Showing posts with label Student Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Student Life. Show all posts

Monday, December 29, 2008

Why Are We So Different?

I really wonder why my brother and I are like opposite charges. Of course I'm the positive one and my brother is the negative. It's like we were raised by two different set of parents although it must be noted that we grew up in totally different environments.

I grew up in an environment where I was first mixed with "normal" Filipino kids and then suddenly sent to a new environment where the kids are privileged. By privileged I mean stinking rich with matching body guards and servants in uniforms. I was placed in an environment where I have to constantly prove my worth by making sure that I have several note worthy achievements. I was faced with high expectations from everyone and this pushed me to work harder. I had to live by myself while I studied in a high school in another city far away from home. I had to buy food from the grocery by myself, budget my allowance, and I had to do everything by myself because I lived alone. I was taught how to be independent and self-capable.

My brother on the other hand went to an average school, met average people, and my parents never expected anything from him, well except to pass and graduate that is. My brother is a spoiled brat and it is my parents who have to put extra effort in making sure he graduates from high school by doing his homework, influencing his teachers to make him pass, and they even have to waste hours trying to wake him up in the morning so that he can go to school. He is literally spoon fed and everything is given to him which never happened to me. Everything he needs is given to him and he never even have to ask for it.

Imagine asking your mom when you were a kid what a word meant and then she tells you to look it up in the dictionary while my brother on the other hand would never ask what that word means so my mom would be the one to tell him what that word meant so that he'll learn something. This is exactly how our situation is.

But I really blame my parents for how rotten my brother turned out to be. Since my parents allows him to do everything he wants, he is always out of the house and he smokes, drinks, and I presume that he does drugs too (he was already caught with marijuana and was almost expelled if it weren't for my parents). If he's not out of the house, he brings his equally pathetic and self-absorbed friends who are too busy trying to look cool and are too occupied with having fun that they forget that they should prepare for the future too and that whatever they have today is temporary.

I'm really sorry for my brother because I know that he's just wasting his life and his future. He was given an opportunity to study here in Canada and live a great life but he wastes it on his so called friends... but I shouldn't worry really, he's not my son. He's not my problem anymore. My parents aren't doing anything so why should I?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Stupid Obstacles

There are several obstacles to my future right now. I had already gone through the pains of getting my school documents together and sending them from the Philippines to here in Canada and now I have to face new problems.

First I have to pass a Test of Spoken English. Well there was that English Proficiency Test too but I was able to meet that requirement because I studied for three years in Xavier University which was recognized by University of Alberta. Now I just have to pass that TOEFL iBT this coming January 10, 2009 and I'm all set. But this is better said than done because I have to get a speaking points of 26 from a range of 0-30. Who guessed that speaking English well will determine my future. People does say that my English is very good but sometimes I get my tongue twisted and I say awkward stuff.

But even if I pass that Test of Spoken English I still would have to deal with funding my education. I can get that student loan but I'm torn into two because I want to buy a car but if I buy a car then it would show that I'm not in financial need, which I am. But I guess that buying a car would be ok, I just have to buy a car less than $6,000 but what kind of car would I get with $6,000? If it has heating and it's automatic then I'm fine with that.

Life is sure full of complexities. Tomorrow I have to face my manager and tell her that I don't like it when they send me to other stores... let's see what happens tomorrow.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Some Things Stay The Same

Who would have thought that moving here in Canada would save me from my stupid brother's friends?! I mean seriously?! They come in the middle of the night and just make my life a living hell. They make a mess and they make so much noise. My only relaxation period is disrupted by people who have no decency and who have no idea that there are actually people out there who considers their home as their private get away or sanctuary.

I am so pissed off right now. I'm even more pissed off than when that stupid customer at Tim Hortons threw his half empty cup of hot chocolate at the counter. Well I'll talk about this in another post.

