Wednesday, December 29, 2010

I Finally Work In A Hospital

If you have visited my blog before, you may have noticed a change in my blog sub-header: from sales associate to food service attendant. I doubt that anyone would notice this but if you did then you must be a frequent visitor to my blog and for that I give you my gratitude. I'm actually pretty happy about the change in my job description as I've applied to hospitals for over a year now and I'm finally hired! Sure, it's not a nursing job but as long as I'm in the healthcare employee database, I'm happy with that.

I've promised myself that I would never get a job in food services since I had bad experiences before but food service in the hospital is different and I'm hoping that I would enjoy it. Some people asked me why I left my retail job for a job that is unrelated to nursing. Well, working at an electronic store is completely unrelated to nursing while food services in the hospital is kinda related to it. The promise of a better pay and the freedom from overly demanding customers is a pretty sweet deal as well.

I already went to the orientations and I'm going for my training tomorrow. I'm really anxious about this new job and I'm kind of doubtful if I made the right choice of quitting my retail job. On the bright side, the new work environment is pretty nice. Everything is brand sparkling new and the co-workers and bosses are pretty nice.

Oh boy, the new year always brings new surprises.

Monday, December 20, 2010

A Warning to Credit Card Holders

I urge everyone to read this warning. I received this e-mail from my mom and I'm glad I did. The email goes like this:

Just a heads up for everyone regarding the latest in Visa fraud. Royal Bank received this communication about the newest scam. This is happening in southern Alberta right now and moving.

This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want..

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.

This information is worth reading By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from 'VISA', and I was called on Thursday from 'MasterCard'.

The scam works like this:

Person calling says - 'This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460, Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona ?'  When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?' You say 'yes'.

The caller continues - 'I will be starting a Fraud Investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number.. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me to read it again?'

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works - The caller then says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card'.  He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the last 3 are the Security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card.  The caller will ask you to read the last 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card  Do you have any other questions?'

After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do', and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back. Within 20 minutes to ask a question. We were glad we did!  The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. We made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number.  What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them.  Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master Card directly for verification of their conversation..

The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit; however, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a 'Jason Richardson of MasterCard' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA Scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up!  We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening. I dealt with a similar situation this morning, with the caller telling me that $3,097 had been charged to my account for plane tickets to Spain , and so on through the above routine.

It appears that this Is a very active scam, and evidently quite successful.

Pass this on to all your family and friends

Sunday, December 19, 2010

RANT: Apathy In My House

I thought that I might as well warn people before they read this post that this is a rant. I always rant on my blog to vent, so it's best to label my useless rants from my other posts. Anyway, words cannot express how angry I am and disgusted by the fact that my parents do not care what happens to this house. It is pathetic that I can't call this house my home as I do not want to live here anymore. The only sanctuary I have is my room, because this house is infested by the scum I call my "brother". God has punished me by cursing me to be related to this human trash.

I am so tired of cleaning up after my brother and his friends' mess! I am not the janitor in this house and I hate how our basement is slowly becoming a motel and a bar. I'm not surprised if they're doing drugs down there, but guess what? I don't give a shit anymore. If my parents don't even care then why should I? Although I did invest some money into this house, it isn't mine and I don't plan to stay here any longer. Once I graduate and start earning real money I will leave this shitty place in a heart beat. I will give my parents an ultimatum: I will help pay half of their mortgage if they ban my brother from bringing any of his crackhead friends over, if not then I'll leave and they will never see me again ever.

So right now I won't stress about this right now. My brother and his friends could burn down this house for all I care.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

The Nanny Business

I recently saw this documentary on Global TV about "The Nanny Business". The documentary was about Filipino women coming to Canada to work as live-in caregivers with a promise of a Canadian citizenship after 2 years. It sounds like a great deal right? Like these women can bring their family into Canada to escape poverty in the Philippines. The catch is, you have to shell out huge sums of money to pay for processing fees and airplane tickets. On top of that, you have a great risk of falling prey into recruiting agency scams and find out when you land in Canada that you don't actually have an employer. If you do have an employer, you practically work day in and day out with less than the minimum wage and with unpaid overtime.

This is the reality of the nanny business and I have to be honest and say that it is truly heartbreaking to hear stories like these. It made me count my blessings and I am thankful that my family and I didn't have to be in the same situation. My family had the choice to move to Canada while other Filipinos are forced to work in harsh conditions and move away from their loved ones, just to support their families back in the Philippines.

I have friends who are temporary foreign workers and friends who have been nannies in the past and I really admire their courage and strength to face the experiences that they had to go through. It would be nice if the Philippine economy actually improved so Filipinos don't have to move to other countries just to get a better life.

Why Choose Nursing As A Career?

Two of my co-workers frequently tease me when I'm at work because I chose nursing for my profession. One is studying to be a pharmacist and the other is studying to be a doctor. They both wonder why I would choose to work in a field dominated by women and why I would want to wipe someone's ass. They said that if I were working in their field, I would earn twice as much (or more) and I don't have to work as much.

First of all, I have to admit that nursing was never my first choice. I wanted to be an accountant just like my mom, because I admired how successful she is in her career. I can't really remember if my mom told me to take something else or if she told me to take nursing instead, because getting a job as an accountant back in the Philippines was horrific. Anyway, nursing is my second career choice as I wanted a career in the health care field. Nursing was my stepping stone towards medicine. My mom told me that it's a good idea since if I ever decide not to pursue medicine I would still have a good career as compared to taking biology and end up not finding a job.

