Friday, January 25, 2008

Want To Earn Money By Simply Clicking Stuff?

My gosh. Remember my post about the survey thingy? It really is believable. Like I already have a paypal account and I'm just waiting to earn more money and redeem it. You have to reach $75 to redeem your earning but with $4 per review, the $75 is not that hard to reach!


And oh yeah, while your at it why don't you check this out:
http://bux.to/?r=vincentb88

How you make money with bux.to?
You view websites in 30 second sessions via the "Surf Ads" page. Once the 30 seconds is up, you'll either get a green tick sign or a red 'X'. The green tick sign means you've earned $0.01 and as premium member $0.0125 for the visit and the 'X' means you have not earned money for the visit. You'll get red X's when you have more than one website from the "Surf Ads" page open. When this happens, you get no credit.

A valuable benefit to both the members and the advertisers is the repeat exposure that the advertiser gets. Whenever you click and view a website, you can visit that website again in 24 hours as long as the visit cap hasn't been reached. That's right! After 24 hours you can click and view the website again. This gives the advertiser optimal exposure by using "repeat advertising" and it further increases the members earning potential.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Reading in the Operating Room: Is It Acceptable, Just Because We Can?

Reading in the Operating Room: Is It Acceptable, Just Because We Can?

by Terri G. Monk, MD, and Adolph H. Giesecke, MD


Like the stock market, which waxes and wanes in irregular, dysrhythmic undulations, the interest that residents and practitioners have in reading in the operating room (OR) follows a similar course. Recently, we have observed that reading in the OR has gradually crept back into our practice; it is in a waxing phase. We understand why anesthesiologists are tempted to read in the OR (“Watching surgery is like watching paint dry,” and “I have no time to read at home so I need to make up for lost time in the OR”). This subject became the focus of serious discussion in a panel on patient safety presented at the recent annual meeting of the Association of University Anesthesiologists in Sacramento, CA. We feel that reading in the OR seriously compromises patient safety and are opposed to it for the following 4 reasons:
First, reading diverts one’s attention from the patient. If, because one’s attention is diverted, 1 or 2 minutes of warning signals are missed, then the remaining time may not be adequate to evaluate the problem, make a diagnosis, and take corrective action. The consequence may be a severely injured patient. However, with improved monitoring techniques (pulse oximetry, capnography), it can be argued that this scenario is less likely.
Second, the patient is paying for our undivided attention, and most well-informed patients want to know if we plan to turn over a portion of their anesthesia care to a nurse or resident. If we are obliged to honestly answer that concern, then, should we also be obliged to inform the patient that we plan to read during a portion of the anesthetic? If patients knew, they would probably request a reduction in our fee for service or choose another anesthesiologist. On a personal level, we would not want the anesthesiologist caring for us or our family to read during surgery. Is it fair to provide less vigilance to our patients than we would expect during our own anesthetic?
Third, it is medico-legally dangerous. Any plaintiff’s attorney would love to have a case in which the circulating nurse would testify, “Dr. Giesecke was reading when the cardiac arrest occurred. Yep, he was reading the Wall Street Journal. You know he has a lot of valuable stocks that he must keep track of.” It is possible that if anesthesiologists informed their malpractice carriers that they routinely read during cases, the companies might raise premiums or cancel malpractice coverage.
Fourth, the practice of reading in the OR projects a negative public image. In this case, the nurses, technicians, aides, and surgeons represent the public. The officers of the ASA must occasionally serve as spokespersons for our profession at press conferences. Usually this follows a highly publicized disaster. It would be very difficult for them to defend the practice of reading in the OR. The public perception of our manner of practice is critical to the future integrity of the practice of anesthesiology. Let us strive to project an appropriate image. Reading in the OR should NOT be part of the image.
Despite our strong objections to reading in the OR, many of our colleagues feel differently. In 1995, Dr. Weinger wrote an article for the APSF Newsletter discussing the practice of reading in the OR and pointed out that there were no scientific data on the impact of reading on anesthesia provider vigilance.1 He concluded, “In the absence of controlled studies on the effect of reading in the operating room on vigilance and task performance, no definitive or generalizable recommendations can be made,” and the decision to read or not should be “a personal one based on recognition of one’s capabilities and limitations.”1 This commentary generated a flurry of letters to the editor from anesthesiologists supporting both sides of the issue. Advocates of reading said it was no different than “any conversation with another person in the operating room about topics unrelated to patient care” or “listening to music” during the procedure, while opponents called the practice “appalling” and “totally unacceptable.”
In an attempt to resolve the controversy, the APSF awarded a patient-safety grant to Dr. Weinger in 1997 for his project entitled “Scientific Evaluation of Anesthesiologist Performance: Further Validation and Study of the Effects of Sleep Deprivation and of Intraoperative Reading.” In a recent abstract, Weinger reported that anesthesia providers read in 35% of cases, but found no evidence that vigilance was different between reading and non-reading periods.2 He concluded that intraoperative reading by anesthesiologists “may have limited effects on vigilance and therefore may not a priori put patients’ safety at risk.”
While there appears to be no conclusive evidence that reading in the OR affects vigilance on the part of the anesthesiologist, we still object to this practice. Former President Bill Clinton was highly criticized for his affair with an intern, despite a lack of evidence indicating that this indiscretion affected his performance as president or adversely affected the country. When asked in a recent CBS television interview why he had an affair with Monica Lewinsky, Mr. Clinton responded, “For the worst possible reason: just because I could. I think that’s just the most morally indefensible reason that anybody could have for doing anything.” As anesthesiologists, we know that we can read in the OR and recognize that there is no scientific evidence that reading in the OR adversely affects a patient’s outcome. Would we, however, want to defend this practice in a television interview?
Dr. Monk is a Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, and Dr. Giesecke is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management and Former Jenkins Professor and Chairman at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX.

