Nursing Path

CARING is the essence of NURSING. -Jean Watson

Nursing Path

Knowing is not enough, we must APPLY. Willing is not enough, we must DO. -Bruce Lee

Nursing Path

Treat the patient as a whole, not just the hole in the patient.

Nursing Path

Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. -Winston Churchill

Nursing Path

A problem is a chance for you to do your best. -Duke Ellington

Nursing Bullets- Psychiatric Nursing.pdf

Barriers to Health Care

In the health sector arena, there are some barriers to basic healthcare. The most prominent barriers are
financial constraints, language barrier, and inadequate knowledge about the system. Various studies have revealed that millions of people experience difficulty or delays in getting necessary medical attention because of these barriers.

It can be cultural

Cultural barriers are primarily related in terms of social, linguistic, and religious issues. Social and religious taboos within particular cultures (like other countries) do hold back many females from approaching a gynecologist for problems related to their sexual health.

Linguistic differences, in the United States, wherein a large section of immigrants could not speak English, are a big problem and barrier for health care professionals. Rapid increase in the number of immigrants in the here and other developed regions, only means that these cultural differences will worsen with time if not addressed.

It can be geographical

The urban-rural division is the most prominent factor in this case. Most of healthcare providers if given a choice would choose to work in the urban areas. By this, there’s a shortage of staff in the rural medical centers. On the other hand, some cities have become agglomerations of medical institutions, but the patient base to which it caters is not to be seen in the radius of miles around it.

It can be socioeconomic

Socioeconomic barriers are like improper education, lack of knowledge, inability of the patient to pay the fees, lack of health insurance, and other such aspects. There are a large number of people who are uninsured which makes medical practitioners be hesitant in taking up their cases. Meanwhile, due to lack of education and knowledge, these people could not avail of the affordable health insurance option that is keeping them back from opting for insurance. Some of these barriers can also be traced to the urban-rural division, with a substantial economic disparity between the two.

These are just some of the major barriers that societies face in the healthcare industry. Irrespective of whether only one or more of these barriers are prominent, the result is bound to be improper health care being provided in the society. With this, the call to action is on the administration to make sure that such barriers are curbed, and health care, which is a basic necessity, is being provided fairly.


Simple Tips to Relieve Stress

Stress is one of the major causes of health problems like heart disease, depression, insomnia, among others. Yet, nowadays, we say that we couldn’t avoid it because of too much work, commitments and responsibilities. Like nurses, they are usually stressed out: long working hours, shifting schedules, patients’ problems, various roles and responsibilities, aside from family and love problems.

Here are some simple tips on how to relax, meditate or de-stress, which we could apply in our regular working day.

You may start eliminating unnecessary tasks on your to-do list.

Yes, learn to prioritize and be realistic on your daily schedule. If you feel that something need not to be done and isn’t that important, then eliminate it. There are many things in our to-do list that we do not necessary need like watching this, playing this and that etc.

You may want to reduce your commitments by saying no to people.

Sometimes, it is best to say no. It is OKAY to say no, especially on attending occasions that would really demand more of your time and not realistic to fit in to your schedule. You may try to send regrets if, for example you have been invited by a friend to have coffee and catch up while you already have a commitment the whole day long. It is okay to re-schedule and say NO at times.

You may start a regular 5-minute meditation practice.

Many testimonials from people who started this practice that this really actually help them de-stress. That meditating could actually help reduce stress. There is a 5-minute meditation exercise that a lot is engaging into. Try to go to professional yoga/meditation classes, or online tutorials on how to do it, and see how it will also work for you.

You may start eat healthier, exercise regularly, get more sleep.

Yes, we all know these. Find time and invest now on your body. You are the only one who can make choices on the food that you eat, and have time to exercise and lessen your watching TV to make time for sleep.

You may want to spend more quality time with loved ones.

Yes, studies show that spending more time with loved ones and having quality time with them make us happier and lessen our stress. This is one of those times when you do not talk and think about work. Just talk about family stuff, laugh about childhood memories and enjoy a nice meal prepared by a family.

These are just some of the simple tips to enjoy life and de-stress. Have fun living the life that you have!

Confidence: The Nurse’s Vital Character

Because of the increasing enrollees, students and graduates of nursing, it is deemed that many students now are more pressured to perform their best in schools. The market is quite stiff for them because more and more nurses are there in the market, waiting to land a job. Thus, nursing education especially in the country is highly competitive. As more graduates are there in nursing, there will come a moment when they will have doubts about their abilities and the choices they made especially to this highly competitive market. So, just like everybody else, a person sometimes lack confidence and doubt oneself and one’s capabilities especially if the person does not perform excellently in his academics.

