Yew Yat made a bold career move when he was 52. Even though he had worked for years in the construction industry, he switched to nursing.

He said: “Healthcare will become an increasingly important sector as Singapore’s population ages.”

This smart move, however, came with its fair share of challenges. Starting out as a patient care assistant, his positive attitude prompted his employer, the Singapore General Hospital, to sponsor his studies in nursing. However, moving from a desk-bound job to a bedside patient care one was not easy.

Going back to school proved even harder as Yew Yat, who was already in his 50s, said he “had poor memory and learnt slower than the younger people”, although his maturity proved helpful when his colleagues needed advice on handling older patients.

Despite the challenges, Yew Yat hopes to enrol for a diploma in nursing soon. The indefatigable senior said: “I do not believe in retiring because I never want to stop learning and moving ahead.”