But wait... I think it's quiet already... they must have already left thank God! Geez! These are the moments that I want to live in a totally separate house all by my self. When I can support myself you can be sure that I'll be leaving this crazy family. Well I really don't want to leave them but having to deal with living with my brother is very agonizing!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Traveling Nurse: A Goal for the Future

I have been thinking about my future and my career and I have already decided that there is no turning back for me and no more seconds thoughts because I am going to be a nurse for sure. But as I have been exposed to the clinical area as a student nurse I have realized that there are different areas in nursing and there are several career paths that I could take as a nurse.

I could be a clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, nurse administrator, or even a military nurse. But the nursing career option that is very enticing right now is to be a traveling nurse! Yup there are so many travel nursing jobs out there since there is really is a high demand for nurses.

Being a traveling nurse is great because not only do you get excellent pay and invaluable work experience in notable institutions, you get to travel all around the world too! Imagine, you can work in New York for example, and when winter comes and it becomes chilly you can travel and work in Hawaii!

I have to admit that I love traveling and being able to see all the sights and sounds of different cities and communities is better than having to live a life that is monotonous and just filled with daily routines.

I know that it's too early to really decide what I want to do in the future but becoming a traveling nurse is one of my top three career choices!



Monday, December 8, 2008

My Future Is Brighter!!!

I am so happy today! I was thinking that my school documents were still flying around the world in some plane but when I tracked it down with the FedEx website I was thrilled to discover that the University of Alberta has finally received my papers and now I have a brighter future!

I'm very happy because I feel that finally everything is coming together great and if this keeps up I can finally be at ease and give out a sigh of relief. But I know that the challenge does not end here and having to re-study everything that I already learned and take the tests which were so hard to pass all over again is a huge challenge.

But I am prepared to take those challenges head on because I really want to finish my university and I want to finish my BS Nursing because this is who I know I can be and who I want to be someday.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Payday! My Favorite Day!

Yeay! Today was payday at one of my 2 jobs. It's actually not that big but at least I have money right? I can't wait for my payday at my other job, maybe this friday. But I guess I won't be saving much this week because I have to pay my credit card bill. I know, I know... I said that i would stop spending and start saving. But what can I do? David Archuleta made me buy an Ipod Touch.
Well he didn't told me to buy an Ipod, it's just that I can't play his album that I bought from iTunes on my Walkman Phone so I decided to buy an iPod. I wasn't going to buy an iPod Touch but if I was going to buy one, I might as well buy a good one right? I really love my iPod but I'm thinking of buying another one that's 32 GB because the one I have right now is 8 GB only. But I really don't need that much space and I really need to save up for my school next year.

Speaking of school, my friend from the Philippines who I have asked to follow-up on my school documents have e-mailed me saying that we are close to our goal. There might be delays but the guy that I've talked with from the International Office of the Registrar at my future University (hopefully) said that being late for a week is ok since I've applied for the Fall term 2009 which of course is still a year way.

So this is all of my "new stuff" that's happening to me right now. So later days!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

An Update...

I kind of imitated someone's blog title right now but that doesn't matter right now. Well today I've been a very bad boy. I kind of woke up late so I called my manager that I needed to go to University today to beg and plead that my deadline for my documents and papers, which still needs to be sent from the Philippines, be extended.

Well what I said was actually true, the bad thing is that I didn't go to University today but I just called up the Office of the Registrar. So I could have went to my job but I felt lazy and I wanted to stay home and clean the house. The good part of this all is that the guy that talked to me on the phone said that it would be okay for me to send my documents a week later after the deadline since I'm applying for Fall Term 2009 anyway which is still very very far away.

So I was bumming around the house until 3:00 pm. I decided to walk down to the bank to deposit my check (yes Quizno's did pay me, my manager said he forgot to give me my check, yeah right).

