Four nursing students from the International Medical University (IMU) had the opportunity to undergo their clinical attachment as part of their Semester 8 elective module posting in Singapore. The students shares with us their experience in Singapore. 
One of the students, Low Chia Ren, underwent her electives at National University Hospital (NUH). Commenting on her experience at NUH, she said, “During my elective module posting in Semester 8, I was given the opportunity to complete my clinical attachment abroad in order to experience another perspective of healthcare other than the one in Malaysia. I was very happy when National University Hospital approved my request to complete my one month elective training in two specialised units of my choice which is Obstetrics & Gynecology and Paediatrics. The experience gained during this elective posting, had further strengthened my interest in paediatric nursing and NUH had provided me a good platform in exploring and gaining exposure to these specialised areas.
“Besides learning about the technologies that are used in NUH to provide better care for the patients, I was very inspired by the nurses there. No matter how busy they were, they will never compromise patient care and they will attend to the patients with a smile despite being busy.”
“I felt very grateful and fortunate to be studying in an institution that supports student’s learning other than giving me the opportunity to experience the different cultures and society system which is a good platform to start off my nursing career in future.” 
Another student, Lim See En, had the opportunity to do her elective clinical attachment in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. “I felt very happy and grateful to IMU for providing me this golden opportunity to have my elective clinical attachment in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) Singapore. Throughout the four weeks of my clinical attachment here, a lot of learning took place. It was a wonderful experience where I had the opportunity to observe various nursing practices and nursing management in a hospital other than Malaysia.” “The hospital was very supportive of the students’ learning needs. Three clinical instructors of the unit were assigned to us throughout our attachment. They were very supportive and willing to guide us in various nursing procedures. The chances of working with the other staff nurses had further enhanced my learning processes. I had a very pleasant learning experience throughout my four weeks of clinical attachment in MICU, TTSH.”
“To have my elective posting in TTSH Singapore was truly an eye opening experience where I had a chance to experience the working environment in a hospital that is more advance and organised. Nurses in NICU were very friendly and always made sure that I am supervised and guided throughout the posting. I also had a chance to work hand in hand with nurses from various countries such as China, Myanmar and Philippines”, said another nursing student, Hong Qi Ting.
Qi Ting added, “I was lucky to have the opportunity to interact with an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) in NICU. I was able to observe how she carried out her duty in the ward. The role of APN has not emerged in Malaysia yet. It was a rare opportunity because the number of APN in TTSH is also limited. This experience broadens my perspectives on the management and nursing care of patients in this hospital. I am able to realise the differences between nursing care and management of patients between hospitals that I had been posted to in Malaysia with TTSH. This experience also prepared me for my future nursing career in Singapore.” 
Mariam Yu, who also did her electives at TTSH said, “I am truly grateful that IMU is giving students the opportunity to have their elective attachment abroad, especially with the help of funds from the Student Mobility Programme. Because of this, I did my elective attachment in Singapore. It was a great opportunity to be able to have four weeks of experience in Neuro ICU (NICU) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).” “The hospital and ward environment is very much different from our local hospital setting and this provided me with a very good ground for learning to take place. I admire the advancement and the technology that the hospital has to offer for its nursing staffs and patients in order to provide more efficient care. In addition, I also had a great experience working with different nationalities in a single ward, be it from Singapore, China, Malaysia, Philippines or Myanmar.” “They have shown me the true meaning of good team dynamics in managing and delivering patient care and have most definitely inspired me to be a good team member. All of the nurses in the ward were very helpful in my learning process, especially the preceptor that I was assigned to be with. They not only made sure that I achieved my learning objectives, but also reinforced upon me on other soft skills such as being observant, confident, applying communication skills, time and work management and so much more!”
“Overall, it has been a very memorable experience for me as a student. I was able to learn under my preferred specialty which is ICU and I would definitely carry those learning experiences with me to work and strive harder for my future nursing career.”