I admit that the huge financial gain of being a nurse was one of my reasons for choosing nursing, but these past few years I have grown to realize that I love nursing and I would still chose it over other career paths. When I moved to Canada, I could have chosen any other career path but I still chose nursing because I can't see myself in any other profession or trade. Nursing is who I am and I love nursing. Life isn't all about money. Sure we need money but I'm happy and content living a simple life like I am today. I don't need to drive a Lamborghini, I'm happy with a Nissan SUV or hybrid.

About the ass-wiping part, I say so what? Other people see nursing as just a job and they see patients as just objects who are just part of the job. Well I see patients as human beings who needs to be cared for. Imagine if your grandma, mom, or even yourself were in a position where you can't clean up yourself. You would want someone to take care of you and help you preserve your dignity. Helping people clean up isn't something to be ashamed of. I did it and I would do it again if it would help protect my patient from getting an infection or to help prevent pressure ulcers. Wiping people clean is just one aspect of nursing, registered nurses (RN's) do more than that. Not to discriminate against nursing assistants/attendants, but some facilities do have them to do the activities of daily living (ADL) such as bathing and grooming.

I am studying to be a registered nurse (RN, BSN). As an RN I am able to perform assessments and I am able to work with doctors (not work under doctors) and other health care team members to formulate a care plan. As an RN, I will carry out that care plan and, if needed, modify the care plan to deliver effective and safe patient care. As an RN it is important to be use critical thinking. I must be competent and knowledgeable so that I could advocate for my patient well. I plan to get higher education to be a nursing practitioner so that I could diagnose and prescribe medication as well. I also have an interest in becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist as I want to work in an operating room.

There are so many fields in healthcare that are available for me as an RN so it excites me to think about it. I could be a pharmacist or a doctor and earn more while working less, but I don't want to. I see myself as an RN and I enjoy making a difference in people's lives. All health care workers are important and I hope my co-workers would understand this (although I know they were just joking).

***
Picture credits to www.upstate.edu

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

That Should Be Me (cover) - Jason Chen, Casey Nishizu & Scott Yoshimoto



Yes, I know that I should be studying right now but this is just too awesome! These guys are my favorite singers right now. They are so good.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Please Don't Go

I know I don't have the talent but I do it anyway because I love doing it.

Trying to Study But Can't

Uhm... I'm at school right now but I don't have classes. I went to school today with a bunch of friends because I couldn't study at home because there are too many distractions but guess what? I can't study at school either. I'm probably not able to study right now because it's not until next week that I have to write the exam and that I don't know where to start because there's too much stuff to review that I don't even know where to start.

On another not so related topic, I went to a company party last night and it was amazing. I've never seen my co-workers' wild side and it was great. They were so fun to be with. I tried getting drunk but it seems that I could take my alcohol well. It's probably a good thing that I didn't get drunk because I was driving home that night.




Anyway, I'll force myself to study right now.

***
Photo credits to A Coug Guide to Travel

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Only Exception


Another cover... I really need to study at school. I never get anything done at home.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Talking to the Moon


Great! Instead of studying I made a cover of Bruno Mars' "Talking to the Moon". At least did something productive and didn't stare into space like I always do. Forgive me for bleeding ears after hearing this song but I'm still a diamond in the rough (*coughs*). I don't have any other talent so I try my best to improve my singing abilities.

December 2010

A certain someone inspired me to write this post. Well it's more of me copying her idea for this post so for the sake of saving my self from plagiarism charges I will cite her and give her credit: pinaywahm.com.

This is the picture of our Christmas tree and it means so much to me and my family. It's the first Christmas tree that we have since we moved to Canada and this tree symbolizes our hopes and dreams and all the blessings that we have incurred.

I am so blessed indeed to have a roof under my head and to have my family with me. I would be lying if I said, "I couldn't ask for more" since I'm still waiting to win the lottery (if I actually bought tickets). I am content with my current life and genuinely happy.

I can't believe how time flew so fast and how so many things have happened in the past 2 years. This coming 2011 I'm still waiting for another huge step in my life to occur (which I will keep a secret for now). 

Anyway, this is one of those nonsense posts so sorry for wasting three minutes of your time to read this, peace!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Spamming The Facebook Wall

You know what I've realized? Instead of spamming my friends Facebook walls with my nonsense, boring status updates, I can use my blog to vent and express myself since this blog is all about me and nobody could complain (not that anyone thought that my status updates where annoying... I think).

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Caring for Patients: Having Favorites

One of the values of the professional nursing practice is social justice: meaning each patient should be treated like everyone else, irregardless of race, religion, culture, or beliefs. Nursing ethics suggests that nurses should embrace an egalitarian attitude and promote fairness where the people needing more care should be prioritized. 

I believe that most nurses would be guilty like me for having favorite patients who I would rather spend most of my time caring for them. It's only natural that people will stick around with other people who are positive, friendly, and have a sense of humor. I know that care should be given more to someone who needs it the most, but if you're presented with a person that is rude and aggressive as compared to a nice and compliant patient, you would choose the latter as well and focus more of your time on meeting the nice patient's needs, even if the rude patient required more assistance. Some would say this is wrong but we have to all remember that respect is mutual: it is a two-way process. It is in our nature to have preferences. In my opinion, it would only be unethical if you don't meet the needs of your other patients while spending most of your time with your favorite patient.
On the other hand, nurses should always advocate for their patients, even if the patients are rude, and believe that their disease is what's causing their behavior. Being abusive is a completely different story, nurses shouldn't place themselves in a position where patients could verbally and physically abuse them. Favoritism may lead to negative results as well, such as being biased and neglecting other patients and having a clouded decision making skill since all you are focused on is what you believe is right for the patient. This is why nurses shouldn't take care of family members at work.


