Pregnant nurse saves man, 60, who had cardiac arrest
She received an alert on SCDF's myResponder mobile application and rushed down to her neighbour's unit
She was in the third trimester of her pregnancy when she helped to save her neighbour's life after he had a cardiac arrest.
After receiving an alert on her phone, Ms Claudia Tan, 31, hurried down to a condominium unit two storeys below hers and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a 60-year-old man who was no longer breathing, and managed to save him.
Three months later, during confinement after having her baby, Ms Tan received another alert. This time it was a 60-year-old woman in the same unit.
The advanced practice nurse (intern) at the National University Hospital (NUH)'s acute medical unit again performed CPR on the victim. She also helped to administer intravenous lines after the paramedics arrived.
Sadly, the woman did not survive.
For her quick thinking and selfless acts, Ms Tan received the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)'s Community Lifesaver and Community First Responder awards on Monday.
SCDF said in a Facebook post yesterday: "These incidents reflect the importance of community first response and the difference it can make during emergencies."
The incidents took place at the Lake Life condominium at Tao Ching Road in Jurong West on Sept 17 and Dec 16 last year.
Ms Tan received alerts on SCDF's myResponder mobile application on both occasions.
She told The New Paper last night: "I signed up as a community first responder as I thought I could put my skills as an emergency nurse to good use.
"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."
In the first incident, Ms Tan was getting ready for work when she was called into action.
The man was lying motionless on the floor, had no pulse and was not breathing. He recovered after he was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
In the second incident, the woman also had no pulse and was not breathing. She died in the same hospital. SCDF did not say how the two victims were related.
Its chief medical officer, Colonel (Dr) Shalini Arulanandam, told TNP that in cardiac arrest cases, every minute without CPR significantly reduces the patient's chances of survival. "Claudia's quick actions before SCDF's arrival were critical in saving a life," she said.
Ms Tan said her stepping forward was simply an extension of her job as a nurse and she did not think doing so while pregnant was remarkable.
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She added: "My hope in sharing this experience is to encourage more people to learn essential lifesaving skills and to sign up on the myResponder app.
"You can make a difference and you may just save a life."
Launched in 2015, the app alerts users to suspected cardiac arrest cases nearby so they can administer CPR before emergency responders arrive.
NUH's chief nurse Dr Catherine Koh said Ms Tan demonstrated professional competence and altruism.
"We are proud to have exceptional and compassionate nurses like her who have gone above and beyond work duties to help people during emergencies."
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