References
1.Weinger MB. In my opinion: lack of outcome data makes reading a personal decision, states OR investigator. APSF Newsletter 1995;10:3-5.
2.Weinger MB. Assessing the impact of reading on anesthesia provider’s vigilance, clinical workload, and task distribution. Available on the web at: http://www.anestech.org/Publications/Annual_2003/sta117.html. Accessed on August 9, 2004.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Earn $6 Instantly for Answering a Survey

Yup you heard it right! You earn $6 immediately for answering a simple survey that takes you only about 10-15 minutes to finish.

Why don't you try it you have nothing to lose. I did and I never thought earning money was this simple.

http://www.AWSurveys.com/HomeMain.cfm?RefID=vincentb88

Naruto Shippuuden - Episode 43


Oh my gosh! Naruto Shippuuden - Episode 43 is out! Can't wait to watch it right now.
Here's a link to the video:

http://www.crunchyroll.com/showmedia?id=253470T

And for those who have no idea what Naruto Shippuuden is here's a little summary:
Naruto Shippuuden is the continuation of the original animated TV series Naruto.The story revolves around an older and slightly more matured Uzumaki Naruto and his quest to save his friend Uchiha Sasuke from the grips of the snake-like Shinobi, Orochimaru. After 2 and a half years Naruto finally returns to his village of Konoha, and sets about putting his ambitions to work, though it will not be easy, as He has amassed a few (more dangerous) enemies, in the likes of the shinobi organization; Akatsuki

It's really fun watching Naruto because you get to imagine what life is for a ninja! Hahaha! But like many anime, they also reflect certain truths about life and human beings. In this anime, Naruto and Gaara are hated and treated as outcasts because they are different. Although the two are very kind they are treated harshly because the people around them fear them because they carry a great power that could destroy their whole village. But it's nice to know that the people around them had a change of heart after both Naruto and Gaara risked their lives for the people who hated them.

Naruto also talks about friendship and how wonderful it is to have at least one person to appreciate your existence.

After Midterms What’s Next?


At last, midterms have long passed and gone. This midterm week wasn’t that stressful at all and the exams were quite easy. They seem easy for me but I’m not sure if I fared that well. But it’s a good thing that I got a good score in my NCM 102 – RLE (medical-surgical nursing) because my prelim exams, both in RLE and lecture, were bloody (lots of wrong answers and red X-marks)! But as expected, with the good comes the bad. My lecture exam is missing! I thought that my clinical instructor was joking but oh my God, the world came twirling around and I fainted! Well, I didn’t really faint. But for a person who lost his exam and who is uncertain if he passed or failed, I seem quite relaxed actually. Thank God for my come-what-may attitude because if I keep on obsessing about my grade I might actually become a patient at Davao Medical Center – Psychiatric Department.

Right now I am in relaxed mode but ready to face the challenge that my chosen profession may throw at me. Char. I have learned so much from this week. I have learned that I am actually a morning person than a night person; I learn more and retain more when I study in the morning than at night. Also, to pass medical-surgical nursing I need to borrow the great war plan: divide-and-conquer! I need to study and read ahead before the semi-finals if I really want to pass.