Again I personally believe that there is nothing wrong with having favorite patients but you have to maintain a professional patient-nurse relationship with that patient and you should meet the needs of other patients as well.




Sunday, October 31, 2010

Intimacy vs Isolation

To those who are aware of Erik Erikson's 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development, I am at the 6th stage right now, which is, as you have read above, Intimacy vs Isolation.

Wow I didn't really expect this but I'm actually feeling lonely and I want to find my other half (I'm being an emo kid, I hate it).

A love-interest that I had before once asked me, "Why are you afraid to say yes to love?".   If I didn't totally focus on my studies when I was back in the Philippines I would have had experienced the joys of being young and in love. Now I'm shriveling up by the second feeling so unaccomplished in the field of intimate relationships.

Well I did have relationships in the past and I just took them for granted. In high school, I was blessed that the girl I liked had the same feelings for me. It was a perfect scene when we confessed our feelings for each other, it was raining and we were cooped up in this shed. The relationship would have blossomed except that during high school I was an obnoxious douche bag. I totally claim responsibility for the relationship not working out. I was selfish and I don't know what happened, but it just ended and I didn't fight for her.

During university, I was curious and I wanted to experiment to find out what this love is. Sadly, I had to put it to an end because of school and unwritten social norms... and now I yearn for what I've had. Sure the most recent relationship I had wasn't perfect but I had something... I had someone who loved me but I guess I didn't reciprocate the feelings because I guess there was none to begin with. I only entered into the relationship as a social experiment, I wanted to find out why everyone in college is so obsessed about relationships. I know that what I did was wrong and that I'm suffering the bad karma right now of being single and miserable (sort of, being single does have it's pros).

As I look back, a lot of people actually offered their hearts to me but I guess I figured I was too important and too busy to entertain love in my life. I'm too smart for my own good, calculating the pros and cons if I am going to be in a relationship with someone...

I have learned to take the leap and just go for it. I am not afraid to say yes to love right now. I swear, I will accept the next person who will declare love for me. With out hesitations I will say yes because I really feel that time is running out for me.

I know that I may sound pathetic right now and that I would probably hate myself for writing this years from now but these are my honest feelings right now. Another cold December approaches and I still don't have anyone to call my own, how sad.

***
Photo credits to life123.com

Friday, October 22, 2010

Why Can't I Wake Up?!

These past few days I have been having a hard time getting out of bed. I do wake up when my alarm goes off but somehow I end up going back to bed and going back to sleep. Today I've actually missed my first class in the morning and this prompted me to reflect and find a solution to this destructive behavior that I am exhibiting.


I have observed a pattern in my behavior and it is quite disturbing but it is quite easy to fix. I'm pretty sure that other people also exhibit the same signs and symptoms of the very disease of "Lazyness Hagukis" (failure to wake up despite several auditory and tactile stmulus). Here are my observations and my recommendations to change the behavior:

  1. I observed that I don't wake up if the sun isn't up - I refuse to wake up whenever it is still dark outside. This is especially worst during winter when the sun doesn't rise until 8 am in the morning so I always end up being late. SOLUTION: Turn on all the lights in the room. This will fool your biological clock to think that it is already the middle of the day.
  2. Having the alarm clock ring consecutively to gradually wake me up... NEVER WORKS! I end up just turning off the alarm clock every time it rings. SOLUTION: I will set three different alarm clocks to ring at the same time. I will set one alarm clock away from the bed so that I have to stand up to turn it off. It's either wake up or be late. I will never go back to bed to catch the "5-more-minutes-of-sleep". I need to STICK TO THE SCHEDULE.
  3. I tend to procrastinate studying because I'll just wake up earlier to study. I noticed that whenever I tell myself that I'll wake up earlier to do something, I actually end up sleeping in more. Whenever I do wake up and I find that it's too late to do any studying, I just go back to sleep and the cycle of sleeping until I miss the bus continues. SOLUTION: Do everything before sleeping. DO NOT sleep and then wake up to study or do anything else. I have noticed that I actually find it harder to sleep when I have to wake up later and I usually don't get enough sleep so I end up being tired when I force myself to study.
  4. I usually sleep in more because I can drive to school whenever I miss my bus. I usually wake up earlier because I need to catch my bus but since I found free parking at school I ended up driving to school more often than usual. SOLUTION: Do not drive to school! I usually end up taking the bus very early in the morning so I get to do more studying at school. In the end I'll be more productive plus I'll save more money on gas.
I will follow the recommendations that I have presented and hopefully I get to wake up earlier, be more productive (get more studying done), be more punctual, and save more money!

****
Photo Credits to rd.com

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Grenade - Bruno Mars Cover



I don't know what possessed me to make a cover of Bruno Mars' Grenade. I think I was inspired by Jason Chen and Joseph Vincent's cover of it. I won't post their videos here because of conflict of interest (shameless self-plug LOL!).

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The Caring Moment

The Caring Moment
by Dr. Jean Watson

Often we hear about burnout, but increasingly we learn that the burnout is not because we care too much. It’s because we wall ourselves off and close off our heart, and close off our very source of love, and the human connectedness that gives us the life-generating force for that work.

Why are we in this field, when it often seems that we are just there to fix the body, to give physical diagnoses and treatment?

