Gestures of Care

PI: Ms. Chua Lee Kheng
Assistant Director, Nursing, National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) 

SPECIFIC AIMS:

1. Deepen awareness of the nonverbal dimensions of care in educator-learner interactions.
2. Demonstrate intentionality and presence when coaching clinical educators.
3. Apply embodied listening and attunement to support clinical educators in managing stress.
4. Facilitate Gestures of Care sessions for clinical educators using creative movement and reflective practices.
5. Build peer support networks to sustain compassionate educational practices within the faculty. 

Expected Outcomes 

1. For Faculty Participants
- Enhanced self-awareness and ability to coach clinical educators effectively. 
- Increased confidence to conduct creative, reflective faculty development workshops. 

2. For Clinical Educators - Reduced stress and burnout.
- Improved educator-student relationships. 

3. For the Institution
- Development of a faculty-led support system.
- Strengthened institutional culture of compassionate and attuned teaching.

BACKGROUND:

The Gestures of Care is an innovative creative movement workshop developed by Associate Professor Michael Thaddeus Tan Koon Boon, Dean (Research & Knowledge Exchange) at the University of the Arts Singapore, under NAFA-UAS,  that explores the nonverbal dimensions of care. Through movement and embodied practice, the workshop highlights intentionality, embodied listening, and attunement as essential elements in cultivating meaningful and compassionate care interactions. Through a pilot collaboration supported by the Pitch for Humanities Grant, we successfully implemented the workshops to three cohorts of clinical nurses (n=51) in February 2025. Participants reported that the sessions were valuable in enhancing awareness of presence and body language in care, deepening empathy, and offering a safe, reflective space for personal and professional growth. In response to the increasing stress faced by teachers and clinical educators, we recognize the significant potential of the Gestures of Care workshop to support faculty wellbeing and professional development. Building on the positive outcomes and feedback from the pilot implementation, we are eager to adapt and scale the workshop for faculty development. Through the proposed train-the-trainer program, we aim to equip faculty with the skills to model intentional care, provide peer support, and cultivate a culture of compassionate teaching. This initiative seeks to extend the workshop’s proven benefits beyond clinical practice—promoting resilience, emotional attunement, and well-being throughout healthcare education environments. This aligns with the SingHealth’s commitment to building resilient, empathetic, and effective educators in clinical practice.