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She began her career in healthcare as a registered nurse. Now, Ms Joycelyn Tan coordinates heart and lung transplants at National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), assisting recipients and their families through the entire process — a career that she has pursued for 13 years.
Her work involves educating patients on what to expect pre- and post-transplant, liaising with coordinators for the donor when an organ is available, and keeping recipients and their families informed once the organ is deemed suitable. Ms Tan and her team at NHCS also assist patients through their post-operative period and even when they are discharged. “We are the link between the patients and their doctors. For example, if the patient experiences post-operative discomfort or any signs of being unwell, we are the first point of contact,” Ms Tan explained.
Transplant coordinators work with healthcare professionals such as cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, infectious disease doctors, psychiatrists, supportive care doctors, nurses, medical social workers, and physiotherapists — forming a multidisciplinary team.
As part of her job, there are difficult moments when she has to inform recipients that the donor organ is found to be unsuitable for transplantation. This can sometimes happen right before the surgery, when expectations to undergo a transplant is at its highest.
“Even more devastating is when you have to break bad news to the (recipient’s) family, such as when an operation didn’t go as expected or when the patient’s outcome is undesirable,” she said.
The situation can be tough to handle emotionally, Ms Tan admitted, as many patients become familiar faces over the years and close relationships have been formed.
When faced with such adverse situations, Ms Tan puts up a strong front to provide support for the patients and their family, but she acknowledged that emotions can get the better of her. “Sometimes, I will cry together with the family,” she said. She shared that expressing such emotions on the job is not taboo. “I tell my juniors that we don’t always have to withhold our emotions.”
Ms Tan is also required to be on call 24/7 on days when she is rostered; being activated in the middle of the night is par for the course. “Activation happens in the wee hours most of the time,” said Ms Tan, adding that each team member gets rostered seven to eight calls a month.
The mother of two is thankful that she has a supportive husband, who understands the demands of her job and readily holds the fort whenever she has to rush off to work in the middle of the night. But the job has its rewards, especially when the patient’s outcome is positive.
One case that Ms Tan remembers vividly is when she was seven months pregnant and on her last rostered on-call duty before giving birth. “I was woken up by the call but was excited because this patient had experienced complications such as brain haemorrhage, which led to the need for multiple surgeries due to anti-coagulation. This affected his speech and memory, and he took a long time to recover. Knowing the risk of a bleeding recurrence, I knew he would benefit greatly from a heart transplant,” she recalled.
She stayed up all night to coordinate the operation. Thankfully, the procedure was a success. “I was very happy for him,” she said, joy still palpable in her voice.
Another case that touched Ms Tan deeply involved a patient who expressed his thanks to her just before he was anaesthetised in the operating theatre to undergo a heart transplant. “He held my hand, and thanked me for my patience and for taking care of him through the years. I recall him saying, ‘Without you, I wouldn’t be here today.’” Unfortunately, the patient passed away. “His son told me that going through with the transplant surgery was what his father had wanted, even if the outcome didn’t turn out to be good,” Ms Tan recounted.
As a transplant coordinator, one has to be prepared to ride on an “emotional roller coaster”, Ms Tan shared. Despite the challenges, she remains enthusiastic about her job. “I love what I’m doing,” she affirmed, describing how she is drawn to the holistic care administered to patients, and the rapport she has with them.
What gives Ms Tan the most satisfaction is when patients recover and go on to lead healthy, normal lives. “After a transplant or left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation (for patients with heart failure), many patients can go back to their daily life and activities. Seeing that is a very heartwarming sight,” she described.
Read more: Common questions about transplant medications, dosage and side effects answered! Click here.
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