But what if I and you and we realized that healing is much more than that, and that much more of what healing is about comes down to us through the ages, from our ancestors and the wisdom traditions that call us into this work, and that’s about honoring our very presence, our very being, our connectedness with another person in a given moment.

And it is that caring moment that actually can be a critical turning point in my life, in your life, and in another person’s life, as we touch another person’s humanity?

What if we revisited the very foundation of our work, and began to honor the deep rich beauty of our humanity, that must again flourish, because this is what healing is about?

And what if we realized that we are teachers for each other, that this is sacred work, and it’s sacred because we’re working with the life force of another person as well as ourselves on this shared journey?

What if we began to pause and to realize that maybe this one moment with this one person, is the very reason we’re here on earth at this time?

Any health practitioner today is struggling to return to the very human depths of our work, and we know that when we’re connecting with another person in this deep way, even if it's for a brief a moment in time, that we have much more purpose in our life and in our work, and we know that when that’s missing there’s an empty void, and we’re dispirited.

And we also know the same thing happens with patients. When we hold them in their wholeness, we’re holding their healing for them, and we are helping to sustain them when they are most vulnerable. And as we sustain another person, we’re also sustaining ourselves.

Healing is a spiritual practice. When we touch another person physically, we’re touching more than just their body. We’re touching their mind, we’re touching their heart, we’re touching their very soul.

And when we look into the face of another person, we look into the infinity and the mystery of the human soul, and when we look into the mystery and the infinity of the human soul, it mirrors the infinity and the mystery back into our soul, and that’s what connects us with this infinite field of universal love, that we draw upon in our caring and healing practices.

So I offer this as a blessing for you in your work in the world, and in your heart, as you open to the love that you have to give and to the purpose of your calling into this noble and ancient profession.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Healthcare-Associated Infection? Not on my watch!

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) or formerly known as nosocomial infections are illnesses acquired in the hospital inpatient environment not resulting from the reasons the patient was admitted. Healthcare-associated infections are one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States and it costs the health care system $5-10 Billion annually. The funny thing is HAI is easily preventable: hand washing or the use of antimicrobial gels could save patients from unnecessary stays in the hospital and additional expenses.

Kimberly-Clark has launched an effort to promote awareness and prevention of HAI. Kimberly-Clark has created the HAI Watchdog Community where health care providers are provided a venue to discuss best programs to prevent HAI and a venue to gather resources and information about HAI.

A contest has also been held where health care facilities are able to submit their prevention initiatives; this contest is called the HAI Watchdog Award. Any health care facility from the US or Canada are invited to submit their programs to reduce the occurrence of HAI. Winning facilities would receive an educational grant, a commemorative plaque, and a chance to be recognized in the health care community for their efforts to combat HAI.

Please help raise awareness about HAI by joining the HAI Watchdog Community and invite other colleagues as well. Remember, prevention is better than cure.

***
References:
http://www.idph.state.ia.us/patient_safety/glossary.asp
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/healthDis.html
https://dicon.mc.duke.edu/wysiwyg/downloads/HAI_cost_abstract-shea_FINAL_by_Dev.pdf

Monday, September 6, 2010

Stop Hate

I've been blog hopping these past few days when I ran into this awesome post by a friend of mine.

I won't summarize what he posted and instead I'll encourage each and everyone of you to visit his website and read the entire post. Just for the record, I completely agree with what he wrote.

I think everyone is familiar to what cyber bullying is. We have seen this occurring everywhere on the internet: YouTube, forums, even on our Facebook pages. 

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Grilling the Perfect Steak

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of henderson bas. All opinions are 100% mine.

Summer has always been the best season to go out and enjoy the sun. Many would agree with me that summer is also the best time of the year to do some serious grilling. I love barbecues, especially steaks that are juicy and tender. Unfortunately, I’m not gifted with any culinary skills and my dad… well he can grill but the steak tends to be burnt to a crisp.

One Word: Grammar

Holy Cow! I've been reading my older blog entries and I wasn't happy with what I saw. It brings me great shame to read my past entries as they were littered with so many grammatical mistakes, mistakes that would force the Grammar Police to lock me up and throw away the keys.

In my defense, I never proofread when I blog and I do not use the spell check on Microsoft Word like other people. Whenever I make posts, they are always a spur of the moment, so I never pause to organize my thoughts. If I did stop to think, I tend to lose my interest in writing the entire entry and my creativity goes to a standstill. Of course, just writing down whatever pops in my head has resulted to my numerous sentence fragments and run-on sentences. 

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A Change of Pace

I can't believe that it's almost three weeks since I've last updated my blog. I have no excuse for my absence except admit that I was too lazy to blog and that I've wasted most of my time playing Dragon Age: Origins.

I know, MLIA. That's "my life is average" for you people who aren't cool enough to know what MLIA is. I know that you were thinking that MLIA stands for "my life is awesome" because I'm pretty awesome myself but no, it stands for average because my life is average. I'm not really complaining because, believe it or not, I do love the way my life is right now... except that I want more money.

Speaking of shopping and school, I have already went scrub shopping. Scrubs are the clothes that health professionals wear in the hospital by the way. It was so hard to find scrubs for men but women had so many designs and sizes to choose from. It was a bit frustrating but I guess this just shows how men in nursing are underrepresented.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Having One of Those Days

I'm just being bitter right now because I don't like working too hard. I was just pondering upon how my life turned out to be this way. I guess I was young and stupid and I wanted to buy expensive, shiny things which I couldn't afford (well I could afford them but I won't have money left).

