The Alpha Nurse

Tech | Samsung Galaxy Round: A Curved-Display Smartphone

2013-10-09T15:28:00.002+08:00

As I woke up in the morning a while ago, I picked up my phone and switched off the annoying alarm clock. I opened the usual apps of my smartphone like Facebook and Twitter just to check for any updates and notifications (that's a usual morning routine for a human living in 2013). As I scroll the pages of my Twitter feed, I saw an unusual smartphone picture posted in @evleaks.

This could be Samsung's first curved-display smartphone.

Yeah right, but do we really need a smartphone with a curved glass display? I knew Samsung most of the time as a company who puts a lot of gimmicks on their mobile devices. But sometimes these gimmicks are cool and that's the reason why these digital devices are called 'gadgets'.

Nevertheless, I just ignored the posted photograph and moved on. However, after I finished my morning run and some video editing on my PC this afternoon, I took a quick coffee break and opened some tech news site and then all I can say is... wow, that escalated quickly.

Samsung finally announces their first curved-glass display smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Round.

If you remember CES 2013 which was held during the 1st quarter of the year, Samsung unveiled one of their future advances in their mobile devices which is a flexible display under the codename of 'Youm'. Many consumers and designers were enticed in Samsung's motive and it gave an open door for brighter ideas. 10 months after CES 2013, we can now experience Samsung's first curved-display smartphone.

The specifications of Samsung Galaxy Round are quite similar to the current flagship smartphones running today.

It has a 5.7-inch 1080p OLED screen (which is the same with the Galaxy Note 3)
13 megapixel rear camera
2.3 GHz quad-core processor, 3 GB RAM, Android Jelly Bean 4.3
2800 mAh battery
It is 7.9mm thick and it weighs 154g

According to The Verge.com, Samsung Galaxy Round will be released in "luxury brown" color in Korea on October 10, 2013 at a price tag of 1.09 million won (about $ 1,013). Well, this is a very expensive mobile device.

As I said a while ago, Samsung loves to put gimmicky features on their mobile devices. One feature added in this device is the 'Roll Effect'. If you roll the smartphone on one side then it will enable the user to see notifications and updates on their device while the screen is turned off. (Similar to Moto X's way of showing up notification while the screen is off but in a gimmicky way haha) Check the video below:

This is a fresh start for a new line up of smartphones for Samsung. I've read that LG will be making curved smartphones too. Still, it is up to you if you're going to buy this smartphone once it is available in the Philippines. But always remember to spend your money wisely and use it only to the things you need the most. Not wants. What do you think of the new Samsung Galaxy Round? Just post your comments below :)

Sources: http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/8/4818572/samsung-galaxy-round-curved-oled-smartphone-official

Video | Gravity: Surviving the Void (Movie Review)

2013-10-05T21:41:00.001+08:00

It was one hell of a ride - this is the only phrase I said once the movie credits started to roll out. I've been gripping the edge of my seat while watching this surreal sci-fi movie. The thrill and panic it brought from the trailer itself is intriguing enough for me to watch this film. All I can say is - it was really one hell of a ride!

Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity are both dramatically intense and visually stunning. I can say that this is the finest and the most visually entertaining sci-fi movie I ever watched in 3D since Avatar. I even recommend you watching this epic sci-fi movie in the biggest screen possible and it must be in 3D to complete the package. The suspense building up in every scene plus the eerie music and realistic space sounds are effective in developing a sense of fear and danger. You will be surprised in every whips and slash of debris as if coming out of the screen and mesmerize with the disorienting illusion and feeling of floating in zero gravity. Thanks to its well crafted cinematography and computer graphics.

The movie starts on a timid space walk with Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) in fixing the hubble space telescope. After that, the real adventure begins. It is all about survival in a vast void of nothingness. With a number of scenes showing Dr. Ryan Stone's point of view gives the audience an empathetic feeling of immersion in the protagonist's current situation.