I arrived home started cleaning and everything was going on. I decided to take a picture of my house when it's still clean and nice looking but I wasn't finished because my stupid brother and his friends came. Like it would be okay if we had a huge house so that he and his friends could just stay at one room or something but we only have a small apartment. So our (more of a "my") privacy is compromised. I was going to arrange and organize the kitchen stuff but I didn't want to be seen cleaning by strangers. Sometimes my stupid brother don't know how to think adn is selfish enough not to care that we need our privacy too. It's not like he calls up and tells us his bringing friends so that we could tidy up the place right but hell, he's my parent's problem not mine.

Anyway that pretty sums up my day. I just realized that I should have went to work in the morning since I totally wasted that time typically doing nothing. So ta ta, later days!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Reminiscing Before I Sleep

It's 2:00 am right now but even if I am already very sleepy, nostalgic memories are overtaking me. I can't help but let out a heavy sigh as I remember all the people who made my life fun and interesting.

When I left the Philippines for Canada, I left a very important part of who I am, my pride and joy of being a nursing student. Sure the sleepless nights and stressful tests and projects where nerve wracking but at the end of the day I wouldn't choose any other way to live my life. I am still proud to be a nursing student but I wonder how the feeling of being a student nurse would be without the people (my colleagues... my friends) who have made me strong to endure the hardships of nursing.


You see these people in this picture? These are my group mates and we went through all sorts of hardships together. We fought, we cried, we laughed, we shared dreams, we said goodbyes...

And my friends... I miss my friends. These are the people who accepted me for who I am and decided to stick with me even if I was moody and a bit unreasonable. They said good bye but this doesn't mean that we won't see each other again...



My friends... who shared my interests and likes... who believed in my skills and in my abilities... who believed that I can be who ever I want to be... we painted beautiful memories...

And of course my beloved Missy, who I loved unconditionally even if she jumps and bites me at times... you will always be in my heart...I may have left big chunks of me in the Philippines that it's really unbearable and that I feel depressed and empty. But I brought with me something that will overcome my loss and loneliness... my will to finish what I started and the hope that someday I will come back to the Philippines and be reunited with the people who have helped verify my existence... because with out them... I would be nothing.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Cheapest Text Books

When I was still back in the Philippines, living my life happily as a college student who didn't have to worry about money and expenses and only depended on my mom for money... well I actually did worry.

I'm even more worried more about expenses in college because if you think that college was expensive in the Philippines, wait until you try going to school here in Canada! My gad! I am still thinking how I would pay back the government for the student loan that I have to pay back. but at least finding cheap textbooks wouldn't be a problem.

Yup! I manage to cut down my college expenses by a very significant amount by buying at stores with the cheapest text books. I also buy used textbooks because even when they were used by someone else, the content is what matters the most. Especially in my field of study, books related to health and nursing are very very expensive!

That is why I have found CheapestTextBooks.com! I can find nursing books that are usually expensive at bargain prices and I get to spend the money I saved on text books on medical supplies that I need while I'm on duty at the hospital. Plus it's so easy to sell my used and old textbooks that I won't be needing anymore. I get to rid of junk, earn money, and help other future students all in one! How great is that?



Sunday, September 21, 2008

Paid To Go To School?!

I was watching the news on TV when I almost fell of my seat when I heard the plan that children here in Canada (especially children of the First Nation) will be paid to go to school! Like what? What an absolute rubbish idea. But this is not the first time this crazy idea was thought of, bribing kids to go to school was already discussed during the not so far past.

Paying kids to go to school here in Canada is such a stupid idea. Rather than making students develop some sense of responsibility and independence, the government is putting up the wrong image that the government will provide EVERYTHING for them! This is why there are already so many bums out there who just sit doing nothing and then expect to get help from the government for welfare.

The thing is students here in Canada are given FREE and of GOOD QUALITY education. Other students in third world countries would kill to get an opportunity to go to school and the students here are just taking that for granted.