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Support for Male Nurses: Three Ways to Make a Positive Difference

One thing is certain: male nurses often don’t get very much respect. Popular movies and comedy routines have poked fun at men who choose nursing as a profession. For some unspecified reason, we’re culturally committed to the idea that men should be doctors and women should be nurses.

Clearly, this attitude is outdated. In light of the current nurse shortage, we should be doing everything within our power to encourage motivated individuals to enter the nursing profession. Men who are considering nursing as a career could benefit from social resources and scholarships specifically tailored for their needs.

Positive change can start from within. Here are some ways that current male nursing students and practicing nurses can improve their work environment:

1. Join The American Assembly for Men In Nursing.

Although this group is primarily focused on male nurses in the United States, the discussion forum and other resources could be useful for male nurses in Canada and the UK. Currently, only 3.1% of all nurses in the United States and Canada are men. Since male nurses are a minority group, they are less likely to find individuals at their workplace or educational institution who can directly relate to their unique perspectives. The American Assembly for Men In Nursing offers a forum for sharing these perspectives with other men.

Other than emotional support, the site also offers access to scholarships.

2. Start your own college club devoted to men in nursing.

Having an official club on campus will encourage more men to enter nursing as a profession. Undoubtedly, many men are intimidated by the prospect of being the only male in their graduating class. Knowing that there are other men in the program will go a long way to alleviate that concern. Also, having a presence on campus lends more credibility to you as a professional. If nothing else, creating a club gives you valuable leadership experience.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Translia: Finding the Right Translation Company

As a nursing student, I need to have a lot of resources to write papers and to basically gather information. Information on certain subjects may be very limited and at times they are written in a different language, this is why I rely on translation services.

Finding the right translation company is as difficult as finding reliable and factual information on the internet. There are thousands of online translation companies but you have to make sure that you choose professional translation services. By professional, I mean a company who will make sure that the translation work is not only translated, but edited and proofread. Professional translation companies may take a little bit longer but the translated work will not have inconsistencies, grammatical errors, and the likes.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Kentucky Fried Cruelty



Watch more videos at KentuckyFriedCruelty.com.

I used to be an avid fan of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) but when I saw this video by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) I was so disgusted. Sure, I admit that I'm not a vegetarian and I agree that some animals have to be sacrificed for our food. but I completely disagree how the KFC suppliers are treating their chickens. As Pamela said, chickens also feel pain, so imagine if you were a chicken in the same situation, wouldn't you agree that it's inhumane?

I am officially boycotting KFC until this issue has been addressed.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Just Like Fire and Ice


As the old cliché goes, "Friends of the same feather, flock together". I couldn't agree more.

Lately I had a sudden realization that some people that I hang out with are not who I thought they were. I mean, at first I thought we had chemistry and that we can be friends but as time progressed I sensed that there was a huge gap between us.

Just like a human cell, I see people as having a  major histocompatibility complex (MHC). MHC's are protein complexes outside a cell that are presented to lymphocytes to identify the cell as one of the body's cells. 

Some would agree with me that there are just some people who we can't get along with no matter what and this is an example of what I'm talking about. It's not a difference in belief, race, or economic status that causes this gap. In my case, we are exactly the same but something is just off. I just feel out of place. It's not that I am left out but I just feel that we're just too different. 

Life just never ceases to give me complications. Well, as I've always said before, I'd rather be alone than be in a group and feel alone.

***
Photo credits to =anikakinka

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Breathing Under Water


Feels like I spent all this time talking to walls
Feels like I gotta let go of the way it was before
Are you really there? Are you made of stone?
Am I talking to someone or am I here all alone?

Are you alive, don't you feel, feel, feel?
Show me you're here, show me your tears
Don't you feel, feel, feel, feel?

Show me, hold me, speak up and tell me something
Change my mind before it's too late
Are you alive? Show me you're human
Can't you feel, feel, feel, feel?

Seems like you're stuck in a daze, slipping away, away
I'm sick of trying to reach you, can't you say what's on your mind?
Baby, we're losing the race, too far behind, behind
Tell me that I'm not the only one who can try, who can fight the wall

Are you alive, don't you feel, feel, feel?
Show me you're here, show me your tears
Don't you feel, feel, feel, feel?

Show me, hold me, speak up and tell me something
Change my mind before it's too late
Are you alive? Show me you're human
Can't you feel, feel, feel, feel?

Sometimes the words they don't get through
What really speaks is what you do
Open up, let me inside, just wanna find you

Are you alive? Are you? Are you?
Show me you're here, show me your tears
Don't you feel, feel, feel, feel?

Show me, hold me, speak up and tell me something
Change my mind before it's too late
Are you alive? Show me you're human
Can't you feel, feel, feel, feel?

Wake up, are you dead?
Don't you feel, feel, feel, feel?
Show me, hold me, speak up and tell me something

You could only imagine how annoyed I was when I had to reformat my computer. All my files were lost and it was such a pain to re-download all my softwares and files. On the bright side, I was able to look around for new songs to add to my music collection.

Guess who I rediscovered on the internet? Marie Digby! Sure this song is already a year old but this is the first time I've heard it and I fell in love with the song instantaneously. It felt like the song was made for me because this is exactly how I feel towards someone right now.

It's frustrating how you put yourself out there hoping that they will figure out how you feel towards them only to be disappointed in the end  because the person who your trying to reach across is either stupid or he/she just can't find the proper reaction to the emotions you're displaying.

Ah! Lately I've been really emo... Oh well. I think I'll just channel all my emotions towards exercising or better yet cleaing my room.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Things Can't Buy You Happiness

I'm in a bit of a pinch right now. Although I know that buying things won't really make me happy but somehow I'm craving to get my hands on  an Apple Macbook Pro 13! 

