Random musings

Apart from studying, my mind had been in Europe for most of the past two weeks. Firstly, there was one flight that wiped out a country's most influential. And then suddenly, all metal birds are grounded. Bad year for aviation?

Fine, I will truthfully admit my mind had never really left Europe since my SEP. I missed flying (I took 3 stopovers to return home). I missed Trondheim so much and talked about Europe so frequently I am starting to irritate myself. I blame the hot and humid weather, the unpredictable downpours, the overloaded modules, the distance NUS is from Tampines, the light and noise pollution, and the busy city life.

As a parting post, I want to share bits and pieces of my most glorious days of SEP. If anyone reading this is still considering to go for exchange: JUST GO! It will be the best decision you can ever make. Take my word for it.

This is NTNU, Trondheim. Gløshaugen campus. Old buildings with hundreds of years of history in them. Houses the engineering and science faculties. However due to unforeseen circumstances (the biology department did not give me any modules), I had no classes here. I went for lessons in the medicine campus instead.


Dragvoll campus. A cluster of 4,5-storied buildings on a small hill. We froze ourselves on the open fields nearby trying to see the Leonid meteor showers.


And this is how a Science library should look:


Blue sky, white clouds, deep fjords, Autumn time, mountains = hiking trip.


1001 things to do before I die: glacier hike. Damn it was tough! They provided a shoe strap-on that had metal spikes; so every step I took I had to kick hard to 'stab' the ice. If not I could slide off the ice and pull the whole string of people down since we were roped together.


The first snows were expected in October, but this only happened in December. This is the view from my room, which was approximately 12 square meters big. That is like...2 PGP rooms? I would give everything to wake up to this view everyday:


Last place I want to showcase before I divulge too much about myself: Warsaw. It is such an unbelievably beautiful place. The sad kind of beautiful. How did this city pull through what happened 70 years ago? The Russian Wedding Cake still stands strong (and aesthetic-wise, pretty, in my opinion). Their central station is extremely communist-style; beside it stands a brand new, modern shopping mall. On one end, Nowy Świat (New World Street) houses high-end shops rebuilt in neoclassical style. On the other end, the street runs through residential areas typical of the Eastern Bloc. Ah that's some mixed feeling.






The Presidential Palace. I did not know what this building was at that time since there was barely any marking. But I knew it was some place important because it had the Polish flag, EU flag and NATO flag flying. I was really saddened by the plane crash two weeks ago even though it had nothing to do with my life. Either I am too sentimental, or I have gone mad.


University of Warsaw:


Holy Cross Church on Krakowskie Przedmieście (street name), which houses Chopin's heart:


Singaporeans in front of the Copernicus Monument:


And finally, I want to share that the best reward you can get from an exchange is friendship. We had a Pole to lead us around in Warsaw! He was an exchange student at NTNU too. =)


From Warsaw, my friends went to Krakow and Auschwitz. I didn't.

P.S. If anyone would like some unconventional Europe tour recommendations, I could help with Warsaw, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, Norway and Sweden. =)) Study hard everyone!

ES2007S. Probably the most enjoyable module ever.

Alright, this post title is a little exaggerated, but I hope it gets my point across that I really liked attending this class. Many thanks to everyone involved because you are the reason class time was enjoyable. It was not a concern that we were not choosing our own project groups; I enrolled this class alone anyway. But I am glad I made friends along the way. Special mention to Geraldine, See Chai and Mc hot fudge sundae for making this module and the project memorable.

The best part of this module was that it helped me put the importance of soft skills into perspective. Day in and day out we utilize many of these skills covered in class without realizing its significance. To grow up in Singapore is already an advantage in intercultural and language aspects. Interpersonal skills: I must be doing something right if I have friends that we can call each other for the most absurd reasons. And since my project group did not implode, we must all be doing it right too! This has turned out to be a self-discovery trip.

I mentioned job search associated skills as one of my top priorities in taking this module, and now, I can consider that mission accomplished. With our classroom preparations I walked out of my latest interview confident and happy with myself. And that is one very good feeling. (Whether it is successful or not, that is another matter.)

