One Gory Thursday

Blood, blood, and blood………………

My nursing journey officially starts today. And what do y’all think is the perfect way to start fresh in the nursing field? Nothing but a day fully packed with needle pricks and blood stains. This morning, I went straight to CHEERS (Community Health Education Emergency Rescue Services) office, located along Quezon Ave., to attend a brief training session about blood collection or what we nurses know as phlebotomy. Actually, I signed up to CHEERS for my IVT Training and this one-day phlebotomy training is part of the whole package. The IVT Training costs 4,000 pesos but I have considered it as very good bargain because it is inclusive of the phlebotomy training (which you won’t find in any other training centers or hospitals), the 5 day-IVT Training (3 days of didactic and skills demo , 2 days of completion duty to be scheduled),  the snacks/lunch meals that you will eat throughout the whole training, and the processing fees for the ANSAP IVT license. In addition to these, the IVT Training will be conducted by ANSAP preceptors themselves inside ANSAP-accredited hospitals so I’m very sure I’m in very good hands. The hospitals where we will be assigned during the main IVT Training are the only problem I got because St. Vincent Hospital and Sta. Monica Hospital are both located around Marikina, which is obviously, not a stone’s throw away from Bulacan. I’m in no way trying to promote CHEERS because I made the decision purely because I want to bypass the need to make reservations to certain well-known hospitals where slots for the IVT training fill up almost faster than the speed of light. I’m just bored and tired of waiting, that’s all.

The training went smoothly from a short discussion and actual blood collection. We had to find our own partners for the hands-on experience. Luckily, I was able to pick Michelle (batch 2011 as well) as my partner perhaps because she was my seat mate and approachable just like me. When it was our turn to prick and traumatize each other’s veins, I found out just how lucky she was for having my fat,  palpable vein and how miserable I turned out to be after learning that my needle had to play hide-and-seek to catch her feeble veins. Luckily, after two attempts (one traumatizing prick for each of her arm) and assistance from our trainor, I finally managed to find the right target and get the amount of blood required. I learned a lot of tips and strategies from this experience so I’m confident that through constant exposure and practice, I will gain the confidence of a certified phlebotomist and IV therapist. How to overcome the tremors? Just be confident and practice relentlessly. After all, you can overcome performance anxiety by focusing on what you do and not on other people watching what you do. After a bloody 5 hours of exposure, we were given our certificates of attendance and informed about the details for the IVT training (which will start on Saturday at St. Vincent).

RNHeals Application………….

1. San Lazaro Hospital, Quiricada St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

After the bloody encounter, I travelled straight from Balintawak to Tayuman station of LRT-1 to submit my requirements for the RNHeals program at San Lazaro. I’m not at all hopeful for this one because in addition to the fact that some of the HR employees are not even aware that the said program exists in the hospital when I came there Monday to inquire, one HR guy told me this afternoon that they’re not sure if we will be called because it is just for ‘pooling’ purposes, meaning they will just collect applications until they are notified as to when the program will officially start.

For those who are interested for the RNHeals program, DOH main office (the one beside Jose Reyes) has been officially closed for applications and will resume it by January next year (probably mid-January). And don’t even bother to try JRMMC because  I’ve been there already and was told by a chief nurse that they already have nurses under the program taking the exam and that they don’t know when they will resume hiring. If you want to leave your resume like me, then it’s up to you. But don’t expect a call from them considering that they already have  hundreds of applications in store.

For San Lazaro Hospital, here are the requirements:

 PRC ID, Board Rating, Board Certificate/Certificate of Passing, TOR, Diploma, Certificates of trainings and seminars, Resume, and Application letter addresses to Dr. WINSTON GO (Medical Center Chief II). Just enclose these requirements in a long brown envelope and submit it to the HR department located at the second floor.

2. Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital , Lope de Vega, Sta. Cruz, Manila

After submitting my requirements at San Lazaro, I spent almost 40 pesos of tricycle fare to get to Fabella only to learn that they will resume their hiring for the third batch of RNHeals applicants by November 28. They didn’t accept my requirements but the HR girl was very nice to me. Well, I have no choice but to go back on the specified date and prepare for the exam, which, according to her, will be their basis for selection of qualified nurses. For those who are interested, please bring original (for verification purposes only) and photocopies of the following documents: Board Certificate/Certificate of passing, PRC ID, Resume, Application letter addressed to Dr. RUBEN C. FLORES (Medical Center Chief II), Board Rating, TOR, College Diploma, Certificates of trainings and seminars, 2 copies of latest picture (white background, formal attire, passport sized), Birth Certificate (must be 18 to 35 years old) and/or Marriage Certificate (if married). Submit these requirements to the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and Human Resource Division from November 28 up to December 2, 2011 (3rd batch).

