As the title implies, this post is about gratitude. It is timely in the sense that it is the end of the year, and I have so much to be grateful for. Particularly, this will be a reflection on my whole DNP journey at Illinois State University, and to express my gratitude to the multitude who got me to the finish line. This story was a little over two years in the making. Well, even longer if the researching of…
I’ve always had my way with words. I can write anything about the heights of ecstasy and the depths of despair. However, for whatever reason, I could not accurately put into words my amalgamation of emotions regarding this journey. While today was the culmination of this two-year doctoral educational sojourn, this process started a few years back! I earned my Master of Science in Nursing – Informatics specialty track during the peak of the Covid 19 pandemic. Before finishing my…
Filipino nurses have been stereotyped as bedside nurses, especially in Western countries. This may have been one of the reasons why despite comprising only 4% of the total healthcare workers, it is estimated that at least 25% of the COVID-19 mortality among the nursing profession in the United States (US) are Filipinos. The majority opt to remain in that role as they can work overtime and make more money that way. For this reason, fewer from our ranks are pursuing…
This year marks my and my Fidelis Christi Mariae 1993 college classmates’ 30th year as Paulinian nurses. Maybe for that reason, I am a little bit introspective and reflective as I think back on our years in the storied halls of St. Paul College of Iloilo. Those four years were never walks in parks. In fact, they were hard, challenging, and at times, maddening. Nevertheless, I appreciated every skill, knowledge, and attitude (values) I learned from the sisters and our…
This year marks the 30th year since we left the storied halls of St. Paul College of Iloilo. Molded in the Paulinian way of caring, we have proudly carried on that torch daily in our respective practice settings. Despite the challenges that came along our way, we continue to count our blessings both professionally and personally. For this reason, please allow this grateful nurse to reminisce and reflect on how we have touched lives. Here are the links to the…
So many nurses these days are asking about nursing informatics opportunities. These nurses come from different backgrounds and specialties. Some are bedside clinicians who may have had enough of working short-staffed shift after shift. Others are advanced practice nurses who are looking to venture into other fields. What is surprising to me is a handful of travel nurses who have expressed willingness to let go of their high-paying travel assignments in exchange for getting into the narrow door leading to…
Unashamedly, I am still in Cloud Nine after passing my most recent nursing certification in the field of informatics. I feel empowered to inspire others which in turn brings me pure unadulterated joy. I don’t mind sharing my preparation and test-taking strategies with colleagues or even complete strangers. Honestly, I feel that paying it forward is my way of doing homage to my mentors who helped me pass my own exam. A nursing certification does not come cheap. Applying for…
Some people may think that obtaining a nursing certification in this day and age of dire nursing shortage is both a waste of time and money. After all, due to desperate needs, even Magnet organizations are willing to relax their Bachelor of Science in Nursing preference just to fill that critical bedside position asap. So, really, why would one want to pursue earning certifications if they don’t add value to one’s professional portfolio? The link to the podcast can be…
Ever heard of the line: “nurses eat their young?” If you have, that is really scary, don’t you think so? In this world where the likes of us nurses are dwindling in number, complicated by the more complex needs of our patients or clients, lines like these are unwelcome. You may or may not have experienced this firsthand. However, don’t you think that it is about time for us to improve our workplace cultures for our own sake and those…
Students officially started school in the last couple of weeks. Most are excited to go back to face-to-face instructions instead of learning via a screen or modules, as the case may be. The same excitement applies to our student nurses, who may be, aside from their academic subjects, doing their hands-on clinicals for the very first time. In this post-pandemic world, just what is the effective education modality for our future nurses? Or are we thriving in the hybrid in-person…