Rather than using money (which could be used for other better cause) to encourage students to go back to school, why not show them the harsh reality and FACT that if they don't go to school their lives would be miserable and hard because they won't get a better future because they are uneducated.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Back to School Tips

As they say time passes so fast... and indeed it does! Because in just a few weeks classes will once again open and my little brother will once again be going to school. I'm actually quite worried that he won't be able to cope with the stress of high school life so I was glad to read some useful back to school tips from DYMO.



I sure did wish that I had heard of DYMO Label Makers sooner when I was in college because I could have used DYMO to file folders which as a nursing student have tons of. I have lots of paper works and photocopied materials that I tend to have a room filled with a bunch of papers and I end up not finding anything because of the mess and clutter. But with a label maker like DYMO, organizing my life would have been so easy and manageable.

Both my brother and me are klutz and we tend to lose stuff easily so labeling our stuff would truly prevent us from losing them and getting them mixed up with other people's belonging.

Well there are other several ways to use a DYMO label maker so why don't you check out their helpful tips and tricks so that you could also organize your life and keep your possessions safe.


Sunday, June 22, 2008

MacEwan College: My Future School?

My Mom and I went to MacEwan to inquire about my future. Yup my future because if we didn't do anything my life would be stagnant and nothing would happen. Here you see a picture of the main MacEwan campus where I am going to take up nursing and start going to school this Winter Intake. That would be the January of next year, well hopefully.

They said that some of my subjects might be credited and I could be placed in second year (that's quite good) but definitely not third year (that's fair enough).

I have to come back this Tuesday for another meeting with an International Councilor so let's just see what happens to my life. I was going to visit NorQuest College too but NorQuest seemed to offer only education for License Practical Nursing/Licensed Vocational Nursing so I didn't bother entering the college to inquire.

I may not be able to enter University of Alberta since they can only accept me this September of next year and I cannot wait that long.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Unstable Future

My gosh! I am really in a fix this time! My future is at risk here people so I'm really anxious right now.

This afternoon we're going to the University of Alberta to have an assessment as to where I stand as a student nurse. I really want to study nursing in Canada so I was willing to go back to first year college and I'm supposed to be a 4th year student back in the Philippines.

I was told by my mom's friend that University requirements are strict here in Canada unlike in the Philippines were education is mainly about business. She told me that I had to have at least three units of English here in Canada or something. So does that mean I have to go back to high school? Maybe in grade 8 (equivalent to 4th year high school in the Philippines)?

Or I was given another option.... which I don't want to take... GO BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES!!! It's not that I don't want to go back but it's because I feel ashamed if I go back because people expect me to be a here in Canada and all of the sudden *poof* I'm right back here. And my batch mates would already be ahead of me and I have to go back where I dropped off, third year nursing during summer.

I should have just stayed here in the Philippines if that's the case. I wanted to stay and finish in the Philippines but my mom didn't allow me because she doesn't want to worry about me. I know that it's sweet and all but it's my future that's in stake here. I had never took my education for granted (well in some occasions I had) and it pains me that I am getting behind in everything.

I hope that we could beat the system! I could just study as a Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational Nurse then go to University of Alberta to take Bachelor of Science in Nursing so that I could be an RN already. Ayayayayay! This is just some of the stress of moving... hope that we could all cope up with this.

Friday, May 30, 2008

The Flippox Dynasty


SM Pictorials - Flippox Dynasty

Let me introduce to you guys the Flippox Dynasty! These are my crazy weird friends from high school and I am surely going to miss them when I leave for Canada. The pictures you see were taken from SM Cagayan de Oro. What can I say? The people at Flippox Dynasty are very smart, beautiful, handsome, creative, artistic, and perverted (well some members at least) hahaha! That is why that even at a Despedida gathering we can't help but make art through our pictorials. I too was excited at the idea of a pictorial (I'm a frustrated model hahaha) and you can check me out here:
SM Pictorials