And for registered nurses who are interested to apply at NCMH, I just received a Facebook notification just recently and I want to share it with you:

DOH RN HEALS Program already started. Hiring is open to a number of DOH hospitals including NCMH. Those interested to apply at NCMH, please prepare an application letter address to Bernardino A. Vicente, MD, FPPA, MHA, CESO IV Medical Center Chief II, National Center for Mental Health Thru Lucila O. espinosa, RN, MAN . Bring resume’ w/ picture, autobiography, board rating, PRC cert, PRC license, BSN diploma. Transcript of record, training & employment cert if available, NBI Clearance,& authenticated NSO Birth cert. prepare 2 sets of these requirements & 2×2 pic. Proceed to Nursing Service Ofc & be prepared to take an exam & interview. Come in business attire. goodluck nurses!!! (to my former students, this is a good opportunity, give it a try. limited slots only.) LOOK for Mr. Louie Marigmen for assistance. Pasted from <http://www.facebook.com/groups/118126851551661/>

I will try to post it here if ever I do hospital trek again next time for this RNHeals program. I hope my efforts will pay off eventually. After all, we’ll never know what’s in store for us in the future. No harm in trying so continue to try, try, and try. And while we nurses are waiting, let’s keep our prayers powerful and continue to train, learn, and build networks. Godspeed fellow dreamers!-Nars A. Ko

RNHeals Batch 2: So Unfair

It’s been almost a month now since I decided to step out of the call center arena but I’m still battling with the depressing effects of unemployment. I’m still on that stage wherein I keep on telling myself that I’ve made the right decision as far as professional growth is concerned. I don’t know if it’s denial but there are a lot of times within this ‘unemployment period’ that I feel  I’m just waiting in vain and  the risk I took will not work at all. For this reason, I was elated when I heard the news that RNHeals (Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service) Batch 2 is now opening its doors for thousands of unemployed registered nurses wanting to have a paid clinical experience of one year . Well, it’s good news at first but if you’re going to delve into the changes made for the second batch, a registered nurse, especially a newbie like me, will be a bit disappointed. I don’t have the full information yet  regarding the program because I only got the news from nursing websites and didn’t get the details straight from the DOH office. But so far, here are the changes I’ve found from the 2nd batch of application:

1. Compared to the previous batch, there will be no more online applications for the program. You have to exert miles of effort to do walk-in applications on certain DOH Hospitals included on their list. I heard some news from the first batch that the so-called “backer system”  took effect even if DOLE kept on reiterating that the application was on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Well, just imagine what will happen now that the online application has been taken aside. That equates to more chances of acceptance for registered nurses with relatives or friends within these DOH hospitals and fewer chances for nurses alone in their battle for employment. It’s back to basics, after all. And for someone like me who had struggled to kept myself awake and kept my internet connection open for the hope that I would have a higher chance in the online application, this is quite one of the most frustrating discoveries I’ve found regarding the program.

2. The DOH hospitals listed under the program are only limited to the Manila area and some parts of the country. That means it’s not yet clear if all the hospitals previously included in the program will reap the benefits of RNHeals. In Bulacan area (where I presently reside), for instance, none of the hospitals I know are included. I don’t even know if nurses from CCT areas outside Metro Manila can apply at some specialty hospitals like NKTI and PHC.  This is the reason why I’m planning to do my own research and walk-in applications tomorrow to get things clear for me. I’m regretting that I didn’t make an effort to inquire at DOH office a couple of weeks ago. I just learned from someone that DOH called her up for an orientation after submitting her application three weeks ago. Regrets aside, it’s really about time for me to try my luck tomorrow. I will surely write my updates thereafter.

3. “Previous volunteers” of the DOH hospitals under the program will be prioritized. At least, that’s what I found from the advertisement. A blog author indicated that newly registered nurses do have a ‘chance’ but knowing that hundreds  of nurses became volunteers of these hospitals in the past, the chances for some will be slimmer.

4. On a positive note, the second batch of RNHeals will get one year of straight hospital experience, which is the goal of every nurses who wants to be deployed overseas. According to a friend from the first batch (who are going to finish their one-year contract by mid-Feb next year), they were assigned in the community area during the first six months and will be rotated to different hospital areas (one area per month) during the second half.