Goodbye Xavier, Liceo Here I Come



“Goodbye Xavier, Liceo here I come,” a normal phrase from nursing students of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan who have a sense of impending doom. It has been a tradition in the College of Nursing to have a lot (half of the population) of third year students fail in NCM 102 (Medical-Surgical Nursing). And if they do fail, they have two options to choose from. One, they become “off-sem” or they don’t go to school until NCM 102 is offered again to students. Second is the very difficult and heart-wrenching decision to transfer to another school.

All my life as a nursing student, I have been constantly challenged to put my gameface on and do my best to excel because I have to live to the expectations of being an Atenean, a student nurse from Xavier University. We are invigorated whenever a clinical instructor (CI) reminds us and says, “This is Xavier University, if you can’t live up to its standards, then you better transfer to another school.” This may sound harsh but it only shows that our CI’s care for us and they don’t want us to fail. I have a lot of CI’s who I really look up too because they are the ones who I want to be someday. Like my CI’s I want to be a graduate of Xavier University and be a pure blooded Atenean nurse who is committed, competent, compassionate, and a good conscience.

I remember my clinical instructor, whom I idolize, telling the class that we shouldn’t cheat because we are only degrading our intelligence, because every one of us has the capacity to excel because we are all intelligent, if we wouldn’t be then we wouldn’t have been accepted at Xavier. And this is quite true because out of 1000 plus applicants from around the Philippines, only a few are chosen, around 400. The XU College of Nursing does not accept transferees from other schools and second coursers. This may be because having a small number of students would provide an environment conducive for learning and so that the famed 100% passing rate in the board exams tradition won’t be discontinued. One of the greatest fears of nursing students from Xavier is that they will be the one to break the record of having a 100% passing rate because ever since the College of Nursing opened, all of its batches have graduated with a 100% passing rate. As my clinical instructor would say, “The problem is not passing the board, but topping it.” It's no wonder why Xavier is recognized as a Center of Exellence in Nursing.

I am proud to say that I am a student nurse from Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan. But sadly I would be transferring to another school next semester. Fortunately I’m not transferring to any other school in Cagayan de Oro, thank God! I’m not transferring because I failed, I got kicked out, or I can’t afford to go to school anymore. I’m transferring because I’m moving away somewhere this coming April or May and I don’t want to say where for now. But even if I transfer to another school, I would always be an Atenean at heart. I have been studying at Xavier University since high school and it’s very unfortunate that I can’t graduate as an Atenean nurse. But I will continue to practice what I believe in and all that I have learned during my formation as an Atenean.


Asus Eee vs Acer Aspire 4315

It was my mom who texted me one day and told me of the existence of this laptop. My mom said that it was small and it was a very nice laptop. I was at first skeptical about the said laptop and decided to do some research about this wonder laptop called the Asus Eee PC.

I would have to say that for a small laptop it actually has very good features. And you would get these features at a very small cost. So how much will it (Asus Eee PC 701) retail in the Philippines? 17,999 pesos! At the said price, it is actually cheaper than the announced price of USD $399, if converted using 44 pesos to a dollar. It’s cheaper to get the Asus Eee PC here in the Philippines!

But don’t get your hopes up yet guys. Just check it’s specifications so that you can judge for yourself what this so-called Asus Eee really is:

· Processor: Intel Celeron M ULV 900MHz

· Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 900 GPU

· Storage: 4GB of Flash-based storage (SSD) (there is also an 8GB version)

· Memory: 512MB of DDR2 RAM (667MHz)

· OS: Xandros Linux (Asus customized, preloaded with OpenOffice, Skype, and google applications)

· Screen: 7-inch screen with 800 x 480 resolution

· Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA monitor out, headphone jack, microphone input, SD card reader (SDHC compatible), Kensington lock slot, Ethernet 10/100

· Webcam (0.3 MP)

· Battery: 4-cell 5200 mAh 7.4V Li-Ion (rated at 3.5 hours)

· Wireless: 802.11b/g Atheros

· Input: Keyboard and Touchpad

· Weight: approximately 2 lbs with battery, 2.5 lbs travel weight with AC adapter.

· Two-year warranty

In my opinion, the Asus Eee Notebook would be a great toy for children. It is also a very good laptop for students and people who will only use it for research and word processing works. Don’t expect to play games in this PC or be able to install programs like Windows XP and Photoshop with the very limited 8GB storage memory.

It’s a good thing that I researched the specifications of this laptop first rather than quickly agreeing to get this laptop. Although Asus is a well respected brand, it’s specs doesn’t suit me at all.

