng Pheng’s work looks very different from how it once did.

Instead of holding an operational leadership role, her responsibilities have been redesigned to focus on guiding and supporting younger nurses across departments, giving her protected scope to mentor, observe and step in where experience matters most.

“Early in my career, I learnt a great deal by observing and finding my way in the wards,” Ms Lee said. “That experience helped shape how I now support and guide younger nurses.”

Her work centres on paying attention to how nurses are coping, not just how tasks are completed. During ward rounds, hesitation or silence, she said, often signals when reassurance or guidance may be needed.

“Sometimes they do not say anything, but you can tell,” she said. “That is when checking in quietly can help.”

This shift reflects a recognition that while clinical skills could be taught, judgement, confidence and communication may take longer to develop.

“Compassion, intuition and communication are learnt over time,” she said. “They come from listening and from caring about people.”

One nurse she supported later wrote to thank her. The nurse stayed on, progressed in her career and eventually reached notable milestones in the field.

“That message reminded me how simple words of encouragement can change someone’s journey,” Ms Lee said.

After 55 years in nursing, Ms Hui Soh Heng made a deliberate decision about how she wanted to continue contributing.

Following years in senior leadership at the National University Hospital (NUH), she stepped down from her managerial role as a Senior Nurse Manager and chose to remain in service beyond retirement age, in a redesigned position at the Central Discharge Lounge.

“I still felt energetic and capable of contributing,” she said. “But I wanted a role that suited the life stage I am in.” 

Her decision was shaped by decades of observing how careers unfold. Progress, she said, does not always mean moving upwards.

“Stepping into a different role is not a setback," Ms Hui said. "What matters is finding fulfilment and joy in the work.”

In her current role as a Nurse Coordinator, she focuses on supporting patients as they transition from hospital to home. She explains instructions, reviews follow‑up appointments and takes time to address concerns that patients or families may hesitate to raise.

Experience, she said, allowed her to anticipate issues and smoothen processes that support patient care. She also continued guiding those who would take over her previous responsibilities.

“Leadership requires patience, humility and listening,” she said. “You have to understand how things really work on the ground.”

For younger nurses, she hopes her journey demonstrates how careers can evolve in different, meaningful forms.

Designing a workforce that lasts

Together, the three nurses show how NUHS is redesigning roles to retain retiring nurses and their experience within the healthcare system.

For Ms Ker, staying on means steadying others in challenging moments. For Ms Lee, it entails strengthening the next generation through guidance and mentorship. For Ms Hui, it encompasses redefining contribution without stepping away from patient care.

As healthcare continues to evolve, NUHS leaders believes the future of care depends not only on systems and tools, but also on lessons learnt over time and passed on meaningfully.

By choosing to stay on, these nurses are doing more than extending their careers. They are ensuring that experience continues to guide care — and that the next generation does not have to learn it alone.

In consultation with Ms Lee Heng Pheng, Assistant Director of Nursing, NUH; Ms Hui Soh Heng, Nurse Coordinator, NUH; and Ms Ker Yoke Tin, Senior Enrolled Nurse, NTFGH.