Breaking Barriers Toward Excellence

"Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes & seeing them gratified." - Samuel Johnson

Excellence is not and will never be an inherent attribute of every man that is borne of this world. Much like an unpolished diamond taken from the heart of the earth, it is never appreciated until it is refined and shaped into magnificent perfection. Its beautiful dimensions are carefully and slowly smoothed to reveal a multichromatic facet that is effectuated when struck by a ray of light. Ergo, it goes beyond saying that excellence is an acquired asset and name, and there are no shortcuts to such roads leading to greatness.

Excellence respects perseverance, acknowledges hardships and does not mock faith; it also offers itself as a rich reward for a honed skill. In perseverance we seek to traverse the paths unknown, daring to go beyond our perceived limitations and strive to do the best. We care not for the barriers that may lie ahead, but take into our heart the lessons that are yet to be learned in surmounting them. The hardships that we will face are but new challenges to be overcome. Our steadfast faith is our greatest ally, the guiding force that tells us to doubt not our abilities, and that though we may stumble and fall, we can always stand again and fight.

Excellence is a virtue that demands active participation, it is glad when impediments are overcome. It requires the mind, the heart and the hands, "Caput, Cor, Manus" to achieve something akin to perfection. There is an element of truth in wanting to be the best and then going forth in actually doing something about it.

Excellence is an experience, and there is a strong connection between struggling against difficulties and surpassing them in triumph. the act itself compels us to value each achievement and enjoy them.

Excellence is dynamic; it is active, forceful, energetic and capable of giving a sense of power and transmitting it to others. It is forward looking and is intolerable by complacency. It is against stagnation and everything static.

Excellence is a standard; it is both the foundation & the wall of strong & credible institutions. It is what we look up to, and it is one of the vital components of the lifeblood of the pioneers.

by: Dryden Regie Rigonan
Exordium Volume XII, Issue 1
September 2004

RLE Na Naman

Kapag iniisip ko ang tipikal na umaga ng isang student nurse na tulad ko, hindi pwedeng mawala ang alarm clock. Ito lang kasi ang paraan para magising ako ng pagkaaga aga para sa isa na namang araw ng pagduduty ko sa ospital. Araw araw (actually th-f-sat lang and duty pero maaga din naman ang lecture ah!) eh kailangan kong bumangon ng alas- sais ng umaga. Advantage na yun para sa akin dahil jeep lang ang sasakyan ko. Pero kahit ganun eh minsan nala-late pa rin ako. Malas ka kung kung nataon na traffic pa. Pag nagkataon eh umisip ka na ng pinakamaganda at pinakamakatotohanang alibi sa clinical instructor mo. O kung di naman eh ipagdasal mo na sana eh late din o kayay absent siya dahil gumimik kagabi. Maswerte ka sa lahat ng swerte kung ang C.I mo sa exposure na un eh kadikit mo. Meaning pwede mong pakiusapan na wag ka ng bigyan ng make up duty at sa halip eh ililibre mo na lang siya sa labas. Malas ka naman sa lahat ng malas kung nagkataon na ang C.I mo eh maaga pa sa pagtilaok ng manok kung pumasok sa duty. Fifteen minutes late means absent ka na. Sesermunan ka pa sa mga R.L.E policies na araw araw sa ginawa ng Diyos eh bukambibig niya. Para bang sinaniban cia ng nanay mo na kung minsan eh sobra pa kung magsermon. Alam naman namin ang mga policies eh. Pero in fairness sa kanila, meron naman kasing mga estudyante na sobrang kulit at kahit ipukpok pa sa kanila eh talagang di makaintindi.


Kung ang C.I mo eh ung tipong di nagchecheck ng paraphernalia, swerte. Hindi mo na kailangang dalhin ang nursing bag na binili mo ng pagkamahal mahal. Malas ka naman kung masipag magcheck at kapag kulang ka kahit isang piraso ng bulak eh minus kaagad at sesermunan ka ulit about the requirements and paraphernalias needed blah blah blah. Bawal din ang maghiraman lalo na kung matalas ang observing powers ng C.I mo. Nasubukan ko na yun eh kaso nga lang nahuli kami. Hehe. Malas talaga. Late ka na nga eh minus ka pa. Badtrip.


