PPE for COVID-19

Challenging times call for action.

I am posting this in face of the potential (read "likely") shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment) that my healthcare organization will face given that we are only at the beginnings of the COVID-19 curve here in Metro Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

In our clinical managers meeting today (March 24th 2020), the company's COVID-19 response team has told participants that if we are able to source for PPE supplies, to buy them (if the amount is small) or place a hold on the supply (and inform Directors/COVID-team to complete the bulk purchase). This includes overseas suppliers!

And thus today, I sent out an email to a supplier of the ST Engineering designed NIOSH standard N95 masks. In the current situation where there is a global shortage, I am not holding high hopes; but still "if we don't ask, we won't get", right? *fingers crossed*

Some side notes:

1. Singapore's response to the COVID-19 challenge has been impressive when seen from Canada where I am. The only areas of improvement I can think of are:

• COVID-19 testing booths akin to the South Korean approach to increase public assess to testing.
• Encourage the population to use washable/reusable fabric face masks when in public spaces, e.g. those commonly seen being worn in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. This may help to reduce the risk of asymptomatic spread in the community and also build the mindset to reserve the disposable surgical masks for healthcare workers.
• Possibly close schools and/or non-essential services for a period of 14 days to support social distancing and reduce risk of community spread. After all, the June school holiday period can be shortened to cover the short-term loss of school days.

2. Canada is a big country with multiple levels of governance and a strong emphasis on human rights/freedoms (including rights to personal privacy). Canadians have not seen the worst of SARS, and some may have prejudicial/out-dated views about Asia. Occasionally, I want to *facepalm* the official message(s) sent to the public, not to mention some chaos I hear about the behind-the-scenes situations. Pros-and-cons, we can't win it all, eh?

And so, back to PPE for the current COVID-19 situation in Canada. Here's hoping someone, somewhere, with the right connections to some higher authority, sees this message and is able to (re-)direct some supplies our way.

Meanwhile, take care and stay safe, everyone!

[Update on 24-Mar-2020]

If anyone has PPE to donate, please contact SafeCare BC - "Operation Protect". Quote from their website: "SafeCare BC is an industry funded, non-profit association working to ensure injury free, safe working conditions for continuing care workers in BC". Operation Protect is a donation drive to raise PPE given the current COVID-19 challenge, and SafeCare BC will work with BC's Ministry of Health to distribute these supplies to various healthcare sites.

http://www.safecarebc.ca/operationprotect/

For IENs: B.C. Nursing Community Assessment Service

For IEN (internationally educated nurses) who plan on getting licensed in British Columbia (B.C., Canada) to note: On Nov 5th, 2014, CRNBC announced a project to create a new Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS) for Internationally Educated Practitioners (IEPs) by March 2016. Below is quoted from the announcement.

"The purpose of the NCAS is to support the regulatory colleges and the Care Aid Registry to make decisions about registering IEPs by:

• Determining if IEPs have competencies that are substantially equivalent to those of entry-level Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Health Care Assistants in BC
• Identifying competence gaps to assist regulators to determine appropriate supplementary education
• Identifying an alternate profession/role for which the applicant has demonstrated the competencies.

The NCAS project is an initiative led jointly by the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry (the Registry), and the three nursing regulatory colleges (CLPNBC, CRNBC, CRPNBC) as the nursing community partners."

Note: IEPs refer to internationally-educated Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses (also known as Assistant Nurses or Enrolled Nurses in Singapore), and Health Care Assistants. According to the quick facts provided in the announcement, "Roughly 1450 IEPs seek registration in the four professions in BC each year." For details, please refer to the CRNBC announcement or their PDF download.

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For those who intend to work in the Metro Vancouver area, I suggest checking out the Government of Canada Job Bank to understand the job market better. Please see below for some statistics on the Lower Mainland - Southwest region, i.e. Metro Vancouver as of Dec-14, 2014.

