Nurse's Hopes

I am not an expert.  I am just a beginner to the profession I chose to live everyday.  The two letters attached to my name keeps me on believing that I am made to selflessly give what I can, to inspire others to be what they want someday, and to answer even the silliest question a patient can ask.  Never did I dream to hold a cap on my head, or to be dressed with an all white uniform, but then I guess the person above has a lot of reasons, hence He gave me this journey.

Along the career path that I have been walking which started just months ago, I have seen the different faces of what a patient can be.  There was this demanding patient who keeps on asking of things that she herself can do.  The other one has the initiative to ask and deliberately take his/ her medications.  Indeed, a responsible patient I can say.  The different ladders of society were also evident.  The patient who can’t afford any medication while on the other side a patient who can buy anything that the doctor prescribes.  Nevertheless, all these people are the same.  They are all patients seeking for care and help.


Nursing is indeed a noble profession.  We, nurses are built to accept the bitterness of reality.  We are made to help these different pictures of our patients.  We care for them, listen to every word they say and act when they needed one. Oftentimes, we offer our time to our patients instead of our families.  We even have our duties during holidays (take note, with no increase on our pay).  Sometimes, overtimes are also evident almost every shift because there are so many patients to handle.  I think, this problem might not be experienced, only if the nurse-patient ratio is adequate.


Even with these phenomena, we nurses are still here.  We do this because we think of our patients first.  There are certain times when we have these kinds of selfless-acts just to give the care that they need.  We do everything to lift their spirits and to enlighten their minds so that somehow, in one way or another; there will always be hope within the struggles that they are facing this time.


All I am hoping now is that nurses will soon get what they deserve--to be paid with justice and to be treated as noble professionals.  I hope that someday, our tiny voices in the society will be heard by those seating on the high-ranks.  There is nothing I can do but to hope, just HOPE.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2014

Living from the darkness of the past wont help you move forward.  It's always been good to leave the marks of the bitterness in your heart than to trap yourself in your nightmares.

Never in my life had I been happy since the thorns pricked my innocent heart but not until I have found myself back to pieces on the start of 2014.

My "brothers" helped me cope up by showing me the importance of family, my gorgeous friends lifted me up by making every memories together a happy one.

Soon enough, time healed all the wounds.  

Months came and everything were into bliss.

Thank you Lord for the happiness, memories and good times. 

1. January 1, 2014
>  Another "new beginning story" happened with me, my family and friends. We celebrated the new year at Ramon Delfina resort in La Union.  We rented the whole resort exclusive for our family.  My handsome "bros" had some great time.  We swam, cooked delicious meals, ate together until we bloat, but I guess the best part was the "island hopping" that we did few hours before I went back to our hometown, Abra.  I was still affiliated with the hospital at my province.  Healthcare workers are known to be heroes.  One of the reasons is because of our selfless acts in going to duties even during holidays.  Since I am a nurse, I had to go back to Abra to have my new year duty for night shift.  Tiring day, yet still worth it though.

2. APH friendship and outings.

My workmates and I were very fond of swimming and food trips so we had a lot of memories at the beach swimming and eating.  I enjoyed my stay in this institution because of their warm acceptance, hospitality and care when I worked with them.

(P.S. I quit my job here but I certainly miss them now)

> my APH family (just a few of them were here since we were divided into 2 shifts)

> my closest friend, ate Danne (I call her "nanay")

> Beach outing at Ilocos Sur. Overnight. Food trip. Swimming.

>  At Dr. Jalog's crib... Eating out.

>  Again, at Ilocos Sur's beach resort...

>  Agtangao Abra Resort with these pretty ladies...

>  Plaza with my coworkers

3.  Manaoag.  - Dagupan, Phil.

>  I had my training here for 1 day at Center for Technical Excellence and Integrated School Inc.,.  My mom, my aunt and me went to Dagupan together.  My mom and my aunt roamed around Dagupan while I was having my training.   After a whole day of training, we went to Manaoag Church to have a mass.

4.  Baguio, Ilocos and Abra with my High School friends.  (been together for 8 years and counting)

>  I always go to Baguio to visit them whenever I have free time.  Every year, we had some adventures together.  This year, we went to URSA resort at Ilocos and next year, we will go to Mount Pulag.  There were a lot of happy moments with them but one time there was an awkward one-- when we had lunch together with 2 of my friends who came to the restaurant with their boyfriends (I'm left without a partner). Lonely me.  But then again, friendship is more important than anything else.  A day was never enough to enjoy with them.  They always lift me from the sadness I felt before, they were always there through thick and thin.  Hopefully, our friendship will last forever.

4.  Christmas with my "bros"

>  This year will never be complete without Christmas.  Christmas is once again a very memorable one because of my loving and caring cousins.  We grew up together so somehow, in one way or another, we treat each other like siblings.  I have missed them so much because we haven't been together for some months.  Thanks to Christmas, we have been together again.