I have an urgent desire to get one and I know for a fact that I will indeed be happy if I get one. Do I need a new computer? NO. Do I have the money to buy one? NO. Do I really need to buy a  Mac? NO.

Logic and reason tells me NOT to get a Mac but my emotions and my psyche tells me to get one no matter the cost.

I should have followed my instincts and should have bought something that I wanted rather than buying something that I thought was the best buy, a Dell Studio XPS 13. I know, this is like old news already because I've written about this in this post and on here as well but lately I've had a change of heart and I'm really pumped up on getting a MacBook Pro and I want to get one on my birthday as a gift to myself.

The only problem now is the money... but I know I'll be happy and content after I bought it... I am such an impulsive buyer.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Patient Abuse - Can You Take It

One of the most daunting challenges faced by both inexperienced and experienced nurses alike is patient abuse. Abuse of patients by medical staff is uncommon, but widely reported. Less widely addressed are the abuses dealt out to nursing staff by patients. An inexperienced nurse entering the profession for the first time must develop strategies for dealing with this aggression. If they don’t, they run the risk of becoming disillusioned with their profession.

Abuse as “part of the job”.

A study conducted by Curtin University of Technology reported in May of 2010 that two thirds of all nurses had experienced violence in the workplace. These incidents were only reported one in six times. 92 per cent involved verbal abuse, 69 per cent physical threats and 52 per cent involved physical assault. On average, the nurses were confronted with 46 violent events each year. That’s nearly one incident a week.

Why would so many incidents go unreported?

Nurses are generally motivated by a desire to help others. This makes it less likely they will report incidences of abuse by patients. They believe the abusive environment is a part of the job.

Moreover, nurses have often invested a great deal of time and money in obtaining their nursing degrees and licenses. If they’ve taken out thousands of dollars in student loans, they won’t be able to simply walk away from their chosen career.

Abuse contributes to the nursing shortage.

Statistics show that there are enough people in the United States with an RN certification to solve the nursing shortage two times over. There is a strong possibility that the violence experienced by nurses during their workday might be linked to the reluctance of licensed RN’s to work in a healthcare setting.

Having an adequate number of nurses on staff is crucial to preserving patient health. Patients die when there are too few nurses to care for their needs. Measures seeking to address the nursing shortage should start in hospitals and health care institutions. We should expect patients to treat the nursing staff with the same respect they would give to any other professional. If nurses are expected to simply stand by and take the abuse dished out by difficult patients, the nursing profession will continue to experience a shortage of willing volunteers.

Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at onlinedegrees.org, researching areas of accredited online degrees. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Veritas Liberabit Vos: The Truth Shall Set You Free


Ever since I started going to a Jesuit institution, I was always told of the saying "Veritas Liberabot Vos" which some of you may know is Latin for "The Truth Shall Set You Free". I am an advocate of being honest. My conscience always bothers me whenever I lie, especially when I know that there are no lies that will forever be kept secret.

Although, there are several occasions when you have to lie to protect people from getting hurt and these are our so called "white lies". White lies have saved my relationship with several people especially when I have nothing good to say to them. I can't just tell someone in the face that they looked terrible if they wanted my personal opinion on their physical appearance. 

Well the most common reason why people lie is to protect themselves. I myself have a lot of skeletons in my closet and I do not want to reveal these secrets out of fear that my friends and family will turn their backs on me once they've found out my dirty secrets.

Lies are inherently evil because they are meant to deceive people but there are times when one has to commit a necessary evil for the greater good. I will continue to hold on to my secrets and the secrets that other people has trusted to me. Although I want to share my skeletons to the world, I have to create a different blog under a false name. This might be the best idea after all. I want to create a blog under the cloak of anonymity so that I can truly express my true self with out fear of retribution.

I just hope that my dirty secrets won't haunt me in the future.


***
Photo credits to Eternal Stickers

Saturday, July 3, 2010

I've Grown Up

As I was looking through my older posts, I can't help notice how different I was back then. It amazes me how different I am now from my high school self. I can't believe that I'm already 21 years old and boy oh boy, experience does change a person's perspective on life.

Back when I was a naive 16 year old boy, I was sheltered and lived a privileged life.You can say that I was a semi-bourgeoisie. I studied in one of the most prestigious school and I was placed on a pedestal. I was made to think that the world was at my fingertips and that I, being a person who is more fortunate than others, had a responsibility to the less fortunate people. I had accustomed myself to the title of being elite and my world rotated around studying and getting great marks. You would notice in my early posts that my rants were always concerning school.

My world crumbled when I had to move to Canada. One huge mistake on my part was working for a fast food chain, Tim Hortons. I have to be honest, I was never a humble person. I had always taken pride over the fact that I wasn't one of the millions of Filipinos who lived in poverty. I was different, I actually had a great future ahead of me. This pride has caused me great misery and depression. As I said, I foolishly worked at a fast food chain where Filipino contract workers are well known for. I unfortunately didn't take this into consideration and I was always confused for a contract worker. Naturally, my pride kicks in and I blatantly tell people off that I'm not a contract worker. By people I mean other brown-nosed (they like sticking their noses in other people's shit) Filipinos, and they then retaliate with the "If you're an immigrant then why do you work here comeback". Although it's none of their business, the only reason why I stayed with Tim Hortons for two tormenting years is because I loved my co-workers and that I had huge difficulty finding a job that doesn't suck as bad. Let's face it, I was a Filipino landed immigrant who didn't have any job experience so employers would over look my resume. 