1. For Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (NOC 3152 - A)  - There are 133 job postings (including 3 months-old postings). According to the Outlook report released on May 22, 2014, the job outlook is "Good" because of the expectation that job openings will be created as older workers retire and "according to the 2011 National Household Survey, ... 21% of workers were 55 years old and older." That said, your individual experience may differ, click here and here for examples.
2. For Licensed Practical Nurses (NOC 3233 - B) - There are 4 job postings (November and December 2014). According to the Outlook report released on May 22, 2014, the job outlook is "Good" because of the expectation that job openings will be created as older workers retire and "according to the 2011 National Household Survey, ... 14% of workers were 55 years old and older." Again, your individual experience may differ. Back in 2013, I have met several LPNs who told me about themselves and/or their schoolmates having difficulty landing full-time/part-time LPN jobs up to 9 months after graduation, surviving on casual (on-the-call) jobs instead.
3. For Health Care Assistants [listed as Nurses Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates (NOC 3413 - C) in the Job Bank] - There are 3 job postings (all listed in December 2014). According to the Outlook report released on May 22, 2014, the job outlook is "Good" because of the expectation that job openings will be created as older workers retire and "according to the 2011 National Household Survey, ... 19% of workers were 55 years old and older." Again, your individual experience may differ.

Here are my 2 cents as someone who has gone through the job search process in Metro Vancouver (in 2013) and met others along the same journey: 

1. Often one will see advertisements that "Canada needs nurses", "there is a high demand for nurses", "there is a shortage of nurses", etc (especially advertisements from the private for-profit colleges/schools). One has to be careful to understand the fact that there may a conflict of interest in the claims put out by these advertisements. Yes, the need is there, but the real question is -- "Is the funding there?" E.g. Are the public health authorities willing/able to invest enough to meet the staffing needs? Are the private facilities/employers' terms of employment reasonable?
2. The 1,450 IEPs seeking registration in the 4 professions (RN, RPN, LPN, HCA) each year does not include those locally trained/educated looking for jobs in the above professions. For number of local fresh-graduates seeking for the same jobs, I suggest interested readers to do more of their own online data-mining; e.g. from the Education Planner (BC) website and the websites of the various colleges/training-schools. Please also do not forget to add that there are also job seekers who transfer their registration from other provinces to Metro Vancouver, B.C.
3. One solution that I have encountered is would-be professionals doing their education/training/registration in Metro Vancouver, B.C. because of the existence of family/social-support here in Metro Vancouver, but with plans to move to Interior B.C., Northern B.C. or other provinces after they get their registration. E.g. I have personally met a B.C.-registered LPN fresh graduate who moved to Manitoba because of the combination of having family and more/better job opportunities there. E.g. I have met a RPN-student who plans to head to Atlantic Canada for jobs after he gets his B.C. registration because according to him the job opportunities for RPN fresh-graduates is really limited in B.C., given that RNs and RPNs are both lumped under the same NOC and according to him RNs are often preferred over RPNs.

So for the IENs who visit my blog to plan for their healthcare career in Canada, I strongly recommend that you do more research into the job market and registration requirements of the specific region that you intend to work in.

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p.s. A piece of good news for IENs with 5-10 years of relevant nursing experience before coming to B.C., Canada. I learned recently from a GNIE ex-classmate that several of our fellow GNIE-classmates have had their years of overseas (i.e. non-Canadian) nursing experience recognized by their health-authority employer(s), and their hourly-salary adjusted accordingly (albeit they still start from scratch on the B.C. Nurses Union's Seniority Scheme). FYI, click here for B.C.'s Registered Psychiatric Nurses' pay-scale effective from April 1st, 2013. Note: Registered Nurses in B.C. have the same pay-scale.
http://www.upnbc.org/PDFs/NBA%20Wage%20Grid%202011_2013%20(1).pdf

4 years in Canada

When I read Singaporean Missy Jo's (The Slim Rolly Polly Wannabe) blog post about her doubts on ever settling-in after almost 5 months in Perth, it reminds me of the doubts I used to have after about 6 months in Canada. Back then, my "Migration & settling-in: A progress review" had more "did not meet target/expectations" (X) than "met target/expectations" (V). I guess the doubts/ups-and-downs is a challenge that many new immigrants go through.

I have been in Canada for just over 4 years now. Below is a progress review of my "settling down" process -- and thankfully a happier report, it seems.

V Local friends: As mentioned back in my April-2011 blog entry, I have been blessed and continue to be blessed in this regard. I am very grateful for that.