For those of you who want to know about the details for the second batch of RNHeals, here are the links:

http://nurseslabs.com/news/rnheals-2-how-to-apply/

http://nurseslabs.com/nursing-jobs/important-guidelines-for-rnheals-2-applicants/

http://nurseslabs.com/news/rnheals-batch-2-application-is-now-open/

I’m a risk-taker by nature that’s why I’m trying to be positive fkor this program. I just printed all of my application letters and CV for my journey tomorrow. After all, I will not lose anything if I try. I mean, this is one of the rare chances that a registered nurse like me to get a paid hospital experience for one year. This is my PLAN A and if it will not work as I want, there are PLAN B and PLAN C for me. Who knows? I hope and pray that I won’t need any back-up plans anymore. I will try my hardest but if it’s not for me, so be it. I’m just a hard-working nurse waiting to be discovered by a good-paying hospital. RNHeals…here I come:>

Prelude: I’m now a nurse-scavenger!!

Who am I? To cut a long story short, I’m a new nursing graduate who stayed in college for almost 5 years but was eventually bestowed the elusive ‘RN’ title after surviving the gruelling board exam last July. Yes, no need for me to be a blabbermouth- – - I’m just a mere addition to almost 200, 000 (and still counting) unemployed/underemployed registered nurses here in the Philippines. I’ve had my own fair share of life dramas but I don’t intend to share it here because this page is exclusively for my “nursing” experiences: the joys and pains of being a newly licensed nurse in a country boasting of competitive and caring nursing industry yet still struggling to provide its newly grads feasible options and job opportunities to practice their profession. I’m no stranger to these phenomenon like I was 5 years ago when I decided to take up nursing after spending a year in a state university dissecting frogs and cats as a biology student. Looking back, I never regret taking up nursing even though I ended up as a bum waiting for opportunities like a scavenger ready to eat anything to satisfy my inner calling. I have established a love-hate relationship with nursing but it’s the inner hunger to help people in need and master my craft that I always end up dealing with. I’ve tried working in a call center before; both as a voice and non-voice agent, the latter which I tried recently right after taking the board exam last July. Is it financially rewarding? Yes. Does it make enough money to support my family and put a smile to my mom’s face? Yes. But I ended up feeling stupid, useless, and lost in a dead end. I fell in love with the people and the work atmosphere but not with the daily routine of sitting on your station the whole shift and doing the same thing in a repetitive and monotonous manner every day of your ‘agent life’. I resigned because I think time is running so fast that I have to grab any nursing opportunity available as early as possible. Perhaps, if you’re like the usual newly grad you will think otherwise but it’s not the same case for me: I’m way behind my original batchmates who are now working abroad or in the early phase of their professional careers. I’m only human to feel left behind but it’s not too late for a 23 year-old registered nurse like me. I believe God has plans for me and it’s up to my personal preference if I will make it or break it in the profession. That’s the reason why I stepped up: I resigned from my call center job, which is against my mother’s idea, and is now living a nurse-scavenger life: begging for financial support for my training fees (my mom borrowed the money I earned during my brief call-center expeience so I ended up broke again) and searching for any available opportunities for a novice nurse like me. I know it will not be easy but in life, you have to take risks or else you will be stuck in a place you will soon regret and hate.
Yesterday, I just got my hard-earned license and certificate of board rating at PRC. The latter, which is way below my personal expectations as I have worked hard both during my college days and review period, serves as a simple reminder to me that I have to double up my effort to prove to every one that I’m competent enough even though I didn’t make it to the top 10 (which, nowadays, don’t even make a difference because as they say, it’s not “what you know” but “who you know” that matters). Anyways, frustrations aside, I’m very much satisfied that I got a “higher than 80″ board rating. Besides, the board exam is just an initial measurement of a nurse’s competencies. Like the rest of the Filipino nursing community, I still have high hopes that I will be able to pursue my profession abroad. Yes, opportunities are limited for a greenhorn like me but the reason I decided to go back and pursue my nursing career is to gain relevant experience. Time is of the essence and experience is the name of the nursing game. I’m not a genius, an honor student, or highly skilled nurse (or what they call as “pabibo” during my duty days), but I know nursing will always be an art that takes time to be mastered. So to all nursing studes and grads out there who are still battling with insecurities and trembling hands during IV insertions and medication giving, we still have the chance to grow and develop the necessary confidence required for our profession. This is just the start of my nursing journey and I know starting next week ( I will take my IVT, BLS, and Basic Skills trainings starting next week), my life will change for good. I’m a certified nurse-scavenger FOR NOW but a fulfilled and competent nurse IN THE FUTURE.