UpGrace

“Operation Nightingale” and its Implication to Nursing

January 27, 2023 Grace Reyes

Every nurse in the world knows who Florence Nightingale is. Otherwise known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” she was credited as the founder of modern nursing. Her environmental theory helped soldiers who fought in the Crimean War recover. That very theory included seven assumptions. One of which is: Nursing requires a specific educational base. So what has that got to do with “Operation Nightingale” you may ask? Or better yet, what is it? By the way, here are the…

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Work Benefit and Nursing Certification Exam

January 18, 2023 Grace Reyes

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…

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The Year That Was

December 30, 2022 Grace Reyes

I often envisioned 2022 as a banner year! For one, this was supposedly my “Goldie” year. Well, I actually meant golden, but for those of you who may not know, my paternal side of the family used to call me Goldie. In fact, some of my childhood friends still call me that to this day. Why, you ask? I am my paternal grandparents’ first grandchild who carried the last name Oro. Spanish 101: Oro is the Spanish word for gold, hence Goldie!…

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Preparing for a (Really) Hard Nursing Informatics Examination

December 23, 2022 Grace Reyes

Are you like me who shudders at the thought of taking an examination? I consider myself a decent test-taker. However, that does not change the fact that I find the prospect of taking a test intimidating. This anxiety increases tenfold if it has something to do with consequential exams such as those that are required by my job or those that may be professionally beneficial in the future. So, what is a girl to do? If you answered that good…

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The Anatomy of an Informatics Nursing Certification

December 7, 2022 Grace Reyes

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…

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Neonatal Nurse on Trial for Murder

October 19, 2022 Grace Reyes

Sadly, that title is not clickbait! Unfortunately, you read it right! A neonatal nurse in the United Kingdom is indeed currently on trial for allegedly murdering seven babies. She is also accused of trying to do fatal harm to 10 more infants. The nurse, Lucy Letby, denied these allegations. Maybe like me, you are shaking your head in disbelief. I should know because I felt the same exact things – maybe even more given my Pediatric and Neonatal Nursing backgrounds….

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Workplace Incivility: Fact or Fiction?

September 16, 2022 Grace Reyes

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…

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Providing Education to the Future Nurse

August 26, 2022 Grace Reyes

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…

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Improving Healthcare Outcomes through Collaboration

July 31, 2022 Grace Reyes

Healthcare is multi-faceted. We all know that. Different stakeholders or team members have different roles and responsibilities. Doctors or providers, for the most part, lead a multi-disciplinary team in addressing a patient’s or a client’s health concern. However, they cannot treat a patient all on their own. They do need the cooperation and the participation of other healthcare colleagues: nurses, therapists, social workers, and even housekeepers, to name a few, in order to adequately address the holistic needs of a…

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Celebrating a Milestone While Making Memories

July 14, 2022 Grace Reyes

People often think that to mark a milestone, someone should be celebrating something grand! Graduation from a prestigious university or a lavish wedding perhaps. It may also mean a banner birthday like the Big 4-0! With everything that we went through with the pandemic, however, doesn’t every moment deserve to be cherished? With that being said, please indulge me as I divert for a moment from my usual nursing contents and share with you a little bit about my rock…

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