Heavily pregnant NUH nurse does CPR to save neighbours from cardiac arrest

Heavily pregnant NUH nurse does CPR to save neighbours from cardiac arrest
Senior Staff Nurse at NUH, Claudia Tan.
PHOTO: BrightSparks

Neither being heavily pregnant in her third trimester nor being in her post-pregnancy confinement stopped Claudia Tan Yanhua, a nurse from the National University Hospital (NUH), from responding to the call of duty.

On two separate occasions, the 31-year-old nurse went above and beyond to render assistance to two cardiac arrest cases even though she was off duty. Tan had signed up to be a community first responder.

Her display of selflessness was highlighted in a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Facebook post on Wednesday (July 22).

Heavily pregnant during first incident

According to SCDF, Tan was getting ready for work in September 2019 when she was alerted of a cardiac arrest case in a condominium unit just two floors below her own home, through the myResponder app on her phone.

Despite being in her third trimester, Tan “dashed over to render aid” to her neighbour. 

The cardiac arrest case was a 60-year-old man, whom Tan saw “lying motionless on the floor” when she arrived at the unit. She immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him after assessing that he had no pulse and was no longer breathing.

“SCDF resources arrived shortly after and rendered further medical assistance before conveying him to a hospital. Thankfully, the man survived,” SCDF wrote. 

Second incident saw cardiac arrest case in same unit

Three months later, Tan received a myResponder alert of another cardiac arrest case while on confinement at home. 

“Incredibly, it was for a cardiac arrest case in the exact same unit two floors below,” wrote SCDF, who did not state how the two victims were related.

The second cardiac arrest case involved a 60-year-old woman, according to The New Paper (TNP). Tan again, rushed off to the unit “without hesitation”. 

“When the alert sounded, my instincts took over… What overrode everything was the urgency I felt to reach the person in need as quickly as I could,” the mother of two told TNP. 

The elderly woman was reportedly lying motionless when Tan arrived. She didn't have a pulse and she was breathing, leading Tan to perform CPR on her immediately. Tan also assisted with administering intravenous lines on the patient after the paramedics arrived.

“Unfortunately, the patient did not survive,” SCDF wrote. 

Both the 60-year-old man and 60-year-old woman were taken from the Lake Life condominium at Tao Ching Road in Jurong West to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital following the medical emergency. The elderly woman, however, died in the hospital. 

Praised for “quick-thinking and selfless acts”

“For her quick-thinking and selfless acts, (Tan) received SCDF’s Community Lifesaver Award (CLA) and Community First Responder Award (CFRA),” SCDF said.

On why Tan decided to sign up as a community first responder, she said to TNP: “I thought I could put my skills as an emergency nurse to good use.”

The mother of two, however, said that she did not think that coming forward to render assistance while pregnant was “remarkable”. To her, it was “simply an extension of her job as a nurse”.

She hopes that the sharing of her experience could “encourage more people to learn essential lifesaving skills and to sign up on the myResponder app.”

Many netizens have flocked to SCDF’s post to congratulate Tan on receiving the awards and recognition. She also received many praises for her public-spirited mindset.

The mum is also seen as an inspiration for fellow nurses and even a good role model for the younger generation.

You can view SCDF’s full post here:

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/SCDFpage/posts/10156966760005583[/embed]

This article was first published in theAsianparent

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