Cliche as it may seem, when people ask me what I did for Christmas, I unashamedly say: “I slept and watched TV.” My line of work requires the use of many brain cells at a time. For that reason, sleep and the opportunity to be idle are blessings that are often overlooked. One of the movies that Mico and I watched was Dreamwork’s Kung Fu Panda. There, Master Oogway stated: Quit, don’t quit… Noodles, don’t noodles… You are too concerned…
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…
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!…
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…
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…
The American Nurses Association (ANA) has recognized nursing informatics as a specialty since 1992. Healthcare systems in first-world countries utilize informatics practitioners as part of daily practice. However, fellow nurses in developing countries may still not fully understand what nursing informatics truly is. For this reason, the graduate students of Central Philippine University conducted a webinar. They collaborated with Qualimed Iloilo. Its purpose was to demystify in a way the application of nursing informatics in Medical-Surgical settings. Additionally, they offered…
If you have read my previous post, you would be correct in assuming that I just recently came back to work. Yes, back to my nursing work. But, no, not the kind of nursing work you may be thinking about. You see, I am a nurse informaticist. What is that you say? Please allow me to explain. Nursing Informatics: What is That? I asked the same question when I started this job a year ago. Most, if not all, of…