So what is the Flippox Dynasty? Well there is already a Flippox Dynasty Bibliography created by the wacky Glenn and it goes like this:
Before I reveal to you this very sacred and important text it is necessary that you observe all proper decorum in an act of respect and devotion to our beloved group and cause. None of the information you are about to read today must leave knowledge of yourself and must be upheld with deep security. Will you now please stand up, raise your right hand properly in the air, and place your left hand on the right side of your chest, and read loudly the following words:

"I (state your full name, vital statistics, and age), properly oblige to the group's foundations and observes sincerely the laws and regulations passed down unto us by our very hot and all-knowing super-founder, the Super Overlord God-Emperor Glenus Paolus Tulos, and the less great and powerful founder, Empress Snow Queen, the queen of the ice cubes. Any violation or revelation of Flip D. secrets to citizens outside the sophistication of this membership, I shall willfully inherit the punishment of castration (for men) and/or death by stoning or mutilation (women)."

After reading the first paragraph, will you now please place your left hand on the top of your head, your right hand on your butt, lift your right leg parallel to your waist and sing the first phrase of the Macarena. After which you then say these words aloud.

"My mama is so fat, when she farted she launched herself into space!"

You now take a brief pause and make a gentlemanly bow. You may now take your seat.

You are now officially granted access to the secrets of the Flip D. at the price of your dignity and intelligence. You may now continue.

HISTORY OF Flip D.
- This text was found in a pink journal of the Super Overlord God-Emperor during the early foundation of the Flip D.

Text No. 1. It said the following:

Flip D., or more "popularly" known as the Flipox Dynasty, is a worldwide organization that was founded in the land of Lumbia, in an open space of the XUHS campus, called the-covered-used-to-be-an-open-space-court. It was a time of chaos and war.

Amidst this, I, the Super Overlord God-Emperor, in an amazing and rare act of super heroics that only super overlord god-emperors like me could ever perform, decided to lead the Flip D. freedom force to overthrow the evil tyrant named the Snow Queen and her army of hypnotized
mushu dragon clones. Together with my right-hand general, Major Minor Lieutenant General Captain Peperus Villiarus Peperonicus, then known as the abominable eggnok, made an initial strike to the heart of the Snow Queen's capital, the Loyola fortress.

Our attempt was futile. The Snow Queen's mushu dragon clones proved more powerful and outranked us five trillion to zero point one.

But then, when we thought all hope was lost, came hope (duh!). Kit the mother superior, Abbie the anime fanatic, Edgar the pinya-man, and Eurie the sports girl/guy-who's-also-good-in-her-studies, all came in a resounding clap of thunder. Together they smote the mushu dragons with unbelievable strength!

The battle was bloody! The pinya-man used his razor-sharp pinya leaves that seemed to have mutated on the top of his head and cut off the limbs of the enemy. Kit the mother superior called forth her ability to talk things out and well she talked things out!! Maj. Min. Lt. Gen. Cpt. Peperonicus transformed himself into a tank and drove through enemy defenses easily. Eurie hit everyone in the face, including me. And I, the most powerful of all, used my exotic Korean catfight moves which I learned from the monks of Mt. Kitanglad who happened to be Koreans, who happened to have escaped from the mental institution, who happened to be cold-hearted serial killers, who happened to be just reflections of myself in a mirror due to an impaired mental judgment of reality caused by weeks of extreme dehydration. How I or the mirror got to Mt. Kitanglad is none of your business. NONETHELESS my impressive skills decimated nearly eighty percent of the enemy, rendering the actions of my comrades completely irrelevant and useless.

It was then when the Snow Queen finally emerged from the horizon in her pajamas and in blinding radiance. Our advance was halted immediately! She had emerged from her sleep and her hair looked like crazy! It was then when we realized that the Snow Queen had recruited help as well. Our greatest fear had become reality! Daphne was revived from her "hibernation", and Princes Mimi, the Snow Queen's sister, had begun her transduction, otherwise known as puberty, and thus making her considerably powerful, and not to mention "grown".