-2014 will never be good without my family and friends...

-Thank you for making my happy.  Hoping for another great memories next year.

:) :) :)

Royals cover- Michelle D.A.

Perfect vs. Reality

Let me start with the day when everything was fine, when everything was perfect. It was like a dream come true, to find a man who was almost perfect.  You might be wondering why I used "was", yes what you saw was right.  "He was just so perfect", where every girl might scream and shout his name, where every man might be jealous of who he is.  He is an intelligent man, making him the valedictorian in their batch.  He is a sporty man, making him one of the best in the varsity players.  Everything seems nice yet in each and every side there will always be loopholes that you might accidentally see or maybe, meant to see.

It was summer, and everyone were busy with their entrance exams for their college life. We were enjoying our times together.  We roamed around the beautiful tourist spots of the town. Each and every second was filled with happiness and joyous moments in our life. We shared each moment like there was no tomorrow. Again, EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT.

But as I walk through the road of my life, I suddenly realized that "perfect" has no room in my heart.  I suddenly thought that I am always at my fantasy world, like I was dreaming that someday this MAN won't leave, that someday this MAN will never break his promises.  I tried to break the glass dividing this doubts that I had.  I opened my heart to REALITY.  By then, i finally thought of those guys around me. He was just like the same with the others, and then somehow someone whispered me these words, " If you're in love, you're just busy looking at someone without even turning your back to someone who might be better, MUCH BETTER."

During that time that I heard those words from somewhere else, I thought of breaking the PERFECT glass that we made.  I broke it into pieces. But the time that I did that, one of my trusted friends called me.  I thought he knew about what I did.  I was puzzled because it was just a minute that have passed when I did that and I didn't tell anyone about it.

My trusted friend's words surprised me A LOT. He told me about unfaithfulness, disloyalty, infidelity, and all the words that can describe what this PERFECT MAN did.

During those times that I was in his fantasy world, a witch had already captured his heart. This witch got my PERFECT MAN from me, without me knowing about all of what SHE did. He poisoned my PERFECT MAN'S heart bringing me to a person who doesn't know anything. They were together just a minute after I broke the glass that my PERFECT MAN and I did.

It was so painful... VERY PAINFUL. I thought I was the winner from the battle between HIS FANTASY and MY REALITY, but the truth hurts,I was defeated by his gratifying words and promises.

HE BROKE MY HEART.

HE WAS THIS PERFECT MAN THAT THIS POOR LITTLE GIRL HAS EVER IMAGINED, BUT NOW HE IS JUST A FLAWED PATHETIC MAN...

-this is just a short story that i made based from my experience...

- i hope that this would at least remind my friends (GIRLS/BOYS) that there is no room for perfect relationships. Sometimes you need to open your eyes and see how painful the real world is. Sometimes we just have to enlighten our hearts and minds so that no one will be hurt to the things that we are going to do...

-michelle alcantara.. :)

The MT (Medical Transcriptionist) Training Experience

The graduation and Nursing Licensure Exam are all done.  But after that, the big and terrifying question is, "What's next?"  Me and this good friend of mine were talking about serious things one time like dreams, goals in life and well of course our career path. He opened up about something that I'm not that so familiar of, that I even forget it time after time.  

“Why do you keep on asking me about it, it’s MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST!”

Well I cannot blame him for that, like I said, I’m not familiar on that field.  But basing on to the term that he said, I guess it is all about typing out the words from an audio file.  Since I love typing and computer stuff I tried to ask him about where I can have the training.  So he gave me the information regarding this. Since Kathlene, my friend from college also was interested with the training; we then decided to enroll ourselves for the training.  But, disappointment came when I realized that we both were in the waiting list because it was fully booked.  So hopes and prayers were in my head that time, wishing that we can still attend the training.  Then one night as I was about to go to sleep, I received a text saying that we can attend the orientation.  I was puzzled.  Meanwhile, I called Kathlene to confirm if it really is true.  “YES, it is true!”  I was startled.  I cannot explain the feeling that I have that time.  But then again, I doubted the text and the answer from Kathlene.  It was just so hard for me to believe everything.  I decided to call someone behind that text I received in the middle of the night .  His voice (Sir Marc's) was so professional. I was imagining him to be that cool and serious type.  And again, he said “Yes, you both can attend the orientation.”  Finally, after 3 times saying those “yes”, the spirit of excitement slowly turned back to normal.

The day of the orientation came.  But I had no idea regarding the venue of the orientation (I felt so dumb for not asking where the venue is!).  That time I was lost.  I went to CAP building then to TESDA office and then again to CAP building.  Just imagine me rushing everything, thinking that I’m almost 5 minutes late.  This “lost experience” of mine is just the perfect example of what too much excitement can do to me.  I learned from this.  So next time, I need to bring myself back to reality and set aside all those eagerness first.