Hindi lang pala paraphernalia ang iche-check, pati uniform mo. Sabi nga nila, dapat eh pristine white. Ung tipong laba sa Surf. Siguradong nanaisin mong lamunin ka ng lupa kapag inumpisahan ng laitin ang uniform mong naninilaw na. Hindi pa naman nangyari sa akin yun awa ng Diyos. Pero may iilan na nakalasap na. Dapat white socks and white underwear. For the ladies, dapat naka-chemise. No black brassiere. Para daw hindi paginteresan ng mga bantay ng pasyente o ng pasyente mismo ang mga student nurse. Ang hindi nila alam, ahem, wag na lang, secret na lang muna.


Pagkatapos magcheck ng paraphernalia at uniform eh handa ng sumabak sa mga pasyente. Kailangang bumati sa mga pasyente at magpretend na masaya ka kahit gusto mo ng sumabog sa inis dahil sa malas na inabot mo. Pagkatapos ay ang walang kamatayang vital signs with matching nurse- patient interaction. Hahalungkatin mo lahat ng impormasyon tungkol sa pasyente mo at aakalain niyang isa kang imbestigador na ultimo teacher niya nung grade one eh naitanong mo na. Take note: gagawin mo ito ng nakatayo. Kung may silya sa tabi ng kama, swerte. Kung wala eh magtiis ka hanggang sa sumakit ang mga paa mo at magkakalyo. Nariyan pa ang C.I mo na daig pa ang gwardya sibil sa pagbabantay sa iyo. Bawal magkumpulan ang mga estudyante sa isang lugar, bawal magtawanan, at lalung lalo ng bawal magharutan (guilty ako rito dahil isa akong maharot na bata). Dapat sa tabi ka lang ng pasyente at kung minamalas ka talaga eh bedside conference ang regalo sa iyo. Sa ilang minuto mong pakikipag-usap sa pasyente ay dapat alam mo na ang kanyang sakit, etiology, signs and symptoms, diagnostic tests, patophysiology, medical at nursing management at mga medications. Sa loob loob mo eh gusto mong sabihin, “ok ka lang sir/mam??”. Pero wala kang magawa dahil na corner ka na ng C.I mo at kapag di mo nasagot ay siguradong pahiya ka na naman at mangyayari ito sa harap ng pasyente mo. Badtrip noh?


15 minutes break. Sa wakas at makakakain ka na. Minsan sa pagmamadali ko eh nakakalimutan ko ng mag almusal. Nasanay na rin ako pero minsan eh kailangan din ang almusal lalo na pag nahihilo na ko sa puyat at sa mabilis na ikot ng mundo. Habang kumakain ako ng pansit sa canteen ng ospital ay di ko mapigilang magmuni muni, di ko namalayan na fourth year na pala ako at ilang buwan ko ring pinagsisilbihan ang mga pasyente ko sa ospital.


Tapos na ang break. Balik na sa ward. Oras na para magchart. Pero bago isulat sa chart eh kailangang gumawa ng sample charting. Kung ang C.I mo eh ung tipong traditional charting lang ang madalas ipagawa, ayos. At kung soapie charting naman, hindi mo na kailangang ulit ulitin at irevise ang chart na siya mismo ang nag revise, at kung hindi ka aabutin ng alas singko ng hapon kakagawa ng sample chart, swerte ka. Pwede ka ng magchart!


Kung ang pasyente mo eh hindi makulit, mataray, hindi mahirap painumin ng gamot at hindi reklamador kahit binurdahan mo na ang kanyang kamay sa dami ng skin test na ginawa mo, swerte. Dito mo makikita kung saan ang bantay ang nakahiga sa kama ng pasyente at ang pasyente ay hindi mo mahagilap kung saan nagsuot.


Sa ward pa lang yan, pagdating sa mga “special areas” eh ibang pakikipagsapalaran na naman. Kung saan kailangan ng tibay ng sikmura at hindi ang kaartehan. Kung saan ka makakasaksi ng tunay na himala. Kung ang pasyente mo sa loob ng delivery room eh hindi hysterical, marunong sumunod sa doktor at higit sa lahat eh marunong umiri, swerte. Kung matibay ang iyong sikmura sa sari saring amoy sa loob, at kung hindi ka hihimatayin oras na makita mo nang lumalabas ang ulo ng bata at nailabas ito ng maayos at normal, swerte.


At kung ang C.I mo eh ung tipong hindi namamalo ng kamay gamit ang forcep, ang mga doctor ay hindi nambabato ng Kelly, bobcock, mixter o deaver, swerte.