V Love life: DD has been a wonderfully supportive husband. We have gone through ups-and-downs together, and our relationship has grown stronger with time. Of course, we both have individual quirks that each has to put up with from the other. After all, marriage takes effort. Overall, we share similar values for the important matters, and have shown adaptability and willingness to communicate+accept differences on other matters.

V Family: Through marriage to DD, I have gained a Canadian family with members spread mainly over 3 Canadian provinces. I have since met most members on the maternal side of DD's extended family and some members on the paternal side too.

V Career: I have been working as a registered nurse in Metro Vancouver for 1+ year now. I am quite happy with my current main job and 1 unionized casual job, both private-sector employers. There have been ups-and-downs in my main job (click here for example), but all in I am happy where I currently am. On most days, I look forward to heading to work as I found my work meaningful and rewarding (not just financially).

V Canadian income: My income goes up and down depending on the number of hours I have been assigned on my main job each month. When there is a lull in my main job, I look towards accepting on-call shifts at my casual job, which helps to stabilize to my income. It also helps that a RN's pay here really reflects the professional nature of the job. Friends and (my in-law) family suggested that I look towards working with a health authority instead for more stable income and better benefits. My reply was, (as mentioned above) I am happy where I currently am, and have actually quit from a casual job with a health authority earlier this year.

V Living accommodations: As Mr S from Neurotic Ramblings puts it, "having your own place to call home" is one of the factors that Singaporeans and/or ethnic-Chinese often count towards the concept of "settling down". DD and I have recently moved into our "new home" -- an old condominium unit which is technically-speaking owned by the bank (thanks to the mortgage we took). We are still in the process of unpacking and settling-in, but it certainly feels good to have "our own place to call home".

V Getting around: I am still relying on Metro Vancouver's good public transport infrastructure to get around most of the time. Sometimes, DD would chauffeur me around. I am so comfortable with the current arrangements that I kept delaying on my plans to get a B.C. driving licence. Unlike in Singapore where people generally expect things to tick like clock-work, people here seem to be more tolerant of sudden changes in plans due to un-forseen circumstances (e.g. breakdowns in public transport).

V Community/volunteer participation: After a few rounds of ad-hoc and mid-term community/volunteer roles, I have settled nicely into a new long-term community/volunteer role earlier this year that is likely to last for a few years.

? Credit rating: When DD and I applied for a home mortgage in B.C., I found to my surprise that my Credit Rating is "UNKNOWN" despite having used my credit-cards regularly and paying my dues fully on schedule. I guess I should have heeded the advice from my lecturer at the "Financial Literacy Program for new migrants" to check with one of the 2 major Canadian Credit-Reporting Agencies at least once-yearly on my credit rating (i.e. either Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada). [Aside: Thankfully, DD has excellent credit rating and our mortgage application went through smoothly.] I guess getting my credit rating set-up is one item on my To-Do-List. That said, there is no urgency as my main bank (i.e. financial services provider) seems view me as an excellent credit risk, and it keeps offering to increase my credit limit and/or promoting lines-of-credit to me.

Ok, that's my status summary for now. Someone once told me that it takes 5 years to settle into a new country. I now truly appreciate the wisdom of her advice as my "settling-down in Canada" is still a work-in-progress.

Mid-career nursing

This is for choaniki, who is considering a mid-career switch to nursing and/or other healthcare-related professions for the purpose of emigration.

The following videos are from CNA (Canadian Nurses Association). Age is generally not an issue when seeking employment in Canada, as long as one is able to meet the demands of the job. E.g. Within the last year, I have personally met 4 other Canadian-trained nurses (RN and/or LPN) aged between 30's to 50's who switched career into nursing. That said, age may affect your chance of emigrating under an "immigration points-system" that factor the age of the applicant into account.

Mid Career Paths in Nursing
Published on Oct 11, 2013

Beginning a Career in Nursing
Published on Oct 11, 2013

Combining Careers
Published on Oct 10, 2013


IMHO, if you have the funds, it may be worth it to do the career conversion training as a foreign student in your targeted host country instead of taking up the Singapore's WDA PCP option. This is because you will face less issues getting your nursing registration when your skills education/training is from the host country. In addition, your time spent as a student in your host country may help you qualify for migration visa options specifically designed for this group.

