NUH & NCIS Orientation Guide

NUH Guide

NUH & NCIS Orientation Guide

Welcome to NUH & NCIS

The National University Hospital (NUH) is a tertiary academic medical center located in the Kent Ridge campus of the National University of Singapore (NUS). As part of the National University Health System (NUHS), NUH provides a full range of specialist services and is a major teaching hospital.

The National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) is housed within NUH and is one of Singapore's leading cancer centers, providing comprehensive cancer care including palliative medicine services.

NUH Campus Layout

NUH is a large campus with multiple interconnected buildings. Key landmarks to know:

  • Main Building (Tower Block): Houses most inpatient wards, including medical and surgical wards
  • NCIS (Cancer Centre): Located within the NUH campus, identifiable by its distinctive architecture. Houses oncology clinics, chemotherapy suites, and palliative care offices
  • Kent Ridge Wing: Additional inpatient wards and specialist clinics
  • Medical Centre: Outpatient specialist clinics
  • Emergency Department: Located at the ground floor of the Main Building with 24/7 access
  • Dover Park Hospice: Located adjacent to NUH, accessible via a short walk or shuttle. This is where you may do hospice rotations

Ward 56: Palliative Care Unit

Ward 56 is the dedicated palliative care inpatient unit at NUH. Key information:

  • Located in the Main Building
  • Provides acute palliative care for patients with complex symptom management needs
  • Multidisciplinary team includes palliative medicine physicians, nurses, medical social workers, psychologists, and allied health professionals
  • Daily ward rounds typically begin at 8:30 AM
  • Family conferences are an important part of care and may be scheduled throughout the day
  • The ward has a family room for private discussions

Daily Schedule for Observership

A typical day during your palliative care observership:

  • 8:00 AM - Arrive, check schedule, review patient list
  • 8:30 AM - Morning ward round with the palliative care team
  • 10:30 AM - Follow-up tasks, patient reviews, family meetings
  • 12:00 PM - Lunch break (canteen at Level 1, or nearby food courts at Kent Ridge)
  • 1:00 PM - Afternoon activities: clinic sessions, MDT meetings, or educational sessions
  • 3:00 PM - Palliative care consultations in other wards
  • 4:30 PM - Wrap-up, documentation review, debrief
  • 5:00 PM - End of day (unless on-call arrangements)

Some days may include visits to Dover Park Hospice for inpatient hospice experience.

Dress Code

  • Smart casual is generally acceptable: collared shirt/blouse, long pants/appropriate skirt
  • Closed-toe shoes are mandatory in clinical areas
  • White coat is typically not worn in palliative care settings to maintain a less clinical atmosphere
  • Name badge must be worn at all times and displayed visibly
  • Avoid strong perfumes or fragrances as patients may be sensitive

Reporting Structure

  • Head of Department: Oversees the palliative medicine division
  • Senior Consultants / Consultants: Attending physicians leading ward rounds
  • Registrars / Residents: Postgraduate trainees managing day-to-day patient care
  • Medical Officers (MO): Junior doctors on rotation
  • Nurse Clinicians / Advanced Practice Nurses: Senior nurses with expanded clinical roles
  • Coordinator: Will be your main point of contact for scheduling and logistics

As an observer, you will primarily shadow the consultant or registrar on service.

Dover Park Hospice Visits

Dover Park Hospice is Singapore's first purpose-built inpatient hospice:

  • Located at 10 Jalan Tan Tock Seng (adjacent to NUH campus)
  • 40-bed facility providing specialized end-of-life care
  • Visits may be arranged as part of your observership to compare acute palliative care (Ward 56) with hospice-based care
  • The environment is deliberately home-like and less clinical
  • Volunteers play a significant role in patient care activities

Getting Around: Transport Guide

MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)

  • Kent Ridge MRT (Circle Line, CC24) - Closest station to NUH, approximately 5-minute walk via covered linkway
  • One-North MRT (Circle Line, CC23) - Alternative station, slightly further

Bus

  • Several bus services stop at NUH: 95, 151, 10, 33, 200
  • Bus stops are located along Lower Kent Ridge Road

Internal Shuttle

  • Free NUH shuttle buses run between the hospital buildings and nearby MRT stations
  • Check the shuttle schedule at the main lobby information counter

Useful Apps

  • SimplyGo / EZ-Link: For MRT and bus payments via contactless cards
  • Google Maps / Citymapper: Excellent for Singapore public transport navigation
  • Grab: Singapore's ride-hailing app (like Uber), useful for late-night or early-morning transport

Key Terms

NUH (National University Hospital)

A major tertiary academic medical center in Singapore, part of the NUHS cluster, located at Kent Ridge.

NCIS (National University Cancer Institute, Singapore)

Singapore's leading comprehensive cancer center housed within NUH, providing oncology and palliative care services.

Ward 56

The dedicated palliative care inpatient unit at NUH, providing acute symptom management for patients with life-limiting illnesses.

Dover Park Hospice

Singapore's first purpose-built 40-bed inpatient hospice adjacent to NUH campus, offering specialized end-of-life care.

Kent Ridge MRT

The nearest MRT station (Circle Line, CC24) to NUH, connected by a covered linkway.

Consultant

A senior specialist doctor who leads clinical teams and ward rounds. Equivalent to an attending physician.

Registrar

A postgraduate medical trainee in specialty training, responsible for day-to-day patient management under consultant supervision.

MDT (Multidisciplinary Team)

A team of healthcare professionals from different disciplines who collaborate to plan and deliver patient care.

Grab

Southeast Asia's leading ride-hailing app, widely used in Singapore for convenient transportation.

SimplyGo

Singapore's contactless fare payment system for public transport, supporting bank cards and mobile payments.

Source: NUH/NCIS official information