Gravity is like Life of Pi in space. Your space suit is the life boat, the whole universe is the ocean, your fear is the bengali tiger and your mission is to simply survive the void.

Kudos to Alfonso Cuaron for setting up the bar in science fiction. This will be the new benchmark for future sci-fi films to come.

Photo Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/1/4788682/gravity-review

Nursing | Fired for Staying Late

2013-08-28T13:50:00.001+08:00

I read an article a while ago about a health care employee was fired due to staying late at work. Being late before duty hours is a big issue to any workplace and it imposes a criteria for an employee to be fired. This time, it is the other way around. A hardworking employee was fired because of staying late at work. This article was posted in Medscape.com and here's the background of the problem.

I was working in a long-term care facility as a licensed practical nurse on the evening shift. I worked the rehabilitation hall and had the most admissions and discharges. When we were short staffed, which was almost every day, I was expected to not only do my job but also do the job of the nurse on the other hall, admit patients, pass medications, and help the nursing assistants. Some days I was doing the work of 4 people. I was not able to get all my work done on my shift, so I would stay late to finish. If I didn't finish my work, I would get in trouble. I was told to pass unfinished work on to the next shift, but they wouldn't do it -- they just left it for me to finish the next day. I made the administration aware of my situation and was told that I needed to clock out on time, with no offer of help. I frequently stayed 4 hours past my shift doing all the paperwork. I was exhausted working there and suffered increased pain that I have in my legs from major nerve damage. Eventually, I was fired for staying late.

Based on the background above, there is an issue about staffing. An employee is not able to stay late beyond duty hours if a certain unit or section is properly manned. She was doing her job alone which is good for 4 persons in some days and this is a factor why she's staying late at work. Also, as health care workers, documentation is a major responsibility in our career. Due to a lot of paperwork, she would usually accomplish her charting at the end of her duty. If she will focused in accomplishing her documentation during the shift then her quality of care would decrease. It is also an added burden to the nurses on next shift if she would endorse her pending tasks to them. Yet there are no assurance if they are willing to finish it.

The question is, why this employee was fired? There are 2 points regarding this issue.

The first point is, it is not illegal for an employee to stay late at work just to finish her pending tasks.
The second point is, it is illegal for the institution to let you do that and not pay you.

It is a shame for an institution if they are not able to solve this issue. But there are solutions to this problem and let me share to you some of my ideas.

1. BUDGET CONSTRAINTS - SYSTEM MODIFICATION through SHARED GOVERNANCE
If an employee is already burned out in her work due to under-staffing issues, then you might consider hiring new staff members just to compensate for the workload. If budget is the problem, it is better to have a disclosure with the employees and think of a plan about modifying the system by making their tasks simpler, more organized and easier in order to avoid extended duty hours. Through shared governance, everyone will have an opportunity to voice out their concerns from the staffs to the managerial positions and formulate a strategy based on the shared ideas. Teamwork is important for every unit in solving issues like this.

2. COUNSEL EMPLOYEES about EFFICIENCY and TIME MANAGEMENT
If efficiency is a problem, then I think it is better for the nurse leaders or managers to conduct seminars and counsel their staffs on how to improve their skills in time management. It is the responsibility of the managers to keep their staffs well trained and efficient.

3. MAKE RECOGNITION and MAKE YOUR STAFFS FEEL WORTHY
One of the standards in JCIA (Joint Commission International Accreditation) is for a company to have a reward system in making their employees recognized in their diligence and hard-work. This will make your staffs satisfied in their work amid the workload that they have. In contrast to my workplace, our nurse manager never fails to express her gratitude in times a staff exerts an extra effort in improving care to our patients.

Issues are always present in the workplace. These things happened for a reason and it is essential for our professional growth. Issues can help you or destroy you depending on how you respond to it. Staying late at work is not a problem but it is a problem for the institution if they will not pay you for those extended duty hours. Shared governance and teamwork are key in solving issues regarding staffs' efficiency, time management and staffing concerns. With an open attitude, these things will work out and it can help your employees feel satisfied in their work.

