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Woman of Substance

Woman of Substance

by Yong Tsuey Ling

Thirty-eight years of contributing selflessly and tirelessly to Nursing has not gone unnoticed. The dedication of Ms Gwee Mui Boon, 55, is being recognised when she won the coveted President’s Award for Nurses. Ms Gwee, the Health Science Course Manager at ITE College East, is acknowledged for her significant and sustained contributions to the Nursing profession. She received the Award from President S R Nathan on 1 August 2006 at the Istana. Of the rare privilege, Ms Gwee said: “I am honoured and humbled at the same time.”

Thinker and Motivator
She more than deserved the President’s Award, said ITE staff who have worked with Ms Gwee for many years. She might come across as ‘stern’, but Mr Tay Wei Sern, the Section Head who has worked with her for six years, said that ‘sternness’ is the expression she wore when deep in thoughts. “She is always thinking of ways to enrich the teaching and learning environment, and we are all the better for it,” shared Mr Tay. He let in on what an ‘infectious’ motivator Ms Gwee is, adding how he is constantly encouraged by her belief that “Impossible” is a word found only in the Dictionary of Fools.

Another staff who has known Ms Gwee for 20 years, Mdm Ler Ai Choo, spoke of her ‘people person’ approach. “Ms Gwee believes in giving her staff opportunity to grow. She grooms and develops us according to what we are good at,” said Mdm Ler. Thanks to Ms Gwee, Mdm Ler is now lecturing, as well as mentoring the department’s junior lecturers and new staff.

Leader and Visionary
Under Ms Gwee’s leadership, the Nursing Department and the Nursing course at ITE College East has grown steadily in size and reputation. Today, she oversees 60 lecturers and 1,000 students in the College’s School of Applied & Health Sciences. The visionary Ms Gwee, supported by her able team, has brought the training at ITE College East up to mark with the set-up of the Clinical Simulation Centre. The Centre relies on high-fidelity manikins to teach clinical skills to Nursing students.

Ms Gwee is also instrumental in driving the development of Post-Nitec certification courses for ITE. And through her active involvement with the Singapore Nursing Board and other Academic Advisory and accreditation Committees, she helps shape the Bachelor of Science in Nursing programme at the National University of Singapore.