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Lastly a bonus video to show the concept here (in Canada) that nurses advocate not just for the patients under their direct-care but also on general health-related issues/policies. Compare this with another nursing advertisement (from you know where) which emphasize caring and following one's heart in nursing, but says nothing about nurses practising upstream-thinking to address (e.g. socio-economic and political) issues/policies that impact a nation's health.

Registered Nurses: A leading force for change

Enjoy!

Acceptance, love, joy and hope

Just saw this on Yahoo! It brings to mind what my friend ASingaporeanSon down south wrote about "Golden Jubilee Babies".

As ASingaporeanSon wrote: "What does a parent really want to give to his or her child? One of them should be hope. The assurances to our next generation that bringing them up in this country is not a mistake, that they will be included and accepted in society regardless or who and what they are in a sustainable manner."

Eden Grace - Don't Give Up from Michelle Nagle on Vimeo.

Miracles, by virtue of their unexpected nature, do not always happen. What if a child with a rare genetic disorder does not overcome his/her limitations? How much hope and tangible support can and will the parents, society and government policies provide for the child to live sustainably and be accepted by society?

As I commented on ASingaporeanSon's blog, some folks asked me why Canada seems to have more children with rare illnesses/disorders (when compared to their countries of origin). My reply is, "If these children were born in your country, what would happen to them?" The answers they give would explain why there are fewer children with rare illnesses/disorders (that survive and/or are seen in public) in their countries of origin when compared to Canada.

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When I got married, a few of my Singapore-based close friends asked out of concern if I plan to have children and (given that I'm already in my mid-40's) the high risk of having a child with problems (e.g. Down's Syndrome) at my age. I told them honestly that we (as a couple) decided to go with the flow; if I get pregnant, we will do whatever standard tests available and then decide from there.

So far, no one in Canada (not even close friends) expressed concern to me about the risk of me having a child with problems at my age. If anything, I have one nursing-trained friend already waiting to be godmother to my yet-to-be-conceived child.

Is this difference between Canada and Singapore due to social attitudes or government policies or both? Which drives which?

p.s. I just have to write about this close-to-heart matter as I've personally seen the difference as a paediatric nurse in both countries.

So long & thanks for all the fish

I have not been blogging much, mainly because every time I thought of something to write about, I would be distracted by Life. Then a few days would pass and I would re-think about the topic and conclude, "Nah, it would be so mundane to others."

[06-Feb-2014, A flock of birds flying overhead in Richmond]

E.g. Who would be interested about watching flocks of birds? Or kids dancing, mimicking the life-size XBox display at a shopping mall? Or the mesmerizing snow flakes falling? Or watching the fog as it creeps in and as it rises? Or the excitement of seeing buds in trees heralding the arrival of Spring? Or of gangs in Metro Vancouver? Or thoughts inspired by seeing a bird eating a road-kill rat? And for all of these, nothing beats being there to experience it for oneself.

Anyway, I started this blog 5 years ago. At that time, I was about to enter nursing in Singapore professionally, and I knew that I would have to make a decision about emigration soon. Thus, I started the blog as a coping mechanism to "let-off steam" and to have a record to remind myself that life has its ups and downs. 5 years on, I've:

• changed country of residence,  
• changed jobs, and re-entered nursing in a new country, and 
• changed my marital status. 

IMHO, that is a lot of changes. I have shared some of my journey/challenges/excitement because I thought that others on similar paths may benefit/learn from my experience. [FYI: Here's my inspiration.] Indeed, from the blog search statistics, readers land on my blog while seeking information about:

• nursing in Singapore and/or WDA's career conversion to nursing, 
• nursing in Canada, especially CRNBC's SEC (or here for CRNBC's Web Learning Modules or here for CRNBC's FAQ about Nursing Standards), CRNE preparations and/or results for IEN, and/or
• Singapore and emigration.

While my life journey continues, I would recommend those who are searching on any of the above topics to go online to search for the most current information directly from the source. E.g. Singapore's WDA website, CRNBC website, Canadian universities' websites, and the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website, etc. After all, policies change -- sometimes surprisingly (click here, here and here) and/or suddenly (click here, here and here).

