Driven by Compassion: Nursing Dream Takes Flight

A Frontline Beginning

The visor of her respirator fogged as Yap Pei Wen leaned over to comfort a patient in the isolation ward. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore was still grappling with uncertainty. For 12 hours straight, she moved from bed to bed in full protective gear – sometimes even with a powered air-purifying respirator – tending to the sick with determination.

“The only discomfort was wearing the N95 mask for long hours. It leaves a mark on the face,” she recalls. Her parents, worried but supportive, urged her to take extra care, wash up thoroughly, and keep her mask on tight.

Pei Wen’s frontline exposure began during her Institute of Technical Education (ITE) attachment, when she joined the first batch of students deployed in the thick of the pandemic. Beyond comforting patients, she conducted mass swabs and meticulously logged every interaction to ensure safety and accountability. Those early responsibilities instilled in her a sense of purpose and resilience that shaped her path forward. Determined to keep her skills sharp and continue serving with the same dedication she had shown since her earliest days on the frontline, she took her first role as a locum nurse at a public tertiary hospital in January 2022, while awaiting polytechnic enrolment.
 

Roots of Compassion

The empathy Pei Wen showed on the frontlines was no accident – it was rooted in lessons she had carried since childhood. Raised in Ipoh by her grandmother while her parents worked in Singapore, she grew up with a deep sense of responsibility for her family. When her elder sister underwent scoliosis surgery, Pei Wen stepped in to help nurse her throughout the recovery.

“Be patient because they are sick,” she says simply. “Try to see what they need, help them, listen to them.”

Her ability to connect with patients goes beyond clinical care. She speaks to elderly patients in the languages they are most comfortable with, such as Cantonese, English, Chinese and even Malay, which she picked up on the job. “They are happy when I call them ‘Ah Ma’ or ‘Ah Gong’,” she shares with a smile.

Small gestures of gratitude – hearing patients call her by name, seeing them recover, receiving handwritten notes of thanks – reinforced her sense of purpose. Those quiet moments reminded her why she chose nursing and they paved the way for an honour that would shape her journey further.

A Scholarship That Opened Doors

In May 2025, Pei Wen’s dedication was recognised when she became one of two SIT undergraduates to receive the Yvon Bock Scholarship, which honours academic excellence in the university’s nursing programme.

“Instead of rushing from classes to part-time jobs, the scholarship has allowed me to truly immerse myself in my studies and spend quality time with my family and those who matter most to me,” she says. The support also eased her family’s financial strain when her grandmother underwent spine surgery in 2024.

Inspired by Ms Yvon Bock, the young and accomplished entrepreneur behind the scholarship, Pei Wen feels even more motivated to work hard and chase her dreams. 

“I felt validated that someone believes in my potential and is willing to invest in me,” she reflects.

Shaped by Hard Work and Perseverance

Her resilience was forged in her teenage years. Her parents – a supervisory engineer and a kitchen assistant – worked tirelessly to support their family of eight, returning to Ipoh only twice a year before the family moved permanently to Singapore when she was 11.  

At 14, she began working part-time to support her daily expenses and ease her parents’ burden, something she continues to do today. Over the years, she took on service and supervisory roles in the food and retail sector, gradually rising to positions of responsibility while also juggling locum nursing duties during school terms.

Academics did not come easily for Pei Wen. Rebellious in her early teens, she often skipping school, preferring the independence of earning her own allowance. Her grades suffered.

But at ITE College East, she turned a corner. Realising the importance of education and determined to succeed, she earned a spot on the Director’s List and received the Edusave Certificate of Academic Achievement. That hard work propelled her into a fast-track nursing diploma at Nanyang Polytechnic, and later into the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Nursing, a post-registration degree programme jointly offered by SIT and the University of Glasgow.

Looking Ahead With Purpose

Now, as she prepares to graduate in October, Pei Wen hopes to serve in gerontological or palliative care wards when she begins her two-year bond at the National University Hospital, which sponsored her polytechnic education. She also plans to pursue an advanced diploma in one of those areas after gaining more clinical experience. 
 

Her vision extends beyond beside care. “I hope to be able to take on a leadership role in future where I can help improve systems and advocate for vulnerable groups,” she says.

Graduation will mark a proud milestone not just for Pei Wen, but for her parents who sacrificed so much. Her journey – from rebellious teenager to frontline nurse, from part-time worker to scholarship recipient – is proof that perseverance, compassion, and support can transform a calling into a career.

As she steps into her future, she carries with her three guiding principles: Stay grounded, continue learning, and serve with compassion.