www.littlenars.com | Dianne Peña

Old age scares a lot of people— including me. Often, they associate it with disease, degeneration and death. Less do people know that old age comes with the word “WISDOM”…

What is great about nursing is that you deal with life the moment you start to breathe, the moment it takes your breath away and the moment you halt to breathe. Nursing is in every stage of life and I am very glad that I have chosen this field.

When I first learned that our concept will be about Geriatric Nursing, I became doubtful of my dealing and communicating skills. Honestly, I am not that close to my grandparents and so I don’t have the slightest idea on how to deal with them. In addition, they are not that “old” as to compare with the geriatric population in the barangay we were assigned. Most people say that I am insensitive with the things that I say or do and so, I became afraid of hurting their feelings with the questions and reactions I give to them given the fact that we are in a different generation. However, as the interview goes, I felt at ease with them when they shared things I didn’t expect them to say and so, I was touched and I was glad that I did earned their trust.

There are few but significant learning that I have gained in this rotation, First, I learned that elders are easy to please. You can easily make them happy with the simple things you do for them one of which is to LISTEN. Second, I learned that everything would run smoothly, if you have built a strong rapport with the people you will work with. Third, I realized that being a student nurse isn’t just about complying with the requirements, it is about learning by doing things from the bottom of your heart in order to serve other people. Lastly, geriatrics are still part of the community, they have special needs that we need to attend to. They should be given importance because at one point in our lives, they contributed to the life we are living right now. I mean, who says geriatrics can’t do anything right due to their old age? They possess wisdom and that if we listen to them we can’t go wrong.

This rotation is a proof in the saying “Save the best for last…” Given the fact that this will be our last community exposure in my whole college life, I believe the group had given its best to help the community and made them happy even just for a while. Let them forget about their worries and at the same time learn on how they can maximize their health status.

Learning is a two-way process. I believe in our group’s own little way have touched the lives of the community and definitely, they have touched ours. I will never forget this rotation.

With this rotation, I am very thankful for everything that has happened because it aided my learning not only when it comes to knowledge but also with the skills and attitude required of a beginning nurse practitioner.

—-just posting some of my reflection paper during my duty days ’cause I don’t know what to do with them anymore…LOL!:] I was thinking that I would sell my files but I’d rather not. LOL!:]

Now that I am half through my formal review class, there is one thing that I realized…

It’s a good thing that FEU added the NURSING AUDIT in our curriculum because it became very advantageous for me since in my review, we are just tasked to answer test examinations and then the reviewers will just discuss the rationale behind the correct answers. If they will discuss the specific disease or topic, it is just brief due to time constraints.

I am very thankful that we had great reviewers and I had taken the lectures and the exams seriously (though, I am always late or even half day… hehehe!). Yes, I must admit that IT IS SOOOOOO D-I-F-F-I-C-U-L-T but it made me confident because I feel that Tamaraws really has an edge for that matter.

With that, I would like to share with you a text message containing some taglines of our reviewers, compiled, forwarded and revolved around FEU-IN BATCH 2009’s text messages. I, myself received this text message couple of times. This was made last February 2009.

“Hindi importante dito kung gaano kataas anf scores mo, ang mahalaga, natuto ka…”
- Maam Mhel
“Hindi hadlang anf below average lang na I.Q…”
- Sir Aliswag
“Para pumasa ka sa board exam, di pwedeng aral ng aral…”
- Maam Tan
“Matuto kayong mangaram mga AMBISYOSA…”
- Sir Nonog
“An intelligent person is the one who admits he doesn’t know ever-zeirything…”
- Sir Ranjo
“You’re not a chicken, you’re an eagle…”
- Sir Pondang
“Gawin mong inspirasyon si Bebe boy, Bebe girl…”
- Sir Asuncion
“Gwapo pala ang kuya mo, sana noon mo pa ko sinama sa bahay niyo, Beybeh…”
- Sir Laboy

I know this is long been overdue. I would just like to share with you a text message that my classmate JONAS, had forwarded last February 2009.

As I recalled, this was the time that we we’re struggling for experiences.  We all can relate with this text message. Our graduation is fast approaching. We feel that we were running out of time because we don’t know as to when can we practice our profession again. I posted this because recently, I have been asking myself as when will I wear my nursing cap again? Is it Sooner or is it Later?

So here it is:

Panalangin ng isang FEU Nursing Student

Dear Lord,
Duty na naman. Sanama naman po huwang na kaming toxic-kin ng C.I sa kaka-Vital Signs at Charting. Bigyan niyo naman ako ng patient na pwede man lang mag-IV, NGT o kahit Catheter. Sawa na ako sa V/S Nursing. Ubos na din ang pera ko sa pamasahe papunta sa ospital na sobrang layo. Bukod sa walang case, minsan wala naman patient. Kung may patient naman, TB naman ang case.