With this post marks the end of ES2007S, but transferring the soft skills to my life is just the beginning of my journey to be a well-versed and tactful person. Communication is an art I have yet to perfect. Like a mad scientist, I shall persevere in its experimentation.

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P.S. Regarding the short discussion on Thursday about multitasking; I drafted this entry while watching cars fly on a rainy Shanghai circuit. I may be generalizing but I think we (this generation of ‘kids’) spent most of our life multitasking. Why not make full use of our access to technology? I could watch an episode of House while writing a few notes on Notepad on the train ride to school! Studying + music (and sometimes + dinner). Work + Facebook + YouTube. How is it ever possible we survive a non-multitasking iPad?!!

Reflection on OP

Firstly I must apologize it took me some time to fix up this reflection blog post. I suppose after a good rest (read: service my sleep debt) I would be able to better analyse my performance. Geraldine & See Chai, you two really are efficient tough cookies. After all, we had been so sleep deprived!

Preparation: something we can never get enough of
Like true blue scientists, I think that we got carried away with the research and details. We had so much information it was tough to cut down; everything seemed too important! Our original presentation could have easily stretched until half-time of a football match but we wanted to
keep it below twenty. (It would really be ideal since audience tend to lose concentration beyond 20 minutes according to one of my professors. Infectious disease prof if I remember correctly.)

It was quite late before we decided to strip down to just one specific course of action and that caused a substantial revamp in Geraldine's and See Chai's parts. In a rough count, I think we spent around 50 man hours together for this oral presentation! Wow!

Delivery
I really should have thrown away my notes (I certainly do not mean my E71). Even at the point as I was loading the slides, I was still undecided whether to have my notes on hand or not. Will I forget the next point? Will I miss the important keyword? Needless to say, what I thought was a lifebuoy became my plummet.

I felt better prepared than the previous peer teaching session. Slightly more confident in speaking to an audience. I was not as nervous; but I am not sure if I was speaking too fast or monotonous. Was I?

And somehow I began to paraphrase my script on the spot! Oh man!

Slides
Design and visual appeal is really subjective and dependent on personal taste. I guess what we had to do was to make it as general and widely acceptable as possible. Our idea was to use one main phrase to bring out the keypoint and leave the rest of the details for verbal. I wish my news articles had provided greater impact than they did.

These are probably the 'cleanest' slides I have ever done. Minimalistic, sleek and simple. I was a habitual user of cliche powerpoint templates (with Verve in greyscale as my favorite) but I guess it will be white on black from now on.

Personally, I was hesitant about the extensive references to Reynolds' style. I hate to see our slides lose our "personal touch" by trying too hard to look like his. It makes little difference from using cliche powerpoint templates! The same goes for slides with the data in percentages and nothing else. It does not work for me to have the visual impact but a nondescript speech. "Yeah I remember there was something at 50%...but what was that 'something'...I cannot recall."

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On a side note, here are some points I found to be important:

1. Minimalism
1. KISS principle ("keep it simple and stupid" or "keep it simple, stupid!", whichever way you wish to read it as)
1. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler - A. Einstein

Alright. Sorry for failing math but there is just one point actually.

Background Draft 1

This proposal is made in response to the National University of Singapore Excellence Unit (NUSEU)’s request for recommendations to improve the communication component in the existing curriculum. Through our proposed changes, we hope to enhance undergraduates’ professional communication skills and provide them the cutting edge to be successful in their workplace. 