I'm just glad that I now have my old life back. I'm back to school finishing my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and I don't have a job where I am looked down at as a loser (well only fucking Filipinos does this). I used to be a person who was an idealist who had principles guiding my life. After seeing and experiencing the real world, I realized how impractical my old values were.

Right now I am a person who has a level head. Like any other Canadian, I don't see people based on social status or how rich a person is. I see people for who they are and I treat them the way the way that I want to be treated (Platinum Rule).

Monday, June 21, 2010

Thinking of You

I was supposed to study today but my "creative side" was begging me to make a cover of Katy Perry's "Thinking of You". If I fail this Thursday's final, at least I have a good excuse. It beats being lazy and not doing anything the entire day right?



I did an "Improved" version but I think it's a bit over done.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Win a NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Machine!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Nestle Nescafe Dolce Gusto. All opinions are 100% mine.

4-1 

I have always been a huge fan of coffee. It's my pick-me-upper especially during the cold winter mornings. I have always been a Nescafe lover and this new product from Nescafe is amazing!

How would you like to have your very own coffee house machine in your house? Well you can with the new NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Machine! It uses the same high pressure system like the well known coffee places use, so you can enjoy a great cup of joe right at the comfort of your new home.

What's even more exciting (if you haven't seen the huge banner in my post) is that you could actually win a NESCAFE Dolce Gusto machine! Yes that's right! I've actually joined the contest. I want this machine so badly. You don't even have to buy anything to win, you just click on the contest banner or this link. Better hurry, because this contest ends on June 24, 2010.

I actually have a coffee maker at home but it's bulky and clean up is a hassle plus I tend to make too much coffee that they just go to waste. With the NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Machine, it uses coffee capsules so you can make a perfect cup of coffee each and every time. Guess what this machine can do that other coffee makers can't. It could actually make cold coffee beverages! Isn't that fantastic?! I could always invite friends over for coffee and we don't have to wait in a line-up or anything.

Another awesome feature of this machine is that it seriously looks amazing. It's a fantastic work of art that you can display on your counter top.

Well if you don't win or if you miss the contest deadline you could always buy your very own NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Machine at The Bay, Home Outfitters, London Drugs, Sears, Wal-Mart, and other fine kitchen stores across Canada. Two models are availablem the Krups for $179 and the T-Fal for $159. The coffee capsules are sold at your favorite grocery store or online at http://bit.ly/aUVwOe.



Visit my sponsor: Win a NESCAFE Dolce Gusto machine!

Ga-Gym Ka Part?

I could honestly say that I go to the gym regularly. I paid for a monthly gym membership so it's forcing me to go to the gym everyday (I want my money's worth LOL!). My gym visits would consist of doing 15 minutes of cardio then strength training for 30 to 45 min.


I've been going to the gym for two weeks now and I've been eating healthy and have deprived my sell of junk food but I seriously don't see any major weight loss especially in my stomach area. People weren't kidding when they said it's easier to gain fat than lose it. And boy, I have been packing fat in ever since I was born. I always had an excuse not to be active and exercise but now that I've joined a gym that's open 24 hours, 7 days a week, I have no  excuse not to exercise. 

I just wish that my determination to lose weight and shed unnecessary baggage comes to fulfillment. On the plus side, my stamina has improved and I could see my muscles being toned... I wish my abdominal region gets toned and flat as well.

It would have been better if I had a gym buddy though, it will make going to the gym more fun and it will surely motivate me more.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Love at First Sight


I'm supposed to be studying right now for my midterm exam tomorrow but I just wanted to get this off my chest. How can someone fall in love with someone else after meeting that person for one time? By someone, I mean me of course. I don't believe in love at first sight and I believe that it may only be infatuation but why do I miss this certain someone so badly after parting just a couple of hours ago?

Is it because I'm physically attracted to this person or is it because I am totally comfortable with this person's personality? Are my feelings similar to those of someone who looks up or admire another person? What is the boundary between admiration and love? What is love? 

This person is totally amazing and I want to be like this person in the future. I admit that I don't go out and meet other people in person but this was something different. It was something special, I feel blessed for such an encounter.

The downside to all of this is that I know this person isn't really into me and it's just another one way love/admiration. It's sad but that is how it rolls, but I am still happy that I met this person today. Will we meet again in the future? Or the real question is, will this person even want to see me ever again? Who knows.

I'm hoping for the best but I won't go stalker/fan-boy with this person since by experience, being obsessed with someone won't help with the relationship or friendship. As the old cliche goes, set the one you love free, if they come back then you're meant to be.

*****
Photo credits to The Examiner

Monday, May 24, 2010

Dissapointment and Regrets


These past few days have been horrible for me. I feel like my life is slowly crumbling apart. The warmth that I felt as I was surrounded by friends feel like a dream that I am shaking off as I wake up to the ruckus of the real world. I am damaged, a person cast off from the rest of the people for being different. I'm all alone... how sad.

I know it's too late to regret and feel sorry for myself for being weak... poor, miserable, outcast. How pitiful. How I wish I had the strength and the patience. I wish I had held my tongue and kept my emotions in check, all is lost. There's no turning back, I have to face my mistakes.

Disgust. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Humiliated. I cannot let them see my shame. Ridiculed. I just want to hide under a rock and disappear.

This is why I never let people in my life, as it only lower my defenses.  I feel as if something was taken away from me and I can't just function well anymore.