One of the nurse’s vital characteristics and should take into great consideration while having one’s nursing education and the aftermath is confidence: or the character of believing in one’s self. Just like every student, leaving the school and facing the job market is quite overwhelming. Facing a new environment and exploring the unknown is normally unnerving. The reason for this feeling is because one may not have enough confidence with his abilities and capabilities. One should know how to defeat this feeling and be confident with whom you are and what you want in your life and where you want to go in your nursing professional.

It must be clear that confidence is not about bragging about one’s status or boasting about one’s position. It is about one’s personal perception about one’s own capabilities and applying them to his advantage if necessary. If a nurse’s believe his own capabilities whether in school or work, then everything will follow. Positive perception on one’s self is vital to one’s success. This does not mean that nothing bad or hardships will happen on your way. There will absolutely be hard times and tough decisions in life; there will always be situations where one would feel unsure; but if one is armed with confidence, all these challenges would be much easier to face.

 
Nurses should practice believing in themselves because this profession requires a lot of decision-making; and they are about smart and confident decisions. There will be a lot of trials and challenges that will come their way and not just about surviving nursing education and unreasonable professors. In nursing, it is a matter of how they can handle everyday challenges and the daily situations that are waiting for them when they face the real world.

The everyday burden in nursing school like exams, midterm, finals, simulation classes are nothing compared to the things they may encounter in the real world. In the nursing profession, nurses will face never ending trials and may face tougher times. Not to scare the young nurses but in the real world, these obstacles and trials are their trophies to become “experienced and committed” in the nursing profession. Thus, confidence or believing in one’s self is just one of the tools into this never ending and ever changing nursing profession.

12 Must Read Guidelines for Effective Nurse Test-Taking Skills

It is of a fact that reviews are just a way of enhancing your knowledge and confidence for the NLE.

Remember that you are knowledgeable regarding the nursing concepts and you’ve spent 4 years learning about them. But these knowledge would be futile if you yourself cannot apply effective test taking skills.
Few researches have shown that examiners who fully understand test construction and who become familiar with appropriate test-taking strategies score higher than others with similar knowledge but with inadequate test-taking skills (TTS).

Remember that multiple choice tests are different from tests such as essays, identifications and true/false.

In multiple choice exams, the question is called the stem. The stem is followed by four alternative answers. One answer is correct, and the other three are called distractors because they distract your attention from identifying the correct answer.
It is important to note that these distractors are not necessarily incorrect answers but rather they may not be as correct as as the one you are required to choose.
The following are guidelines that will help you be better prepared during your examinations.


1.  Do not read extra meaning into the question

Tests questions are made to be direct and to the point. The question asks for one particular response and you should not read or add other information into the question.
Often you will find questions that require “common sense” answers and that reading into these questions may give you an other interpretation. You should not search for subtle meaning about the questions or answers.
Ask yourself “What is the question asking?”. Look for keywords and phrases to help you understand. Interpret the question correctly first before reading into the choices.


2.  Understand exactly what the stem is asking before considering the distractors

Make sure you read the stem correctly. Notice particularly the way the question is phrase. Is it asking for the best response or the initial response? Understand what the question is asking.


3. Rephrase the question in your own words

This technique requires you to interpret or translate the question into your own words so that it is very clear in your own mind. Rephrasing the stem of the question can assist your read the question correctly and in turn choose the appropriate response.
Placing the question into your own words would help you in removing extraneous data and get into the core of the stem.


4. When analyzing the distractors, isolate what is important in the answer alternatives from what is not important relative to the question.

In a good test construction, all of the distractors should be feasible and reasonable and should apply directly to the stem. There should be a commonality in all of the distractors.
Also, all of the distractors may be correct but not the right chose for the specific question that is being asked. The technique here is to ask yourself whether each possible alternative is true or false in relation to the stem.


5. After choosing the correct answer alternative and separting it form the distractors, go back to the stem and make sure your choice does, in fact, answer the question.

Many test-takers fail to recheck the answer with the stem, and they answer the question incorrectly.
An effective strategy is to judge all four alternative choices against the stem and not against  one another. Read the stem, then check alternative 1 against the stem, then check alternative 2 against the stem and so on. This process will eliminate choosing an alternative that does not fit  with the question.


6. When a question contains multiple variables as alternative choices, use the “elimination of variable” technique.

Each question may pose different alternatives with several variables. Use the process of elimination. Study the question first and ask yourself what variable fits with this condition, or after examining the distractors underline the symptom that you know is correct. Now ask yourself what variable is not present with this condition. Again examine the distractors and cross out those variables that are incorrect. By this process your probably eliminated at least two distractors even without taking the time to consider the other two.