[06-Feb-2013, A Canadian RN at last, 
3+ years after the initial 16-Nov-2009 IEN application]

As for those looking for overseas Singaporeans' views on life/events in Singapore and life overseas, there are plenty of other bloggers who write well. Please feel free to check out some of the blogs listed on the right column. Besides, whatever that needs to be said has been spoken of repeatedly by many bloggers. If one still does not wake up, then I guess this individual needs his/her "Aha!" moment for a paradigm shift. IMHO, it might take 1 to 3 generations, but the writing is on the wall for Singapore's future. Click here, here, here, here, here and here. [Note: I sincerely hope that I am wrong, for I am the only one in my family who emigrated.]

Besides, this blog was also meant for me to let-off some steam anonymously. But as we all know -- there is no such thing as true anonymity when one starts to share details from one's personal life online, especially as one's social circle expands. [See also here.] I stand by what I wrote, my feelings/opinions are true at the time I wrote my blog entries. That said, I would prefer if people take time to get to know me face-to-face, rather than knowing so much about me when I hardly know anything about them.

To those who ask, "Are you Winking Doll? I read so much (about you & your life) from your blog": Thanks for asking, Winking Doll is my online persona, there's lots about me that I do not share online. I hope we'll get to know one another slowly over time -- i.e. let relationships develop/die organically.

I am not hanging up my online pen instantly or forever. For one, I still want to get around to sharing about my emigration planning process as discussed with ASingaporeanSon previously on our occasional Facebook chat. I think it may give hope to those who think that they are stuck on a little red dot because they don't have paper qualifications, money and/or connections. For another, I will still lurk around online to comment on various blogs, and maybe write once in a blue moon. And I want to share one more post on my thoughts on destiny before I go.

Otherwise, life is calling. So long, and thanks for all the fish!

So Long and Thanks for all the Fish
-- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Death, illness, recovery

It has been a strange start to this Chinese Lunar New Year -- Year of the Yang Wood Horse. 

Someone passed away sooner than expected. 

My good friend PN is down with pneumonia. As she shared, at one point it felt as if she was dying. I know that feeling from experience. Thankfully, she is recovering.

Today, I just learned that another (young) local friend has been admitted into ICU for some days now. He had a cardiac arrest (Code Blue) and a couple of other issues.

I wonder if the universe is trying to send me a message. If so, I hope the message is simply, "You're getting older."

GNIE: Staying in touch

Recently some of my GNIE classmates contacted me to stay-in-touch. It is always nice to hear how my peers are doing, giving encouragement and supporting each other on our nursing journey. 

• Kudos to the few who have obtained full-time lines (i.e. unionized positions) with the health authorities. Their hard-work and persistence (in job applications) have paid-off.
• Some have casual positions with the health authorities, which I believe would eventually help them to secure permanent full/part-time positions with perseverance. 
• A few have joined me in Paediatric Home Health Nursing -- getting regular part-time pay.
• Most have regular part-time or full-time hours with private acute care (e.g. surgery position) or private residential care.
• A few are juggling several casual and/or agency jobs.
• A few I've not heard from and/or are still looking for jobs.

All said, I am glad to hear of my GNIE peers getting jobs and that some are climbing the corporate hierarchy and/or union seniority. Examples of nursing job market challenges that I've heard of include the following.

• I have heard from some LPN colleagues of other nurses (notably LPNs) who graduated in January 2013 and have yet to land their first nursing job 8 months later (in September 2013).
• I have also met and heard from other colleagues of nurses with some years of experience who lost their "unionized jobs" because of the union agreement with the health authorities to re-structure the work-hours -- thus they got "bumped off" from their previous jobs as "more senior" unionized nurses took over their jobs. Note: That's the disadvantage of "union jobs" -- your job is not really secure unless you have maximized your union seniority, which takes about 10 years of full-time work. Check out the url below for the article titled "Not Qualified". 
  
  https://www.bcnu.org/news/magazines/2013/Update_Oct_2013_ForWeb.pdf
  

At the end of my evening shift today, I count my blessings that I am getting around 90 hours of work this month -- not quite full-time, but enough to live on (for I lead a simple lifestyle). At my peak, I was working 175 hours in August-2013 between several jobs, so it is nice to have a slower pace to catch my breath and reflect on my career directions.

