Nurses studying part time for their degrees in Singapore have achieved first class honours even while they battled COVID-19 on the wards.

The students, who all studied for their King’s degree at Ngee Ann Academy, have been speaking to national newspaper The Straits Times about their experience of working and studying during the pandemic.

A first-class degree is an impressive achievement for any student, but Ms Bindeeya Chandran gained her first while also balancing motherhood and working on the front line during the pandemic.

Speaking to The Straits Times she says, ‘The toughest part was when our dissertations coincided with the conversion of our ward (between January and April last year) to take in COVID-19 patients who were more ill and needed close monitoring...the workload was heavy, and the virus was still new to us’.

Student Ms Ong worked in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National University Hospital and needed to wear PPE during the day. This meant she was even more drained than normal when it came to revising in the evening. She tells The Straits Times, ‘We were often dehydrated and exhausted by the end of our shift.’

Senior Staff Nurse and student Ms Nurulhuda Abd Majid told the newspaper that good time management skills and clear work-life boundaries helped her achieve her first-class degree, ‘Studying part-time while working full-time requires a lot of discipline... I planned my timetable so that my days off were either entirely dedicated to studying or family.’

Nearly half of the students on the BSc Nursing course passed with first-class honours, the highest possible grade.

Ngee Ann Academy delivers the degree course in partnership with the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care (at King's College London). The course is the first King's degree taught wholly outside of the UK. Nurses learn how to improve bedside care by developing critical, analytical and evidence-based practice skills, improving healthcare quality, safety, access and value.

Read The Straits Times interview here