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MY EXPERIENCES... MY LEARNINGS... MY THOUGHTS... MY OPINIONS... MY LIFE AS A STUDENT NURSE...

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Thursday, November 8, 2007

Psychiatric Affiliation: The Davao Adventure


Who would have guessed that Davao would actually be fun... Yes it was fun but you couldn't over-shadow the 12 days of sleepless nights, brain-melting requirements, bloody case presentations, and the 5 days of being with naked crazy people.

So, let me begin my adventure with the picture of my bags for Davao...
They may look heavy but they actually aren't. So on October 20, 2007 I woke up AT 1:00 am (I actually didn't sleep well because of my anxiety...) and prepared took a bath then went to Dunkin Donuts by 3:00 AM for some breakfast and coffee. The bus came at around 4:00 AM, I was already waiting there but the bus drivers didn't let us board yet so I waited again for 5 am until finally we were able to board the bus.

I never did realize how enjoyable it is to ride a bus. It was like adrenaline was rushing all over my body. I was like a young boy who was getting to ride a bike for the first time. I really enjoyed looking at the people passing by and I was even tempted to wave at them but held back for the sake of my sanity.

Upon reaching Davao we were already oriented upon the tings we ad to do, after a hearty meal of course. Food is one of the greatest joys in Davao people. We did so many things before we could actually go on duty at Davao Mental Hospital. We had to undergo a drug test were someone will look at you pee trough a one way mirror (ewe!) and then had our hospital orientation and tour. We first had our first encounter with some nursing school from Kidapawan and we were so surprised how prepared they were. Imagine, bringing a CD for dancing at the orientation for an intermission number. But we looked better than them hehehe (connection?). Davao Medical Center was the largest hospital that I have ever been in in my entire life with the best facilities and equipments. I was truly amazed.

The mental hospital was only scary at first. Imagine seeing naked people and stinky wards... disgusting. And there was tis one crazy person chained to the wall who actually pulled my sleeves, good thing I reacted and ran away leaving only and prints on my sleeve (wonder what she was touching ewe!). The rest then became a routine. We tell them to was up, bring them to the activity area, take vital signs, interact, then bring them back to their cells.

Everyday would have been fun if only we didn't had tons of written requirements and those 9:00pm emergency meetings... geez people let me sleep! (hehehe, lazy bum).

But at least I was able to go to the malls there like Gaisano and SM. We even got the chance to go to this beautiful nature park called Eden. I especially loved the jungle swings thingy. The buffet would have been nice too if only they didn't ran out of peach float (how sad).

It was quite sad that I wasn't able to visit Ateneo de Davao but someday I'll get to go there hehehe.

That's all. A lot more happened really but you people might get bored hehehe.

If you really want to know what happened more, just check my pictures at:
http://vincentb88.multiply.com/photos/album/13/Davao_Psychiatric_Affiliation

Oh yeah, we failed our case presentation... I wonder if anyone actually passed case presentations?

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Monday, May 7, 2007

New Generation of Nurses 'Too Posh to Wash"

© Copyright Reuters 2004-2005. Distributed by Professional Development

New generation of nurses 'too posh to wash'

Last Updated: 2004-05-10 14:55:17 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Tristan Jones

HARROGATE, England (Reuters) - A new generation of nurses who are "too posh to wash" are threatening traditional nursing practices by refusing to perform basic tasks, the leader of Britain's nurses' union, Beverly Malone, said Monday.

The changing status of women in society has made some nurses think they are above core activities like washing people's feet or backsides, Malone told a news conference at the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) annual conference in Harrogate.

"Nursing in years gone by was associated with women's work and menial tasks, and women would only do certain levels of work relating to home care and babies' bottoms," she said.

"Women have moved up in the world and their status has changed. Now there is this assumption that if you become more professional then somehow you become too posh to wash."

The conference will discuss whether nurses should focus on treatment and technical nursing, leaving their caring role to less qualified health care assistants - a suggestion expected to be roundly defeated.

Nurses have taken on more specialized roles over recent years, including prescribing drugs and running chronic disease clinics. The conference voted Monday that nurses' managers should themselves be qualified nurses.

The RCN estimates that some 20 percent of junior doctors' work could be shifted to nurses and over 12 percent of nursing work given to health care assistants.

Jeremy Bore, a general nurse from Exeter in southern England, said he called for the debate because a significant minority of new nurses don't want to provide basic holistic care.

"I had a 10 minute debate with a student nurse who said, 'I do not wash people's bottoms, there are other people to do that,"' he said.

"Not doctors, not even priests become as intimate with patients as nurses. Nurses have got to come to grips with the deep philosophical concept that carrying someone else's shit is a privilege."

"Nurses have got to be clear that we are still the ones ultimately responsible and that we are always available to do things for our patients. If I become too posh to wash I should no longer be in the profession."

Janet Clay, a nursing sister in accident and emergency unit in Newport, South Wales, said graduate nurses were the most likely to consider themselves above basic treatment.

"There is a lot of attitude that: 'it is beneath me to do the bed pans'. But that is what basic nursing care is about," Clay said.


Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

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