Ganyan ang buhay ng isang tipikal na student nurse sa loob ng ospital. Kung saan bukambibig ng karamihan ang salitang “toxic” kapag mukha na silang ngarag sa kakaasikaso sa kanilang pasyente. O kung hindi naman pagod eh mukhang “toxic” lang talaga ang pagmumukha niya. Dito rin kung saan ang mga student nurse ay may sakit na PTB (Pretending To be Busy) pag nakitang parating na ang C.I sa kwarto nila. Wais ang tawag sa kanila. Magandang abilidad ang pagiging wais at hinahangaan ang magaling lumusot. Wais din ang tawag sa mga estudyanteng nanghuhula ng nursing diagnosis o kaya namay kinokopya na lang ang mga nakasulat na sa chart dahil wala ng maisip na diagnosis para sa pasyente. At matatapos ang isang araw sa duty na wala man lang natutuhan o kung meron man ay iilan lang ang nakaintindi dahil mismong C.I eh nagmamadali ding umuwi.


Eh bakit nga ba ko nag Nursing? Reklamador naman pala ang puta.


Bakit? Pagkakataong mangibang bansa, kumita ng dolyar, magkaroon ng magandang buhay para sa pamilya. Tapos! Pero “bonus” lang ang mga ito sa pagiging nurse. Ang makatulong sa mga nangangailangan ng pag-aaruga at makapagbigay kasiyahan sa mga may sakit, sapat ng dahilan para ipagpatuloy ko ang kursong ito. Ordinaryong estudyante lang ako na nagkwento ng pananaw ko tungkol sa ating propesyon. Walang personalan. Trabaho lang. Siya nga pala. Mark Bisda po. Taga CLDH-EI.

By: Mark Jayperson Bisda
Exordium, Volume XI, Issue 2
March 2004

Lopsided

He's my one true love.

I started as a freshie at a premiere university in the country. With the innocence of a typical "probinsyana", with the looks of a cultured shock woman due to the unprecedented changes in the society I was into. I tried to surpass all the hardships that came my way during the first few weeks of my stay there, alone. I had nobody to lean on in times of difficulties. I had to depend on myself, not on anybody but I, alone.

He was the one who helped me get over with everything I was into. He brought back my sanity when I felt I almost lost it. I didn't have hesitations upon hearing his words, for I trusted him so much that I almost lost my convictions to myself. He was the one who saved me from jeers and taunts that I received when I faltered in my Speech Communication subject. He got into fisticuffs when somebody called me by a stupid name (a jerk). He was always there to support me, and to protect me, even at the point of risking his own life. We've been together and never been separated from each other. Since then, I have loved him, more than my life.

I never thought everything would end that easy. After all the trials that we have surpassed, after every problem that we have worked out together, was the bitter end we both didn't comprehend why it did happen. All I knew was that I woke up one morning that hatred reigns over my soul. Maybe because he flirted with another girl, and he got her pregnant the same night they've met. he never realized how stupid he was for deciding that he'd marry her as soon as possible to shun from certain circumstances. I never thought He'd be such an idiot Who'd do what he just did. He's a scholar, and indeed intellectual. I expected him to be so brave to face his problem, like what he has been telling me, but I was mistaken.

I didn't talk to him since then. I didn't show up , nor answered his calls. I dropped all my subjects. All I did was to willow in misery in my room, with all the CD's with forlorn songs I could find. I have learned to drink and smoke. I have loved him so much that I lost my own sanity. I even blamed Him for making my life such a mess. I no longer asked for His guidance the way I did before. I just wanted to be so alone that I even tried to end my being. I lived my life in a flight of imagination that someday, we'll be together once again, he and me.

But I had to wake up to reality, I had to accept the authentic event that has happened. He'll be marrying the girl, my very best friend since kindergarten. He'll be with the one he really didn't love, the girl who knew everything of me. the one that I trusted so much, the one who knew my greatest fear- losing my only love. I had to be with them during their wedding day.

With tears running down my cheeks I attended their big day. It's not for my best friend, who'll live with the only man I loved. Not even for him, who will always have a place in my heart. It's for me to move on, to show them what real love means and what it can do. That it could sacrifice and give up everything for the sake of someone else. It might be stupid, but its true love.

By: Eljai
Exordium Volume XI, Issue 1
October 2003