Liar, liar, pants on fire

I confronted a friend for lying today, i.e. earlier on Monday evening. It's been cooking for some time (i.e. months) now as I usually try to give a person 3 chances. In this case, I've given way more than 3 chances.

As for the final straw that breaks the camel's back -- let's just say in short that it is not the wisest move to blatantly lie to your referee about the status of your job search, and whether or not you've had any job interview(s). Especially when your referee has been "casually" asking/prompting, "What? No news? Not even a job interview?" after you know you've attended job interview(s) where you've left that person's contact as your referee. E.g. I received an email request for reference on 30-Jul-2013.

I am really so disappointed. [Click here and here.] Considering the amount of effort I've poured into our friendship. Effort which is now rewarded by the "lack of trust" her actions betray. I could have helped the person on her next step of her career aspirations -- getting a job with a health authority -- but I would calmly exit from the relationship now since I know that she is fine, having landed several jobs, including one that gives her regular pay (thanks to the contact I passed along to her).

Cancelled work-shift

Around noon last Friday, I received a missed call and a phone message from a nurse manager (who was covering for my nurse manager) that my Saturday work-shift has been cancelled with a message that, "Your manager JC is (currently) away and will be following up with you."

When I received the message, the first questions on my mind were if there was a change in my client's condition and/or some changes to the family's plan -- which are the most common reasons why work-shifts get cancelled for home health nursing. Then I remember that if a shift was cancelled for those reasons, the manager usually does not have to follow-up with the nurse.

Thus it got me wondering. That shift was with a particularly challenging client and I had been charting (i.e. writing down in the nursing notes) about my client's condition and our interactions. I guess my nurse manager wanted a discussion with me to gather how I feel about the issues/situation. I am actually looking forward to speak with my nurse manager to hear what she has to share.

I am generalizing here, but therein lies the difference between nursing in Singapore and nursing in B.C., Canada. In Singapore, when a nurse manager wants to speak with the nurse, it is often "bad news" or "blame fest". In Canada, I can expect that my views be heard and my needs attended to, even as a lowly cog in the work-wheel.

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[Update on Tue 10-Sep-2013]

I've spoken with my nurse manager today. I will be taken off this client's case and re-assigned to other cases. I am so thankful for the support from my nurse manager and others from the company.

Public Health Nursing

Today I met a Public Health Nurse via a friend. I am excited to learn about the wide scope of coverage for Public Health Nursing in B.C., Canada. I hope to learn more about it and to see if I may be a good match in that area.

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Sometimes my B.C.-based nursing peers/acquaintances ask me how I know about this or that (referring to the B.C. health care system and/or nursing industry). IMHO, my knowledge is actually very limited, it is just that I may be atypical in my willingness to share what I know. I am well aware of the fact that my professional network in B.C. nursing is still very limited, unlike many of my peers who have big/strong communities of fellow countrymen in the same profession. I do what I can to build my knowledge by asking around and talking to others in the industry whenever the opportunity presents itself. Fortunately, many nurses have been kind to me, with some sharing insiders' views of trends, etc. This is important as such information contributes towards making better "bets" in my career decisions. Keeping my fingers crossed!

GNIE: RN job search - Update 6

Here's a quick update. Of our cohort of 29 GNIE graduates who passed the CRNE (i.e. eligible for full practicing licence with the CRNBC):

• 23 (or 79%) have found Registered Nurse jobs,
• 2 (or 7%) are not actively searching for job, and
• 4 (or 14%) either I do not have information or they are still actively searching.

For other details, please refer to my previous update.

Drunkard's target is not the wine［醉翁之意不在酒］

I came across a piece "Confessions of an ex-HDB Officer" by a TRS contributor CJ. I am not going to comment on his confessions, but rather the (possibly troll) responses that are rather interesting and (IMHO) reflective of a typical Singaporean mindset. [Note: Italics and bold mine, for emphasis.]

For example, Alan Tay, Professional Tree Hugger at Tree Lovers, posted on July 3, 2013 at 7:27pm [with 2 Like's]:
CJ was out HDB because he was sacked? Otherwise, CJ is so noble to resign and take a pay cut of 50%. How many years did he work in HDB? I smell bulls***

For example, Ron Koo, who "Works at SLNG Terminal Project @ Meranti Cresent, Jurong Island", posted on July 4, 2013 at 7:09am [with 1 Like]:
the story is very doubtful as the writer said he left HDB for a 50% pay cut. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, or rather, once fed you with a fat rolex.