Our team had identified the nursing profession in a hospital setting as our area of research. We are concerned that in the high complexity of the healthcare industry, communication failure could result in inadvertent patient harm. There are numerous articles documenting the communication breakdown…

Nurses in a hospital undertake a vast variety of roles, making it almost impossible to make an exhaustive list. However, there are some basic roles which are applicable across the board. One such role is taking care of patients and being advocates for them. In order to perform such a task, nurses need to convey messages accurately to doctors and fellow nurses, in the form of both verbal and written communication. Another role of a nurse is to serve as a bridge between the hospital and the patients' next-of-kin. Nurses' clinical role provides them frequent opportunities to have contact with the family members of the patients. Therefore, anxious relatives would approach a nurse when there are any queries. A nurse has to deal with them professionally by answering to their needs and soothing out their anxiety. Last of all a nurse would also be involved in paperwork which includes reporting of patients condition and transfer and movement of patients to various wards. This role should not be underestimated as these documents are to be presented as legal documents when conflicts arise. 

Verbal skills expected of a nurse include being able to be understood by the patient. This could mean avoiding the use of medical jargons, and he or she has to speak many different languages and dialects to serve Singapore's wide diversity of patients. 

• a nurse must also choose the right words and avoid using medical jargons
• a nurse must also understand the background of the patient to better communicate with the patient (non verbal?)

Standing in the front lines, good communication skills in nurses is more than just an ability to help execute his or her work, but also makes a presentable ambassador of our healthcare system. Singapore’s healthcare services are highly rated for its world-class quality, safety, and reliability. We have Asia's best healthcare system and is sixth in the world ranking (World Health Organization, 2000).The government’s motion to promote Singapore as Asia's medical hub has seen the country clinch “Best Medical/Wellness Tourism Destination” at the TravelWeekly (Asia) Industry Awards for 2007 and 2008. Effective communication among health caregivers is one factor behind this professionalism that 'satisfies' Singaporeans and attract medical tourists.

Current curriculum for nursing undergraduates includes one module dedicated for communications: NUR1110 Therapeutic Communication. This module emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relations in the nursing profession and application of communication theories through simulated practices. The placement of NUR1110 to be read in year one semester two signifies the value of professional communication in nursing; that such skills should be learnt right from the beginning.  

Our interview conducted with Mrs Lee, Director of the Nursing Department in National University Hospital (NUH), has enlightened us regarding the situation, background, assessment and recommendation (SBAR) technique currently employed in NUH. The SBAR technique framework allows for effective communication about a patient's condition within the healthcare team. This involves verbal and written exchanges and is especially useful in case escalation or handover. By providing details in each component of SBAR, inadequate communication could be reduced. We feel that one of the biggest advantages of SBAR is that it levels the hierarchy among all healthcare providers by providing a common platform that uses the same language to communicate critical events. We did not find evidence that the SBAR technique is preached to nursing undergraduates.  

Problem statement (part of the above)

 
To identify key communication problems that nurses face when interacting with different groups of people.

Nursing involve lots of interaction with patients and also other health care professions. Therefore it is vital for nurses to be able to communicate effectively. Miscommunication often arises in the hospital setting, thus reflecting a need to further look into the communication skills of nurses. Although miscommunication can never be totally avoided, improving the communication skills of nurses we hope to minimize such instances thus improving the overall standards of Singapore's health care industry.

Intercultural

I had a tough time trying to recall an intercultural conflict for this post. I guess I had been either too ignorant, or had unknowingly averted such clashes that they never escalated to a memorable episode. The following is an incident which I think could possibly develop into a bigger problem.

In Norway, I took an English language module which was a part of their international master’s programme. So naturally there was a fair mix of Norwegian postgraduates, international postgraduates, and a handful of us daredevil bachelor exchange students in class. (It was like pulling a kamikaze stunt every time I stepped into class. Phrase structure, semantics, syntax…it was all Greek to me.) The class had about 50 students, of which half was Norwegian or at least Norwegian-speaking. Less the Europeans, the rest of the nations represented were China, Nepal, Korea, Kazakhstan, Japan and Singapore.

One fine day, we were tasked with a small group exercise. So we got our questions and shifted furniture to form our groups. Halfway through, as our tutor was making her rounds, she exclaimed,

“Why is it that we have this all-Asian group here and all you Norwegians are sitting together?”

Well, nothing happened to follow up that statement. We laughed it off and lesson continued asper normal. I suppose she said that purely out of her observation and meant nothing more.