So I’m still hanging on to my dream of getting that Acer Aspire 4315 with much better specs but for a much higher price of course. But the Acer Aspire is pretty much worth it with these specs:

  • Intel® Celeron® M Processor 530SR (1.73GHz, 1MB Cache, 533MHz FSB)
  • Mobile Intel® GL960 Express chipset with integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100, up to 358 MB of Intel DVMT 4.0 (8 MB of dedicated, up to 350 MB of shared system memory), supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0
  • 14.1" Wide XGA CrystalBrite (200 nit) Color LCD supports 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and dual display via Acer GridVista
  • 80GB SATA HDD
  • 1GB DDR2 RAM
  • Integrated 56Kbps modem & 10/100 Mbps LAN
  • Integrated 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
  • Integrated DVD/CD-RW combo drive
  • Two built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo speakers
  • 6-cell Li-Ion Battery Pack (2.0 hours battery life)
  • 3xUSB, 1xVGA port, ExpressCard/54 slot, S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port
  • 344 (W) × 246 (D) × 37/42 (H) mm
  • Weight 2.6kg
  • 1-Year International Traveler Warranty
  • Acer Designed Carrying Bag
  • Genuine Microsoft Windows XP OS

For Php 32,000 the Acer Aspire 4315 is a great buy indeed!

Blogging Boom


It has recently occurred to me that the number of bloggers has actually grown and that blog sites are popping like mushrooms everywhere. For those who don’t know what a blog is, it is like an online diary or a site where you post your reviews, thoughts, pictures, videos, and whatever media you my have.

As a friend of mine commented, people are going Adsense addicts. Adsense by the way is a great new product by Google that allows you to earn money by allowing ads to flash on your webpage. The more page impressions or clicks and referrals to those ads, the more money you own. Unfortunately on my part, I only get around 10 people who visit my blog every day and this would earn me only a few cents. But hey I did already earned around $6 since last year. This is a great feat for an amateur personal blogger as my self.

But I am quite impressed by the blogs of my friends. Their blogs have such substance that makes my blog seem so shallow and all, but hey it’s a personal blog after all right? I can post anything I want no matter how boring it is. But seeing those blogs of my friends poses a great challenge to me. I will improve my blog, not just to earn more money but for personal satisfaction too. Maybe once in a while I’ll place my reviews on gadgets, movies, or whatsoever because my friend said that reviews tend to get more viewers.

Anyway here are some blogs of friends and contacts that really caught my attention:

  1. http://republikaneri.blogspot.com/
  2. http://laytech.blogspot.com/
  3. http://kirbitz.blogspot.com/
  4. http://mikekrismac.blogsome.com/
  5. http://yu-rico.blogspot.com/

Saturday, January 12, 2008

My First Surgical Case

I am quite lucky to have been able to have my first surgical case at Xavier University Community Health Care Center. I was able to scrub in an excision or removal of a fibroadenoma at the left breast. A fibroadenoma is actually a sort of cyst or mass in the breast. It's actually benign so there was nothing to worry about. I was fortunate to have worked with such an intelligent, skillful, and understanding surgeon. The surgeon has showed me great surgical techniques that I thought I would only see on TV. It was amazing that I actually helped him do those procedures. Actually he could have done it himself. I wasn't really that helpful. Like it was my first time to scrub-in and it really took some time for me to think of what to do next. Dr. Perez was very understanding and he really helped in guiding me what to do. He must have empathized with me since he was also a nurse. He is actually still very young for a talented surgeon. I really had a difficulty in addressing him because I keep on calling him sir instead of doctor. Always remember to call doctors doctor because it is a bit degrading to be called sir because sir is only for male nurses and patients. Its a complex world of medical professionals. Anyway it was quite embarassing when I broke my sterility (that's the absence of microorganisms) but I won't say how because people might use it against me in the court of law. Hehehe. But my mistake wasn't that bad and the operating room nurse was kind enough to let me of the hook that time. The operating room is very amazing. Kind of like a magical place. Imagine in the morning I had to work in the ward and them in the operating room in the afternoon. I was so tired and I wanted to go home but once I entered the operating room adrenaline rush swept all over my body as an operation was actually already begun. It was a shame that I wasn't able to take pictures of the operation but we actually didn't think of taking pictures that time. We had several minor operations and each operation was like a new experience. If I were given a choice to choose where I would specialize, I would definitely say the operating room.

Filipino CEO Sex Scandal

It's quite amazing how this keywords could attract so many readers. Like I've read in some blog that the words sex scandal could really attract people to your blog or website. If you did open this blog because of the said keywords then the statistics must be true. What is it with human beings and they find something controversial very interesting and amusing. Maybe human beings are just finding ways to spice up their lives with things that are out of the ordinary like sex scandals. If people had enough time and their own private place, camera, and girlfriends/boyfriends then I guess we would have an abundant supply of sex scandals because people would do the things that are forbidden to fulfill one's curiousity and to stir up one's boring routines that we call life. I think that all of us have thought of doing something wrong just to see what happens. Imagine slapping your teacher. Isn't it interesting to find out their reactions? Maybe we provoke to feel that we truly exist. I don't know with others but this is just my idea why people do stupid things.