Let me start-off by stating that I do not know CJ personally. In fact, I only read TRS occasionally, but something about his later article "The People Vs HDB. In the matter of public interest." which showed up on another blogger's blogs-of-interest caught my eye. Then I followed-up on his preceding article and chanced upon the above comments.

The comments, as I've mentioned above, (IMHO) reflects a typical Singaporean mindset. A mindset which sees the path to success as a rigid straight line, from A to B. A mindset that finds it hard to imagine that there exists people who will wilfully take "The Road Not Taken".

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost (1874-1963). 
Mountain Interval. 1920.

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;       5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,       10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.       15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.       20

I shall repeat myself -- I do not know CJ personally. I have no reason to doubt or believe his story. That said, I know it is possible to walk away from a job/career and to take another that pays 50% or less. I have done so myself. In fact, I have tried 3 attempts -- only to finally succeed on my 3rd attempt.

[1997 Job offer from NCB]

[Note: The above job offer was neither my highest nor lowest pay in my 10+ years spent in my first career. It just serves to illustrate that there are people (your truly for example) who will wilfully walk away from a job/career and move on to one that pays 50% or less of one's previous salary. "The starting basic salary for Registered Nurses is approximately $1,800." according to the WDA Professional Conversion Programme for Registered Nurses webpage as at 22-Jul-2013.]

IMHO, what the commenters above probably do not understand is the Chinese saying, “醉翁之意不在酒”。["The drunkard's target is not the wine."] Look at the long-term. And as Robert Frost wrote, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

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p.s. For those who wonder:

It took me many years, but I am on-track for a return to my previous salary levels. The major/critical point is that I am in a different career, in a different country -- one with proper labour protection and a good social support system (which I willingly pay tax for). I no longer have to deal with stressors like:

• watching my colleagues fall as I survive 3 retrenchment chops in less than 4 years, 
• worrying about being "cheaper, faster, and better" all-the-time, 
• being too old to be employable after age 40, 
• "can afford to die, but cannot afford to fall ill", and
• my retirement fund (e.g. CPF Life) possibly handling out morsels which I cannot survive on in my "golden years".

For those who want the numbers as proof: BCNU's (B.C. Nurses Union) pay-scale for newly graduated Registered Nurse start at CAD31.71/hour as of April 2013. The typical full-time RN works 1700 hours/year or more.

GNIE: RN job search - Update 5

Since my previous update on May 24th 2013, today's status based on the grapevine is as follow: Of our cohort of 29 GNIE graduates who passed the CRNE (i.e. eligible for full practicing licence with the CRNBC), 20 (or 69%) have found Registered Nurse jobs.

Most of us hold several jobs - a mix of casual and other positions. We are distributed amongst the following:

• Private hospital acute care (mostly elective-surgery related) - Regular full-time and casual positions
• Public hospital acute care - Casual positions. There are about a handful of us with these positions now.
• Residential care - Temporary full-time and casual positions
• Home nursing - Permanent part-time and casual positions
• Agency nurse (sent to acute, residential, home, etc positions) - Casual positions
• Education (e.g. clinical instructors for Care Aides) - Casual position

Notes:

• The above data is amongst those that we know/hear from.
• Of those who have yet to find a job, 3 have just passed the June 2013 CRNE.
• There are a few who are not actively looking for RN jobs due to various personal reasons.

GNIE: CRNE Results - 2nd cut

[Contents updated on 15-Jul-2013 at 21:10hr.]

As I've reported previously, 26/30 in my GNIE cohort passed their 1st attempt at the CRNE in Feb-2013. 4 failed and 3 did not sit for the Feb-2013 exam for various reasons.

Below is an update. I've heard from 6 of the above 7 who sat for the June 2013 CRNE. There is still one person who has not attempted the CRNE at all.

• Amongst the 4 2nd timers, 3 passed, 1 failed.
• Amongst the 2 1st timers, both failed.