***
Photo credits:

Regret... by *Mikeinel

Fixing Your Credit History

Having a good credit history is very important. Without a credit history or if you have a bad credit history, no lending institution will ever lend you money so say good bye to your dream car or dream vacation. Even getting a student loan from the government requires you to have a good credit history. If you have bad credit then you should really look for credit repair services.

I don't have bad credit right now but it helps to plan out scenarios to find a contingency plans for the "what if's".If I had bad credit then I would surely want to fix my credit right away. There are so many debt re-consolidation services out there but you have to find the right one that will help you from the very beginning by obtaining your credit history for you. Some companies would actually charge several hidden costs, when you're doing all the work.

That's why I would really consider DSI Solutions for help with my credit company. They are one of the best companies that offer a full return of payments if ever your unsatisfied with their service. This will surely give a lot of people a big sigh of relief since other companies wouldn't give a refund even if they weren't able to help you at all.

Thinking about credit history is intimidating at first, but this is why having a reliable company who you could trust changes everything.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

I Want a Break from Life


I hope who ever thought of the statement, "Take a break from life... attend nursing school", isn't serious because if he/she is then he/she has a serious problem. Nursing school is not taking a break from life because nursing becomes your life: studying, classes, more studying, and if you need to work like me then you're totally screwed.

I am so tired! I don't want to go to school anymore, I don't want to work anymore, all I want to do is stay at home and sleep. Unlike most students, I actually prioritize my sleeping over studying so I'm less stressed than they are. It's just ironic that I actually skip school just so I could study.

I'm just glad that at least one of my courses are going to be over next week so I'm very excited. Word of advice: If you don't like the teaching skills of your teacher during the first few days, drop it or look for another teacher. Well I prefer, self-study over listening to someone who dwells on things that he will never quiz you on later anyway.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 as the lowest and 10 as the highest, my stress level is at 8. I'm about to cave in. If it wasn't for the few hours I have before I go to work or the free time I have before I go to sleep I would be insane right now.

I just hate it when my mom makes me do things during my "free time" because honestly I go to school the entire morning and I go to work the entire night so NO I don't want to do anything else and I just want my ME time. I don't want to tell this to her but I want to say that I want my rest and relaxation time because you were the one who placed me in this predicament anyway. I NEVER wanted an effing expensive car because I don't want to work while I'm at school but I did buy it because you said that you'll pay for HALF of it which you're NOT. Plus you've been buying stuff off my credit card and you've never paid me back. I don't really care if you don't pay me back but just stop buying useless things like a Bose home theatre system. Like seriously? I don't even want to eat out since I'm broke and you could afford to buy useless things? She also bought a barbecue grill yesterday which I'm so sure we will NEVER use. I'd love to ask for more day off's at work but I can't since I have to pay my credit card debt, debt that I didn't incur but my mom did. I tried asking money from her to pay for a course at school but she uses it instead to buy a freaking Bose speakers? Seriously?

So yes, I need a break from living. I don't want to travel anywhere cause that will lead me to more debt. I just want to stay at home and chill.

****
Photo credits to: rlv.zcache.com

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Dream of Being Possessed and Dull Updates

These days, it has been very rare for me to get dreams. I usually dream when I am about to wake up and I usually forget what I was dreaming about. I had a dream this morning and it was a bit weird. I actually dreamt about my old classmates. I was never close friends with these guys but somehow I had a strong attachment to them. 

There are times when I wake up, I just want to go back to sleep, especially if the dream I had was great. Why is it that my life in my dreams is better than my real life?

My dream wasn't that all good. In my dream I saw a beast that was possessing me. I think it is my unconscious mind which is conjuring these but I guess this was my way of rationalizing why I'm unmotivated to wake up in the morning to go to school.

My life is so boring indeed. When ever people ask me what's new with me, it's always the same dull response: nothing... Nothing is happening to my life. I wish there was but if ever there was some happenings in my life, it's usually something negligible. 

I wish my life is more exciting in a way. My life is a daily routine of waking up, going to school, work, then sleep and then repeat the same dull routine. I just want to break free from it all and just go on a vacation somewhere.

Today wasn't that bad I guess. I had the opportunity of taking part in a self-hypnotism session. I can't say that it worked a 100% but I did feel relaxed and energized from self-hypnotism. I just wished I was hypnotized to act like a bird or something exciting.

But over all, this was an ok day.
****

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Staying In Control of Life

Before I went back to school, I always complained how my life was derailed and how slow and aimless my life was. Now that I have everything that I've wanted (school, new job, new life), everything seems to be happening so fast and I'm afraid I can't just keep up with it.

I'm not really stressed out as I am able to cope with everything but the frequent bombardment of stress is taking a toll on my insanity.
I don't want my life to be derailed again so I need to take control of my life right now. I need to take a moment and reflect upon the things that stresses me out.

Here are a couple of things that stress me out:
  1. Filipinos who can't mind their own business
  2. Stupid customers.
  3. Money Issues.
I would love to put "school" as the number four stressor in my life but it actually isn't. I just realized that from all of the things in this world, it is studying that I have control over. It is my own actions, choices, and motivation that could spell my own success or failure. I have the power over my studies and I will not let anyone take this away from me.

These days I've been complacent about my studies. I've been getting the same grades as everyone (B's) but I know that if I really studied then I would have gotten a better mark. I haven't been motivated enough to study lately but things are going to change from now on. I will make the things that stress me out as my motivation for me to study more and succeed in my studies.

Life is unpredictable, but I am glad that I have at least one thing that I could take control of.

****
Photo Credits:

Fast life by ~DuendeGotico