Sources: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/808203_1
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Nursing | Silent Heroism of Nurses

2013-08-11T14:35:00.001+08:00

Let me share to you a video of one of our professors in college, Cong. Leah Paquiz, RN of Ang NARS Party-list, delivering a speech about the present situation of our health care system and the whereabouts of the Filipino Nurses. This is her first privilege speech at the House of the Representatives which focuses on the antiquated and inequitable status in the nursing profession.

Let the message of this speech gives awareness to every government official in providing us the things that we need in promoting health and preventing illnesses.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to talk about HEALTH CARE and the majority of the health work force called ‘NURSES’.

I would like to start with a short description of our health care system as documented by the University of the Philippines National Institute of Health (UPNIH) Universal Health Care study group:and I quote “within the country, there are glaring disparities in health status among regions and income groups. This disparity in health status results from the INEQUITIES in society in general and, WITHIN THE HEALTH SYSTEM, from the inequity in access to health service. This inequity in access results from a health system characterized by : inappropriate governance within the health system, antiquated and inadequate health information system, ineffective regulation of health goods and services, fragmentation of health service delivery, a dysfunctional health work force, and unfair, unjust, and inadequate health care financing”.

Recently, the Universal Health Care Program was approved by the President. Universal Health Care is defined as the provision to every Filipino of the highest quality of health care but this program is entirely geared to gathering more membership to Phil Health as a basis to help provide for health care services. The entirety of this scheme is illness oriented to the neglect of health promotion and prevention of diseases’ activities.

What ails the present Philippine health care system?

1. A HUGE DISCREPANCY in the quantity and quality of health care services received by the poor and the rich – at its extremes, INSUFFICIENT for the poor and marginalized groups, and WORLD CLASS for the millionaires – billionaires. In our country, given the same disease, THE RICH WILL SURVIVE and the POOR WILL DIE. For example, consultation fee of a medical specialist is PHP1,000.00. What are the chances for the poor to get to a medical specialist? Virtually, NONE.

2. The DEVOLUTION of health care services has SEVERED not only QUALITY CARE but also DELETION of the many important national, regional, provincial, and local health activities and services. Severely affected is the inadequate, if not, missing monitoring, regulation, and evaluation of health care services at the primary level.

3. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES have DWINDLED down so much (unlike the decades 50’s, 60’s, up to mid 70’s) that HEALTH PROMOTION AND PREVENTION OF DISEASES has just come about to nearly disappear. Almost gone are the primary health care services that was developed by DOH in the late 70’s. Those primary health care services were attuned to community health needs and were accessible, available and affordable by all. The absence of a system at the community level needs to be addressed so that communities can easily avail of services akin to their needs.

4. Yet, many present illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, HIV, and behavioural problems can be prevented with GOOD PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

5. The planned privatization of 26 hospitals of the Department of Health (DOH) will aggravate the ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY of health care services for the POOR AND MARGINALIZED GROUPS. The DOH has started the bidding as part of the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) program the government-owned Philippine Orthopaedic Hospital. Under this PPP program, the DOH invited the bidders to undertake the PHP5.6 Billion project which involves the construction of a modern 12 storey building. There seems to be so much interest on the PPP plans for this hospitals as I have heard there are many buyers lining up to acquire and invest in them. And what does investment means? To one who invests, there must be a related profit.
Mr. Speaker, Allow me now to FOCUS ON THE NURSING WORK FORCE – THE CARE SPECIALISTS, THE SILENT HEROES OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Where are the nurses?

1. They are in hospitals where most of the nurses work:

• Who renders 24/7 care services?? …. THE NURSES!!!
• Who does all the necessary procedures for health care??.... THE NURSES!!!
• Who are called when patients ask for assistance?? ….. THE NURSES!!!
• Who coordinates the CARE SERVICES in hospitals??.... THE NURSES!!!!
• Just like THE DOCTORS who are the CURE SPECIALISTS, THE CARE SPECIALISTS ARE THE NURSES!!!