Goodbye Laptop

I had mixed emotions when my mom texted me one day and told me that our installment plan for my laptop was accepted. I was supposed to get an Acer Aspire 4315! Like it had 1 GB of RAM already and it already has a pre-installed Genuine XP! What a sweet deal! Naturally I would be ecstatic and all because I could already get my laptop anytime in that week. But all my hopes and expectations were washed down the drain when she told me that we needed a co-buyer that was a close relative. One would say that that wasn't a big deal at all. But in my case it is a big deal. My mom's relatives are all in Manila. My dad's relatives are here but the only one's living near the city can't even afford to support themselves, how in the world can they become co-buyers of a techno stuff that they would have to work for for several years to be able to barely afford the downpayment. Don't get me wrong, my dad does have successful sisters but they live so far away, one is in Cebu and the other is in California. Actually the store was happy enough to allow my mom to have her officemate co-sign the contract. Her officemate was actually very willing to be a co-buyer, God bless her. Everything was going smoothly and even fast but unfortunately my mom's husband had to get in the way of my dream. He is such a disappointment and I bluntly say that I am ashamed to have him as a father. Like who in their right mind would tell a credit officer that we had plans of leaving the country? He even showed the credit inspector my mom's text telling him not to say anything stupid like what he just said. He talked like a stupid parrot telling the credit officer that my mom gives post-dated checks, which isn't true, and even told the credit officer that my mom had plans of early retirement. Who in their right mind would allow us to purchase anything if we weren't financially stable. The fact is we are financially stable but my stupid father had to open his big mouth and destroyed our reputation. So right now my dreams and all my plans for my laptop are gone. To think that I could have used the laptop to simplify my study life. But all of that is gone now. My mom told me not to be depressed and all because there are a lot of stores but that atore had the laptop which I really wanted and I would have to prolong the anguish and agony of obsessing about that freaky laptop. Grr! How hard it is to convince me that it's just a stupid piece of wires and chips but what can I do, I've been waiting and expecting too long already for that laptop to materialize but then all of the sudden poof! It disappeared like that. How much longer do I have to wait! I do understand my mom but I still blame my dad for ruining it for me.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

IVF Fan

Presenting the "IVF Fan: A quick reference for students and busy nurses plus a way to cool off in the ward!"

This is a project that I made. Our clinical instructor (CI) told us to use Intravenous Fluid (IVF) bottles and be creative in making a quick reference thingy. It was really fun racing each other to complete collecting 6 types of IVF. We really got down and dirty and searched every IVF bucket we could find. It was a great experience but I wouldn't want to do it again cause it's very draining. ^_^

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

New Year in the Hospital

Who would have thought that I'd be spending my New Year's Day in the hospital because of Tonsillitis? Yup that's right, I was hospitalized for having too much chocolates. So if you want me to die, send me lots and lots of chocolates. Don't worry I'll be sure to eat it, it will be a slow and painful death...

The first 2 days were fine because I had my assignments to keep me busy (I hate the Nursing-student life). But the last 2 days were agonizing! The boredom just drives me crazy! I thought that I should just study to spend some time but then my laptop obsession turned up and I was so excited and frustrated because the future of my laptop is so dim. I hate it when my expectations aren't met.

Anyway, this is my second time to be admitted in the hospital. I couldn't remember my first time because I was so young back then but I remember every moment in the hospital right now. My admitting doctor was very nice and it's all thanks to her excellent clinical eye and medical management that I was feeling better on the second day already. I had fever up to 40 degrees Celcius and I was suffering from chills due to my super inflamed tonsils that had already started to have pus. It's not a good picture people. I'm very prone to tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and all mouth diseases so I tend to stay from dirty foods but why do I still get tonsillitis?!

It really feels nice when I'm injected with my antibiotics through my IV line, it feels so cool. I just hate it thought when people comes into my room every four hours even in the crack of dawn but my nurses and even wardmen are very nice. I also like my room, i really felt that I was in a hotel and I'll just ring the bell if I wanted anything. My bathroom was also clean so I really didn't have any complain about it.

I have been discharged now and I feel like a million dollar (wonder why I used this cliche). Good thing too that I stayed at a company owned hospital because oh my, the bill was very expensive. As the saying goes, "Mahirap magkasakit". Translation: Don't ever get sick because you'll just get worst when you see the bill.