ANYWAY! As if our situation wasn't bad enough, the Snow Queen also biologically enhanced five mushu dragon clones she now calls The Elite Mushu Dragon Rangers Squad, otherwise the TEMDRASQUA! Each one has the fighting potential equivalent to seven hundred billion normal mushu dragon clones.

We all paused ourselves in deep silence as somebody blew his fart and also because none know the actual outcome of the battle. Both sides are now equally matched. But then... a glimmer of hope... in a situation of hopelessness and smelly gas, a brave warrior came to our aid...

Optimus Prime had come!

(By the way JM, Yoojin, Kris, and the rest will be appearing later on in the story! So don't complain!! Hehehehe.)
So much for that... here is my version. And I am not Pinya Man, I am Pine Edgar, a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom... Anyway I will now tell you the history of the Flippox Dynasty...
The Flippox Dynasty was originally formed at Xavier University High School during the freshmen years of the founders, me (Edgar aka Pinya Man since I live in Pineapple Country and I had spiky hair then), Glenn aka Confused Dick Overlord (because he is very smart and talented, a writer and artist, a philosopher of Confusedcianism, but a perve), Pepper aka General Egghead (see for yourself, joke) and Kevin aka Pretty Boy (because he left the group to pursue girls hahaha).

I don't know why the three of us banded but maybe this is because of the horror and shock that we had encountered during the War of the Lunch Tables during lunch time. You must be in a group in order to have a proper seat and table during lunch time. I remember that if the lunch bell rings a representative of the group must dash down the stairs to the Open Shed to secure a territory for eating hehehe.

Because the three of us were very powerful since we have our own lunch area, many less fortunate beings came to us for shelter (hehehe). And these beings were Angela aka Snowqueen (since she is as white as snow, a singer, artist, model, host, and she overthrew the three founders and proclaimed herself empress), Kit aka Mother Superior (for her motherly charms), Eureka aka ??? (she doesn't have a nickname except that she is another philosopher and she founded the Shanidarism).

We were a very happy group and we then had new additions to our Dynasty:
  • Mimi - the Snowqueen's Sister
  • Abi - the Anime Fanatic
  • Mik aka Mushu the Dragon (cause he looks like one? not sure hehehe) oh yes, another perve hahaha!
  • JM aka Abi-Look-a-Like! Hahaha! She's also called Innocent JM because she doesn't want to hear words like panty, boobs, ****, and you get the point. She is the complete opposite of Glenn!
  • Eliza the Smily Girl (she's always beaming... and happy!)
  • YooJin the Korean (hehehe don't know here that well)
  • Manong Eugene - The personal servant of the Snowqueen. Before Pepper was the servant but he quit hehehe
  • Actually there are two or more other Flippox Dynasty people but I haven't been around with the Flippox during college because I can't deprive the other people from me hehehe.
But whatever! I'll miss these guys so much! Take care ok? ^_^

Sunday, May 4, 2008

The Filipino Subject

I had always thought that my Filipino classes were useless. For those who don't understand what I'm talking about, Filipino is a language class (just like English) were we learn how to speak and write in Filipino. I am a person who is practical and studying 2 classes in Filipino was the most impractical thing that I had ever done (well it was required of me to take Filipino classes).

I believe that taking the subject, Filipino, in elementary and high school was adequate enough because writing and speaking in Filipino fluently will not be required in my future career. I say this because even in the Philippines, all formal business transactions are transacted in English unlike other Asian countries like Japan and Korea where they transact business with their own language.

I had brought this topic up before at my university's forum and the people there said that I was selfish. Selfish? Selfish in what way? It pains me to know that some Filipinos are not open to change and change ladies and gentlemen is required for progress.

I am not saying that Filipinos should stop wasting their time learning and studying Filipino. What I'm saying is that in the college level, education should be more focused on teaching the students things that are related to their future career.