Kamusta naman? Lord, sana po tumae ng cases ang kalabaw ng FEU. Di pa ako kumpleto ng OR at DR, meron nga Cord Care, bigay naman. Buti pa ang birhen ng Fatima, Milagrosa. Lahat sila may case. Ang kalabaw ng FEU, role model tuloy sa amin. Pati kami, endangered na. Pesteng Audit pa, mukhang maeextinct na kami bago mag-board.

Lord? Nakikinig ka ba? I guess you’re using silence as a form of therapeutic communication (naks.). Kuba na sila nanay at tatay. Huwag na sama kaming pabilhin ng bagong sapatos at uniform na isang beses lang naman gagamitin para sa grad. Ibis na pinangkain ko na lang yoon sa masasarap na kainan sa lerma, ibubulsa pa ng iba.

At higit sa lahat Lord, mahal ko ang school ko. Sana naman bago ako gumgraduate maramdaman ko din na mahal din ako ng FEU.

AMEN.

P.S
Wala bang ipopost mortem jan Lord?

Isang eksena…

Habang ako’y naglalakad sa campus…

Kaibigan: Uiii… ano ginagawa mo dito?
Dianne: *taas ng brown envelope (take note: with plastic pa yan… hahaha)*
Kaibigan: Tapos ka na?
Dianne: Magpapa-counter sign na lang…
Kaibigan: Yabang!
Dianne: *ngiti*

Makalipas ang ilang oras…

Dianne: Ma’am magpapasign na po ako, na-countersign na po yan ni sir…
Guro: *chineck ang PRC Form at may hawak na pulang sign pen*

Basa… basa… BILOG.

Dianne: waaaahhh! ma’am naman eh…
Guro: Bogak, kung kelan kasi huli na saka naghahabol ehh…
Dianne: Ganun talaga ma’am… hehehehe:]

REVISE.REVISE.REVISE.REVISE.REVISE.

Dianne: Syet! OC-OC na ko. Amp.

Bakit ba pumapasok pa din ang mga graduating IN Students ng FEU samantalang dapat ay nagpapahinga at nagpapractice na lang para sa graduation at pinning ceremony?

(Habang ang iba ay naghahagis na ng toga at nakapose na ang grad. pic sa Friendster…)

Mga nakacivilian, uniform, chinelas, black shoes o rubber shoes…
May may mga hawak na long folder at long brown envelope…
Nagpupunas at nagpapaypay ng pawis…
Nakatayo, nakaupo, pumipila…

Hindi sa isang pelikula o sa masayang ride sa Star City o Enchanted Kingdom…

Kundi sa…

Faculty Room at Nagpapa-autograph sa mga DYOSA…

“Kumpleto ka na ng cases?”
“Nakapagpacheck ka na ba?”
“Anjan ba si Sir?”
“Kelangan pa ba pumila pag magpapacounter sign na lang?”
“Ano yan, intial checking o counter signing na lang?”

…ilan sa mga maiinit na tanong ngayong tag-init…

“Waah, buti pa kayo… nagcocompletion pa lang kami e…”
“Syet! Kamusta naman! Ang haba ng pila…” sabay padyak at kamot sa ulo pero pipila din naman…
“Bukas pa daw available si Sir…” sabay kuha ng cellphone, text at tawag sa C.I
“Waahh! Magrerevise nanaman ako… Ang gulo naman nila… Hindi naman kasi chineck kahapon, tapos mamalian ngayon…”
“Sige ganito na lang, ako pipila dito, ikaw magrevise nung mga mali, tetext ko sayo pag may ipapabago pa para mabilis tayo…”
“Ubos na pera ko meeeen… hindi pa ko kumakaen…”
“Anung pecha na satin? tsk.” sabay paypay gamit ang long brown envelope…

…ilan sa mga tamang sagot at tamang komento nang mga taong nakapila sa tapat ng IN-Faculty Room…

Mahaba at matagal na proseso sa loob pa lang ng unibersidad…

Paano pa kapag pipila na sa gusali ng PRC?

Madaming nagpapahabol at nagtatagong C.I (na hindi ko alam kung bakit…)
Madaming naniningit at nagpapasingit…
Madaming reklamo sa hindi organisadong pagpapalakad sa pagpapapirma ng PRC Form…
Maraming nangangamba kung matatapos ba nila ito at makakapag-apply para sa JUNE board exam…

Isa na ako don…

Idagdag mo pa ang nagaalala at makulit kong magulang para tapusin na ito…

Ikaw, Tapos ka na ba?