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!