You see at our university we are thought a lot of things (because they want students to be well-rounded yes) but some of these subjects are impractical to me (Filipino is one). Other subjects that I find impractical is Physical Education (PE). I know that exercise is important but the only thing we do at PE is dance. My minor subjects tend to take up all of my time that I am not able to focus on subjects that really matter like Pathology, Physiology and Anatomy, Biology, and other subjects that are related to nursing.

I honestly believe that I had wasted my 2 years of college because these two years were only focused on finishing all of my "minor subjects". All my nursing subjects only began at second year and we only were able to set foot in the hospital at third year. Because of minor subjects I feel that there wasn't enough time for me to learn nursing concepts at all.

That's why I'm glad that I'm going to start studying again as a freshmen at Canada this coming school year. Imagine, all the major nursing concepts are already being studied in the first year level. I really can't wait to begin studying.

And oh yeah guess what, studying Filipino will not be of any help in Canada.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Lately what I feared the most had happened. I was sitting in front of my computer happily blogging when all of the sudden I thought, "How do you do CPR again?" And that's when it hits me, my being out of the clinical area for one month has weakened my thinking ability and I now forgot how to do Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. And to think I even had a Basic Life Support training that I had from Red Cross.

But there's no need in crying over spilled milk, I have to review and reacquire that skill which I believed I was already good at. So how do you perform CPR? Here is a graphic illustration of the steps in CPR which I guess summarizes everything I need to remember:
Here are some facts and tips that I have remembered:
  • the brain is damaged after 3 minutes of no air and dies after 4-5 minutes without oxygen
  • always add "1000" after every number when counting from 1 to 30. Adding a "1000" word will make the pace of chest compressions regular and mimic the normal beat of the heart.
  • If you are in a scene of an accident always look around and check if the scene is safe, you do not want to become one of the victims
  • Always remember the ABC... Airway (check for obstruction and tilt head and chin back to open airway), Breathing (check if the person is breathing), Circulation (check for a pulse).
  • Do not bend your elbows when doing chest compressions, doing so will deliver a weak and ineffective chest compression
For more information on CPR you might want to visit health.howstuffworks.com.


Air Bubbles are NOT Cute

Do you know what takes most of my time when I’m duty at the hospital? It’s regulating and checking the IV flow rate. Yup I’m so obsessed with getting the number of drops perfectly that if I have nothing to do I check the drop rate over and over again. It’s supposed to be checked by the hour but I guess I over do it and check it every 5 minutes or so. What can I say? I’m afraid that the patient might get under-infused or worst over-infused and this could lead to hypervolemic shock or heart failure if the patient has a serious heart problem. Plus I don’t want to be get an extension (it’s equivalent for detention for student nurses).

But regulating IV flow rate is not that a big deal. The big problem would be air bubbles! Yup you heard me. Air bubbles may seem harmless but once 5mL of air bubbles is injected into your blood stream this could lead to pulmonary embolism. Another worst possible situation is when the air bubbles flows to your brain or heart and impedes blood flow. The medical term for air bubbles getting into the body ladies and gentlemen is air embolism.

I also had an experience once when I was in the hospital (this time as a patient), a nurse from a rival school (I’m not telling which school hehehe) came in to inject cefuroxime (an antibiotic for my tonsillitis) through my IV line and when he left I noticed air bubbles! Lots of air bubbles! I stopped the IV infusing and pressed the button calling for any nurse. When the nurse came I told her about the air bubbles and she then removed the air bubbles using a syringe at the connector for “piggybacking” other IV fluids. And then a few hours later I realized that the nurse that almost got me killed with air bubbles was the brother of my brother’s girlfriend. No wonder he’s trying to kill me, I’ll kill myself too if that’s the reason (Lol).