End of report for those interested in statistical trends.

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[Addendum on 20-Jul-2013]

All the 3 2nd timers who passed had really close to passing score (550), i.e. above 500, at their first attempt.

Privatized healthcare vs universal access

While chatting with my boyfriend DD today, he mentioned that one of the factors (amongst several) of his decision to return to Canada was the way healthcare system works in USA (pre-Obamacare). [Note: USA was a country with better job prospects in his industry compared to Canada at the time of his relocation.]

I shared with DD that, IMHO, the Singapore healthcare system is even more "right-wing" than USA's. E.g. A couple, who despite having bought insurance for their child and both holding well-paid professional jobs, going into credit card debts to pay for healthcare for their child with congenital issues. E.g. An elderly childless-woman who was told to sell the remaining lease of her 3-room HDB apartment (leaving her with no home of her own and having to live under her niece's equally small HDB) before she could apply for Medifund funding for her repeated acute hospital care.

As I am currently working in paediatric home health nursing in B.C., Canada, I can see the difference in the kind of support (from the provincial government) given to parents with children who lucked out on rare, chronic or deadly illnesses. In addition, Uncle Wing's (bless his soul) own experience is testimony to how the B.C. healthcare system takes care of its seriously ill elderly. [Click here to see my year-2009 blog entry about BC nurses petition against healthcare underfunding and Singapore's privatization of healthcare.] While I do not deny that Canada's system has its weaknesses, I feel that it caters well to “不怕一万，只怕万一。” ["Not afraid of the common scenarios (that one can plan for), but fear the exceptional scenarios."] After all, how many of us would choose (for the sake of maximizing our usage of universal healthcare): 

• to be involved in major road traffic accidents (and thus requiring extended intensive care and probably repeated restorative surgery and extended rehabilitation); or
• to have children with rare, chronic and/or deadly illnesses; or 
• to have elderly parents with chronic, debilitating and/or incurable illnesses?

Yet there will always be Singaporeans who would defend that the Singapore healthcare system is better (e.g. more efficient and/or more cost-effective, or more equitable because specific-user-pays instead of risk-sharing) than Canada's, Australia's, UK's, etc. [Just check out the comments on those blog posts.] I hope that these "loyal", "patriotic", defensive Singaporeans will never have to encounter any major/repeated healthcare issues personally and/or amongst their loved ones.

Another issue I have with the way private healthcare works in Singapore is that until recently (see below), there was little control on the runaway costs/mark-ups in private healthcare. Note: I have met a significant number of private specialists who would waive/discount their fees to help the "needy" patients, thus it would not be fair to tarnish all kind-hearted doctors because of one black sheep. Nevertheless, IMHO, it is human nature to compete to be the better paid specialist. After all, it is so very much in Singapore's culture to judge people by the size of their income.

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[Extracted from The Straits Times Online website.]

Dr Susan Lim loses appeal against SMC's guilty verdict

Published on Jul 01, 2013 1:39 PM

By Selina Lum And Kc Vijayan

The highest court in Singapore on Monday dismissed an appeal by general surgeon Susan Lim against her conviction on charges of professional misconduct over the amount she charged a patient from the royal family of Brunei.

In a 109-page written judgment, the three-judge Court of Appeal said Dr Lim's case was "clearly one of the most serious cases - if not the most serious case so far - of overcharging in the medical profession in the local context". The court dismissed her claims that she was justified and there was no ethical obligation to charge a fair and reasonable amount and pointed out her approach showed she had shown no remorse.

In the judgment, the court ruled there is an objective ethical limit on medical fees that operates outside contractual and market forces, The court found that, given a doctor's specialised knowledge and training, there arises an ethical obligation on the part of a doctor not to take advantage of his patient. And this ethical obligation to charge a fair and reasonable fee is not superseded by a valid agreement between the doctor and his patient, the court held.

In 2012, Dr Lim was found guilty of 94 charges of professional misconduct by a Singapore Medical Council (SMC) disciplinary committee for charging about $24 million for the services provided to Pengiran Anak Hajah Damit Pg Pemancha Pg Anak Mohd Alam for 110 treatment days from January to June 2007. Dr Lim was then given a three-year suspension and fined $10,000 - which was upheld by the appeal court.