That guy from the other line when I called in the middle of night that I described as that serious type turned out to be the jolly and good-humored guy.  He made the orientation great we introduced ourselves then called it a day.

We were many at first but then the number decreased.  I guess it is because of the schedule, the typing, and some other reasons.  Typing is really hard at first.  I know, because I've been there.  I was so slow in typing way back 2 years ago, but after some practice you can then be that “touch typist.”  Hearing tests were also hard but the hardest part among all is the transcribing itself.  Those different accents, those words that are so hard to fathom, those different guidelines that we need to follow, those days when we press F4, F7 and many more function keys, and those great times when I have learned other short cut keys—some were really hard at first but the good side is that we have learned.  Like what people say, it takes time to master everything.  So, we have practiced typing and transcribing by having different exercises. 

After or even during some exercises, we had some bonding moments--eating lunch with my classmates and talking about almost everything.  That is one of the good sides of training.  We get to meet new, cool, jolly and God-fearing friends.

I cannot describe the feeling that we had when we were together.  We laugh at simple things and I even learned different expressions from them “baknang, nauyaw!”  (Ilocano words for rich and judgmental). Maybe you will not find it to be hilarious at all.  But, the funny thing with these words is the way they delivered them and those words kept me laugh and it reminded me of them. 

The experience I had at CTEISI was overwhelming.  

Sometimes in life, it is not just about the learning, it is also about the laughs and the moments that you friends have been through.   

If there is one thing that I’m sure enough, it is that I will miss them and that I will treasure those moments that I have been with them.

Thank you Kathlene, ate May Ann, ate Harolyn, Rhodesa, Jonalyn, Gladys, and lastly Ma’am Julie and Sir Marc! :D  

Realizations...

Many people say that life is unfair, but what can I say life has never, ever been fair. Bitterness is not actually on my blood right now, but it's the truth and reality that's talking.

Back in the days before when I was still at school...

•  We review much at night until we find ourselves asleep in the morning drooling at our study tables but in the end the person who is known to be the "gangster" and the "black sheep" in class gets all the credit.
• Sometimes you wait along the long line in the canteen just to get a simple delicacy and satisfy your hungry stomach because you can't eat at a boring class of a very strict professor and you can't buy outside because of the limited break time given by the administration, but then out of nowhere you heard the sound of the bell then  you just roll your eyes and end up wishing that you were deaf and did not hear the bell rung.
• We have done most of the work in one project but one classmate brags that he/she did the work and would be praised by the instructor and when the individual grades are to be given and then you accidentally saw the higher grade of that someone.
• When we make all these mistakes in life and yet those who did more were the ones who were not scolded.

I may not have listed some moments during a student life, but there are a lot of experiences that may say that life has always been unfair but sometimes through these various experiences in our lives we do embrace the fact that we make mistakes but we should also be determined and realize that mistakes are made for us to fathom that better comes before best.

disabled by death notes...

Death note, this has been a popular series in Japan, became a topic of every addicts in movies, series and Japanese manga. It's a simple notebook but a fearful one, because with just a stroke of the pen shaping the letters of your name, BOOM! you better pray and say goodbye.

I've never thought that this death note that I've always loved to watch may soon be seen in the real life. I grew up in the mountainous place of Abra, it's full of cultures that people might love, sceneries that tourists might by dying to see. But what's saddening is that amidst the physical features of what Abra can give to my fellow Filipinos, lies a mark of burden in every heart of those Abrenos. They've been suffering a lot of frustrations made by those killings, as if Abra has become the second Mindanao of the Northern Luzon. People die like they're just chickens in the backyard, killed simultaneously, killed by people bombard with NO CONSCIENCE at all. People are killed even in the broad day light, in front of the cathedral where police men are even scattered all over the place, killed by just asking your name, killed even if you're just walking in the streets, what's more painful is that none of these cases have been cleared, relatives of the people who were killed are thirsty to have justice in their hands. But what's happening? Killers or suspects were never seen behind those bars, nor they were never sentenced to some punishments which they SHOULD suffer.

How long will these things happen? People who love to be on those powerful seats pretend to be blind with the tears of those caring mothers, they pretend to be deaf by those words of small children they left. No wonder why I hear some Abrenos migrating to some other places in the Philippines or in the other countries, I only have one reason in my mind, "to escape the chaotic place they grew".

To those killers, are you even aware with the name Jesus Christ? Do you even think before pulling the trigger? Always remember, you may have guns to kill a single person, but these victims have the most powerful weapon--PRAYERS. People may be blinded by giving them money, but God never sleeps.  Surely, there will come a time that all these killings may finally be stopped, and that the people behind these killings may soon be seen.


-consilium in penna-
-mda-