Pauline Tan
Nursing Trailblazer
Born 1960 Inducted 2026 Category Health
Nurses have been the backbone of health care systems the world over, providing critical support across clinical, emotional, and logistical domains. Over the years, they have also contributed towards technology and innovation in the care of their patients.
So after 36 years of rising the ranks as a frontline nurse here, Pauline Tan knew she was ready to take the leap to chief executive of the Yishun Community Hospital in 2015.
She is the first nurse to attain such a position, having spent seven years as the Health Ministry's chief nursing officer up to then.
From a humble background, Pauline said she became a nurse because of the allowance given to nursing students. “It provided me with the financial means to support my siblings,” she said. But she also had the interest, having joined the St Johns Ambulance Brigade in school.
As she rose the nursing ranks, Pauline was responsible for not only patient care, clinical duties, and administrative tasks, but also had to manage emergencies, fight fires, plan ahead, and pre-empt crises.
She said healthcare providers come from different professional groups that bring a mix of expertise. “Providers do think and operate at different wavelengths and push from tangential opinions. It is important to adopt an open, respectful mindset and behaviour,” she said.
In addition, administrators need to listen for unspoken words. “When staff know that they are heard and respected, they will be intrinsically empowered to give their best and work in partnership to deliver consistent, safe and patient-centric practice, supported by evidence and education,” she added.
Other leadership positions she has held previously included Director of Nursing at the Institute of Mental Health and Director of Operations in Thomson Medical Centre. Pauline put all that experience to good use as the head of the Yishun Community Hospital, where she worked for three years and prior as chief nursing officer at the Ministry of Health.
In 2006, she won two prestigious awards: the President’s Award for Nurses and the National Healthcare Group Outstanding Citizenship Award.
Her alma mater La Trobe University in Australia awarded Pauline an honorary doctorate in 2011 for her work in advancing nursing as a profession here. That year, she was also inducted into the American Academy of Nursing.
In 2012, she received the National Day Public Administration Medal (Silver) and led the National Nursing Taskforce with key recommendations, including pay rises, broader job scopes, and better career progression, which were subsequently accepted by the then Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.
Pauline said SARS and the Covid 19 pandemic raised the appreciation of nurses, who are equipped with a wider range of advanced skills, from clinical to innovation. “The transformation enabled by design and a strong sense of purpose has significantly strengthened the value of nursing,” she said.
Pauline served on several international nursing committees and workgroups and was a regular speaker here and abroad on nursing.
In 2018, she went to China to take up the position of CEO of an Orthopedic Hospital in Shanghai. She concurrently held the position of Group Chief Nursing Officer overseeing nursing standards and practice for a group of hospitals, nursing homes and clinics there.
She returned to Singapore in 2023 and joined the Sheares Healthcare International Holdings as Director of Clinical Quality & Services.
She said while nurses in hospitals are at the frontline interacting with patients, their families and visitors every day, 24/7, they are now able to demystify the nursing stereotype assisted by social media.
“I feel it’s timely that nurses rise up to take ownership of their professional identity and be proud of what they stand for and have to offer to our society,” said Pauline, who retired in 2023.
“My challenge is to raise the profile and contribution of nursing in Singapore.” – Ministry of Health, 2007