Dancing, singing, modelling: Singapore nurse shares how she juggles multiple passions

Long shifts, physical demands and tight schedules are often part and parcel of being a nurse — it's no surprise if they just want to rest during their time off. 

But for Natasha Kwek, nursing is only one part of her day.

When she is not caring for patients, Natasha can be found attending classes for singing and modelling, dabbling in acting as well as creating motivational content. 

Speaking to AsiaOne, the Singaporean in her early 30s shared that this all began during the Covid-19 pandemic, when healthcare workers were housed in hotels to reduce community exposure.

"I started to create content because I was [stuck] in the hotel room and needed a creative outlet," she said. "So I started putting things online." 

What started out as a way to express herself soon evolved into something much bigger. 

Today, Natasha's social media page is filled with motivational messages as well as behind-the-scene glimpses into her life as a nurse and budding artiste.

Through her content, she hopes to remind healthcare workers that their jobs do not define their worth. 

Rocky start

As someone who has been working full-time in a long-term care facility in Singapore for seven years, Natasha is well aware of the demands of the job.

"[There are] many challenges as a nurse. Firstly, it's physically and emotionally tiring. At times in the beginning, I felt like I hit rock bottom," she told us.

Difficult workplace experiences in the early days of her nursing career also affected her self-confidence negatively.

Through the years of working as a nurse, Natasha said that she experienced burnout — something she believes many in the line of work can relate to. 

"I was burnt out emotionally and physically. I think a lot of nurses go through that, because they've given a lot of themselves and don't have much time for themselves," she explained. 

Despite this, Natasha pushed through and found creative outlets to express herself.

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"When I sing, I can raise my voice and project my voice. In nursing, even when I'm irritated and angry, I don't want to shout or anything," she shared. 

"But with singing and dancing, I can vocalise and move around," Natasha said. 

According to Natasha, creating motivational content that fellow nurses can relate to also helps lift her own spirits before she starts each shift. 

Many of these videos come in the form of pep talks, with Natasha speaking to the camera with a reassuring message. In one of them, she tells the audience that their feelings are valid and encourages them to believe in themselves. 

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She also gives advice in some of her videos.

"By motivating other people, I'm also motivating myself. By encouraging others, I'm also encouraging myself," she said. 

She posts these videos at around 6.30am while making her way to work, which helps her start the day with a positive mindset. 

For the nurse, these passions are not additional commitments to juggle — but things that help her get through the day. 

"It's become a part of me," she said.

Besides her creative pursuits, something else that keeps Natasha going are her patients. 

"I focus on helping the patients, especially the elderly," she told us. 

"Every time I go to work, I just want to help them and make their day better."

Her dedication has not gone unnoticed. 

Recalling her time caring for dementia patients, Natasha shared how some of them would notice when she had been away and greet her warmly upon her return. 

"I was quite surprised when some dementia patients would tell me, 'Oh, I haven't seen you for a week or two weeks,' when I was actually on leave," she said. 

"It's quite cute, when they can remember that I was away." 

Such moments, as well as "nice comments" from the patients, are some of the most rewarding parts of her job, Natasha told us. 

New chapter

After seven years of working as a full-time nurse, Natasha has transitioned into freelance nursing last month — an arrangement that allows her more flexibility to pursue her other passions while still helping patients. 

She gets called back to the long-term care facility on an ad hoc basis. 

The rest of her time is spent creating content, attending singing, modelling and dancing classes, as well as taking a well-deserved break.

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While Natasha has found comfort in her creative pursuits, she believes more can be done to support the mental health and well-being of her fellow healthcare workers. 

"There's some improvement in the past seven years. But more can be done, such as giving them [easier] access to counselling," she said.

While such services are available, Natasha noted that many healthcare workers may not be aware of them. 

Workplaces can find ways to make the them "more obvious" to those who need it, she added.

Ahead of Nurses' Day on Aug 1, Natasha has a simple message for her fellow healthcare workers.

"Good job for showing up every day, because showing up itself takes a lot of strength, courage and resilience," she said.

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carol.ong@asiaone.com