Yet, many hospitals are under staffed with professional nurses, nurse ratios are generally 1:20 or 1:50. QUALITY CARE IS COMPROMISED. Indeed, SCARCITY in the midst of PLENTY. Many nurses are employed as contractuals, job orders and when exposed to dismal conditions in hospitals – they are DISMISSED ARBITRARILY.

2. Nurses in the hundreds and thousands (more than 200,000 in 2012) are unemployed or under-employed and those who want to seek hospital experience serve as FALSE VOLUNTEERS, FALSE TRAINEES AND CHARGED WITH EXORBITANT FEES.

Because of the sheer volume of Nurses who wish to work, they became vulnerable to exploitation and became pawns in the world of precarious working conditions. Hapless Nurses take on false volunteer programs in dire exchange for training or employment certificates which is not given them. Some even pay the hospitals for these training. Some Nurses gladly volunteer and take on the work of a staff Nurse without pay just so they can practice as a hospital nurse. These Nurses do not have Employer-Employee relationship. Thus are not protected from the risks and hazards in the performance of their duties. They can be terminated without due process. We have Nurses working in hospitals as contractual for more than two years but they have yet to become Regular Employees. They do not receive basic benefits allowed by Law like Pagibig, SSS/GSIS, Philhealth, or 13th month pay.

Section 32 of Republic Ac No. 9173 entitled, “Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.” States Mr. Speaker that:

In order to enhance the general welfare, commitment to service and professionalism of Nurses the minimum base pay of Nurses working in public health institutions shall not be lower than salary grade 15…

Salary Grade 15 has a monetary equivalent of P24,887.00. To the dismay of these nurses, the present Salary Grade implemented is SG 11 or roughly P18,549. Asking for the implementation of SG 15 is not too much. It is a decent amount for a Nurse to provide for his or her family, as he or she performs her duties to provide quality healthcare.

Ironically, despite the severe need for nursing services here in our country, our nurses are forced to leave the country in search of better opportunities abroad.

Today, our profession mourns as we lose a colleague. I want you to meet Mr.Erano Santos. He was a man who dreamed of big dreams. He would have been content to stay in his town in Angeles, Pampanga where he worked as a Clinical Instructor in Holy Angel University. He was an orphan and was forced to support his siblings. He waited for seven years for his papers to be processed for migration to US. He chose to migrate to Ohio, and later on moved to Tenessee. On the fateful day of July 20, 2013, after coming from work, Mr.Erano Santos was shot and killed following an altercation. The perpetrator of the crime did not only kill him, he took his car as well. His life ended on the pavement of the parking lot. His dreams of a better life for his family forever shattered.

Locally, where do the unemployed nurses try to seek jobs? In CALL CENTERS, BEAUTY CLINICS, GYMS, SPAS, HOTELS, DRUG COMPANIES and as CREWS in FAST FOOD CHAINS and RESTAURANTS.

“You have just heard my descriptions of the poor working conditions besetting our nurses where they are employed and the inequitable provisions of their work situations. While in the past, the Philippines can boast of good nursing education programs and services, SADLY, it is only our country in the ASEAN region that has no CHIEF NURSE POSITION in the DOH. What a pity that during the early years, nurses from other ASEAN countries were coming to study in our schools and to make observational field visits to our health units. That was a glorious past and now, we are behind in every indicator of development.”

3. WHERE ARE THE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES who used to make home visits to families and gave health lectures to mothers on healthy family living and care of the very young, young, adolescents, adults, and elderly as well as pregnant and post-natal mothers?

4. When you really come to think of it, it is really CARING FROM WOMB TO TOMB.
CAN WE IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT NURSES (OR CARE)?

