Driven by Curiosity, Built on Grit

By Valissa Yap

For more than two decades, Jasmine Lee, Assistant Director, Nursing, has worked as an intensive care nurse. From providing bedside care to leading nursing improvement initiatives, her career has not been defined by a single milestone, but by a simple habit: asking whether things can be done better.

That curiosity, paired with a deep conviction to improve how patients are monitored in the ward, led her to win the Public Sector Transformation (PST) Dare to Do Award 2026, a national recognition celebrating individuals who push the boundaries of care and make a meaningful difference in the public sector.

When she first heard of the achievement, Sister Jasmine, who currently oversees the nursing innovation and quality improvement arm, was quick to share the credit. "This is a team award," she says without hesitation. "None of this would have been possible without the collective effort of everyone involved."

Jasmine at the PST 2026 Ceremony.

From Curiosity to Catalyst

Jasmine's journey did not begin with an ambition to lead change. "I've always been a curious person," she reflects. "I ask questions because I want to understand how things work, and whether we can make them work better."

That curiosity became the catalyst for a journey that required courage to challenge established practices, and perseverance to navigate complexity, turning ideas into sustainable improvements. She approaches each problem by first understanding the entire patient care journey, examining every workflow and decision point before deciding what needed to change.

“One of the biggest challenges is getting people to pause and reflect on their current ways of working. Those who have built a strong familiarity with existing routines may need a little more time and encouragement to feel comfortable embracing something new.”

Transforming the patient monitoring system

Rather than seeking immediate, large-scale transformation, Jasmine worked closely with multidisciplinary teams, industry partners and frontline staff to ensure every change was practical, evidence-based and centred on patient safety.

One of her key contributions was transforming how telemetry monitoring was managed. Working with a dedicated workgroup, she first focused on ensuring more consistent round-the-clock monitoring by relocating telemetry operations and converting nurses' work schedule to 12-hour shifts, which doubled telemetry nursing coverage. The workgroup then modernised the system through digital solutions and developed an interactive visual display built around international monitoring standards. This gave nurses instant visibility of telemetry resources and patient distribution across the wards.

Tackling alarm fatigue was another priority for her team.  Rather than relying on default alarm settings, Jasmine championed a more targeted approach by tailoring alarm parameters for different groups of cardiac patients. This not only reduced unnecessary alarms but also improved the overall reliability of monitoring. Additional features were also introduced to simplify monitoring, making it easier for clinicians and nurses to manage and respond to alerts effectively.

Jasmine examining the patient monitoring system.

Jasmine’s pursuit of improvement extends beyond local practices. She proactively studied international clinical standards and adapted evidence-based recommendations to fit the local context. This brought consistency to clinical areas that had long operated independently, paving the way for standardised patient monitoring protocols across the cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery departments.

Building Something That Lasts

Jasmine's commitment to improvement goes beyond individual projects. Over the course of her career, she has worked steadily to create a culture where continuous improvement is part of everyday work. For instance, she worked closely with her nursing team to explore data analysis tools that better organise the clinical information being collected, laying the groundwork for future initiatives, including machine learning applications.

Sister Jasmine alongside the dedicated workgroup to raise the standards of patient monitoring and care at NHCS.

She also co-authored two clinical policies grounded in evidence-based guidelines, designed to standardise care across the institution. Jasmine understands that introducing a policy is only the first step, as it does not automatically translate into changes in practice. With this in mind, the workgroup continues to evolve its approach and ensure that staff are properly equipped to adopt new standards.

A Journey, not a Destination

Having tackled countless challenges, Jasmine is candid about the moments of uncertainty she has encountered along the way. She shared that by listening to colleagues across professions and keeping herself updated with international practices, she has not only gained new knowledge and greater clarity in previously unclear areas, but also grown professionally.

“We are surrounded by learning opportunities, and it is important to keep an open mind. For example, while engaging vendors during quality improvement work, we can pick up new information that we might not otherwise come across.”

Rather than seeing setbacks as obstacles, Jasmine views them as opportunities to refine ideas and strengthen solutions. "There were times I didn't have all the answers," she admits. "But I kept going back to the ground, kept asking and kept learning. That's how you find a way through."

Sister Jasmine's journey is perhaps best described as an ongoing voyage of learning, collaboration and continuous improvement. Her advice to other nurses with similar aspirations sums it up aptly. She says, “Stay humble, seek inspiration from the people around you, and don't be afraid to start. There is always room for improvement. Always."

Congratulations once again to Sister Jasmine on this well-deserved recognition!