As a student nurse I really hate air bubbles. Sure I can try tapping them so that they could go back to the drip chamber or roll the IV tube with my pen so that the bubbles would disappear into the drip chamber but most of the time it’s easier said than done. And the only way to get rid of them is by aspirating them into a syringe… and this is quite a hassle because as mandated by the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 (R.A. 9173) IV lines are off-limits to students! So I have to run to my clinical instructor and disturb her with her work (hehehe).

So fellow student nurses: if you see air bubbles don’t think it’s cute… it could kill your patient so watch out!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Remembering that I am a Student Nurse

After being stuck at home doing nothing but blog (not bad at all, Lol) I kind of wanted to remember my life as a student nurse. And my life as a student nurse started on June 23, 2007 and this was my Cap & Badge Investiture & Candle Light Ceremony. This symbolized my being a student-nurse and eventually becoming a Registered Nurse. As my clinical instructors have said, we have no where else to go but up. Hearing these words somehow made me think and I am struck by fear of the great unknown. Will I really be able to face the challenge that my profession has for me?

I thought that being in third year would be easier than second year because of the lesser number of units and subjects, but boy was I wrong. Being in third year is the most difficult stage and this could either mean staying in heaven or going to hell (staying at XU or transferring to Liceo/CU, no offense). I have always been proud of being a consistent dean's lister since 1st year and have received QPI's of 3 and above. But all of that is worth nothing as I struggle to even pass my very demanding and challenging nursing subjects. The fear of failure is my greatest fear today and this fear has made me more humble. There are days that I arrive at my boarding house at 9 pm and the first thing I do is sleep as fatigue, hopelessness, and as I said fear overwhelms me. As everyone thinks, nursing is not just memorization. It also entails problem solving, analysis, and common sense. And these are the characteristics that I am trying so hard to enhance.

But being able to go on duty at Northern Mindanao Medical Center and being able to wear the nursing uniform is consolidating enough for me. I won't give up. The finals are still far away and I will put my heart and soul in order for me to reach my dreams. I have gone this far to go back or go astray from my destiny. I can't seem to picture myself in any other profession aside from nursing (and perhaps medicine).

My experiences as a student-nurse only made my respect and admiration for the Nursing profession grow. Nursing is not just a tool to go abroad for it is a service-oriented profession and it's professionals are not only smart but have empathy and TLC.

I am proud to be a nursing-student, and I will try even harder to be a nurse with knowledge, skills, and attitude!

This is my challenge...

Nursing Doubts

I really hate it when I'm not doing anything and I just sit and do nothing because it's the perfect opportunity to re-examine one's life and I don't want to re-examine mine. But since I had no choice and had nothing better to do I looked at myself and where I am going to go now.

I know that I want to be a nurse but there is something within me that says that I could be anything I want since I'm starting all over again. But I have already begun nursing and it's a waste if I'm just going to let go of my nursing career when I already have started building knowledge, skills, and experience in nursing.

Maybe this is just a phase I'm going through because I don't have any nursing stuff to do. But when I start my studies again I'm sure that my nursing spirit will kick in! ^_^

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Career Options: Sonography Tech

I'm really serious about my future and right now I've been busy looking for other career paths aside from nursing and I have found another medical career that fits my interest and that's being a Sonography Technician.

So what is the job description? Well you operate and assist in the use of a high-tech ultrasound machines to direct waves to create an image of different parts of the body like the brain, eyes, and abdominal organs. Another interesting moments in a Sonography tech life is that he gets to share with the patients the joy and wonder when they have a video image of a fetus inside a mother's womb. You really get to appreciate God and all his wonders as you observe that fetus grow and mature as the mommy goes for her monthly check-ups.

And the pay is also good (average salary falls between $41,420 and $56,020 per annum) and your sure that you will be in demand since sonography/ultrasound is a standard operating procedure in hospitals so that doctors could easily and safely diagnose a patient's condition.

So if you're like me who is looking for other career paths in the medical field why not check out sonography and visit your nearest sonography schools for more info. And guess what, some universities offer online schooling for those who are working or have part time jobs.