Mr. Speaker, we believe that a strong nation begins with healthy constituents. Our vision is to make the nursing sector an effective partner of the government towards building a strong and healthy nation. It is our primary thrust to equip every barangay health center and public school clinic with a nurse to deliver quality primary healthcare for the promotion of health and prevention of sickness. If this happens then we wouldn’t see thousands of our nurses leave the country.

I would like to put forward for us all that health is the “be all” in our lives. As more and more longevity of life is expected due to discoveries and inventions in modern technology and medicine, the nurses will be in much greater need to care for the elderly. In fact, this is what is happening to our Filipino nurses and care-givers who are out-sourced for care of the aged and elderly in the developed countries.

I submit to you all that there is a big need to look at our present health care system and undertake reforms to meet the Universal Health Care goal. Given the inequity that operates in our present health care system, can we help in the achievement of better equity? What combinations of legislation and health policies can improve health in our country? Equity is fundamental to the achievement of the goal of universal health care.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Source: Ang NARS Party-list, August 6, 2013
Photo Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=181252375389788&set=a.181252088723150.1073741826.180699158778443&type=1&theater

Nursing | The Man in Nursing

2013-08-01T19:21:00.002+08:00

What does it take to be the man in Nursing? A man by nature is simply characterized and well known as competitive, the boss, uses strength to conquer others and many other attributes which has negative impact of how a man is designed to be. These traits were created since the beginning of our history and we tend to carry these traits until today as a basis of how a man should work and act. But being an alpha male is not really bad after all, it depends on how you define it.

By the word itself, alpha, simply means first. By combining the word 'male' with 'alpha' would make the title "Alpha Male" which means the leader of a group, a warrior, the man who looks to and often with a hint of jealousy. Or in shorter terms, the real man.

Imagine an alpha male would venture himself in the field of nursing, which is known to be a job for women. Would you still consider this guy an alpha male? Do you feel that your manliness has decreased by the time you entered nursing?

What does it take to be the Alpha Nurse in Nursing? The answer is only found nothing but on the one who created us.

What does it take to be a man? According to the scripture in Psalms 37:23, "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way,"

A real man's way is established by the Lord, and as Christians we see a great example displayed by His only Son, Jesus Christ. If you want to be the real man or the alpha nurse in your field, you must follow Jesus first. For He is the truth, the way and the light. Right at this moment, we may be living in darkness and wandering around randomly in a vulnerable state. We tend to seek guidance from others and ask for their ways on how to be successful and happy in life but most of the time, we fail to find the prize. But Jesus is the truth, the way and the light.

He is the truth and the way - yes He knows everything. Even you say to yourself, "My plans are better than you!" but His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His plans are way better than our plans. His purpose for us is good, pleasing and perfect; and we have nothing to do but to trust in Him and love Him with all our heart, mind and soul.

He is the light - like what I said, we are all lost in darkness, and Jesus is our light and He will guide us in all endeavors of our lives.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ALPHA NURSE THAT GOD WANTS US TO BE?

Here are some examples:

An alpha nurse...

1. Is courageous and has strength to carry on day-by-day tasks whether inside the hospital or outside the hospital. (Philippians 4:13, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

2. Puts others first before self (Philippians 2:3-5)

3. Always trusts in the Lord in every situation (Proverbs 3:5-6)

4. Always encourages others, help others grow and doesn't want others to be left behind (Proverbs 27:17)

5. Has no doubt and always trusts the Lord in every way (Philippians 4:6-9)

6. Always do what is right and never grows weary in being just (Galatians 6:9)

7. Considers himself as a servant leader (Matthew 20:20-28)

These are some of the characteristics that God established for every real man to follow. For the upcoming weeks, we will go deeper in every characteristic posted in this page to further understand the way of a real man with connections to our career as nurses.

If you find this post helpful, then I encouraged you not to keep this to yourself but to share it to others. Let His kingdom advance further by sharing His good news to everyone.