But what if my Norwegian classmates interpreted the situation as an unfriendly act? Could they have thought that we (Asians) congregated deliberately? That we did not want them in our social circle?

This is probably an instance when like poles do not repel each other. Even though we did not come from the same country or background, we share the common identity as foreigners. When thrown in an unfamiliar environment, I guess we have a built-in mechanism to cling on tosomething we can relate to, someone we can connect to.

This “clinging on” mentality is the reason why I think this could spiral into problems. It definitely occurs in real life. One large complaint about foreigners in a country is that they disregard the local culture and create animosity by doing stuff their way. How can you ever blend into the community when you hang out with the same foreigners every day? How can you do as the Romans do if you do not even make the effort to observe and learn from them?

Application Letter Draft 3

Hoi Yee CHAN
Block xxx Tampines Street xx
#xx-xxx
Singapore xxxxxx
+65 xxxx xxxx
U07xxxxx@nus.edu.sg

1st February 2010

Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
Singapore Changi Airport
PO Box 168
Singapore 918146

Dear Sir/Mdm,

Application for the post of Assistant Duty Terminal Manager

I am enclosing my resume to register my keen interest in the above-mentioned position posted online on 18th Dec 2009. I believe that Changi Airport Group has the ideal environment to pursue my goal of becoming a successful and innovative administrator.

I will be graduating this May with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Life-Sciences (specialization in Biomedical Science) from the National University of Singapore. As a fresh graduate, I believe my self-motivation and willingness to learn will bring dynamism and enthusiasm to the workplace.

I am strong-willed person who is able to handle changes, challenges and adversities well. Despite the disappointing results at my first ‘A’ levels attempt, the subsequent retake as a private candidate had trained my strong determination and perseverance. From my overseas student exchange experience, I learnt how to perform independently, think critically, and relate to people of different backgrounds. I have acquired leadership qualities as the band major of my secondary school’s concert band.

My internship with Singapore Airport Terminal Services had offered me a glimpse of the day-to-day at Changi Airport and the rigorous nature of the assignment has trained me to work efficiently under pressure. I enjoyed working together as a team and providing the high level of service and interaction required to passengers. I am confident that my communication skills and proficiency in English, Chinese and Cantonese will stand me in good stead for this position.

I am excited about the prospects of working in Changi Airport Group and sincerely welcome any opportunity to discuss my suitability for the post. I am available anytime for an interview at your convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,




Iris Hoi Yee CHAN


Enclosure: Resume

Application Letter Draft 2

Block xxx

Tampines Street xx

#xx-xxx

Singapore xxxxxx

1^st February 2010

Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Singapore Changi Airport

PO Box 168

Singapore 918146

Dear Sir/Mdm,

Application for the post of Assistant Duty Terminal Manager

Thank you for your attention. I am enclosing my resume to register my keen interest in the above-mentioned position posted online on 18^th Dec 2009.

I will be graduating this May with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Life-Science (specialization in Biomedical Science) from the National University of Singapore. As a fresh graduate, I believe my self-motivation and willingness to learn will make up for my lack of workplace experience. Proficient in English, Chinese and Cantonese, I believe that this will stand me in good stead for this position.

I am able to handle changes, challenges and adversities well. An internship with Singapore Airport Terminal Services had offered me a glimpse of the day-to-day at Changi Airport and helped trained me to work efficiently under pressure. From my overseas student exchange experience, I learnt how to perform independently, think critically, and relate to people of different backgrounds. I also enjoy interacting with others and working as a team.

After numerous air travels in the region and in Europe, it is no doubt Changi Airport offers excellent experience for travellers. However I too believe there will be constant improvements to be made to keep Changi above other competition. I will be proud to be part of the team aiming to provide the best for airport users.

I sincerely welcome any opportunity to discuss with you my suitability for the post.  I am available for an interview anytime. 

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,

Iris Hoi Yee CHAN

+65 xxxx xxxx

U07xxxxx@nus.edu.sg

Enclosure: Resume