7. When answering a difficult question, utilize your body of knowledge.

When you come across a difficult question and you cannot immediately identify the answer, go back to your body of knowledge and draw all the information that you do know about the condition.
If you are unfamiliar with the disease or disorder and cannot choose the right nursing action, try to generalize to other situations. For example, if the question asks about dog bites, and you’ve never learned the course of the disorder, go back to an area of k nowledge that you do know, for example, circulation and body response to toxic substances.
Even though you do not know exactly what to d, you might know what not to do. Eliminate distractors to increase your chances of arriving at the correct answer.


8. The ability to guess correctly is both a skill and an art.

The board exams is not a “right minus wrong” type. It is important for you to answer every question even if you have to guess. Guessing gives you only a 25% chance of getting the correct answer.
  1. Try to eliminate at least one (or more) distractors as this will increase the percentage margin of chance for guessing correctly.
  2. Examine the distractors and if one is the exact opposite of another (e.g. complete bed rest is different from activity as tolerated; both cannot be correct since they are of opposites), choose the one that seems to be most logical.
  3. Try to identify the underlying principle that supports the question. If you can answer the question, you might then be able to guess the correct answer. This strategy is especially true with a psychosocial question.
  4. Look at the way the alternatives are presented. Are there two answers that are very close? often when this occurs, the ability to discriminate will show evidence of judgement. Check to see if one, more than the other, is the best choice for the question.
  5. Are there distractors that are presented not logical (which are correct in themselves but do not have anything to do with the question)? Eliminate these and focus on other alternatives.
  6. Use your intuition. If you cannot choose an alternative from a logical point, allow yourself to feel which one might be right. Often your subconscious mind will choose correctly (based on all the conscious knowledge you have of course) so simply let yourself feel which alternative might be right. Remember, its better to choose one answer than none at all.


9. Choosing answer from a hunch

There comes a time when you are faced with a certain question and you have a hunch that this particular choice is correct. Do we depend on this “hunch?”. Current studies supports that hunches are often correct, for they are based on rapid subconscious connections in the brain.
Your stored knowledge, recall, and experience can combine to assist you in arriving at the correct answer. So, if you have an initial hunch, go with it! Do not chance the answer if and only if, upon reflection, it just doesn’t seem right. On the other hand, if later in the test you find relevant information or make new connection of information and you feel that your answer was incorrect, do go back and change it.


10. Choosing the best answer from a strategy point-of-view.

Frequently, the most comprehensive answer is the best choice (Longest the best!). For example, if two alternatives seems reasonable but one answer includes the other (i.e., it is more detailed, more comprehensive), then this answer would be the best choice. If an answer focuses on medical knowledge, be wary, for this laternative might be just a good distractor. Remember, this is a nursing test and questions are designed to thest your nursing compentency and safety.
It is unlikely that a question would require a meidcal action for the correct answer; it may, however offer these actions as distractors.
Beware of answers that contain specific qualifiers, such as “always’ and “never”. they rarely fit within a logical framework.


11. Time Management is important

Time allotment for each question in the NLE is 2hours/100 questions is equal to 1.2 minutes. It is important to use your time wisely and program yourself not to spend too much time on one question. Since your are not penalized for incorrect answers, it is important to finish each portion of the test.
Prepare yourself to practice time management by timing yourself for each question during your sample exams.


12. Let the Divine Intervention Intervene


If you cannot answer the question. Have faith in the Lord and thus you’ll be confident to answer each question. If you do not know, He knows. Ask for God’s help!  Remember, you are doing this for His glory!

Tips for IELTS Examination

The International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates
who need to study or work where English is the language of communication. Philippine Registered Nurses seeking to get registered in most first world countries are required to have a certain level of competency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking the English Language. Filipino nurses are trained enough from childhood to have a good grasp of the language; trouble arises when they do not get the required marks for each and every exam. It is always best to prepare for any exam especially if it is a main qualifier for your prospects abroad.

The first part of the IELTS exam is listening test which lasts for about 30 minutes. It consists of four sections, played on a recording, in order of increasing difficulty. Each section might be a dialogue or a monologue. The test is played once only, and the questions for each section must be answered while listening, although time is given for students to check their answers. The examinee should clear his thoughts prior to this part and keep an open mind. He should also be mindful to details. A good tip for this part is to immediately write down the answer as you hear it as your thoughts may be fleeting as you listen more and more to the recording. Write your answer using a pencil on the questionnaire and just transfer them at the end of the test as the examiners give time for review of answers before collecting the answer sheets.

The second part if the IELTS exam is the Reading test which lasts for 60 minutes. Nurses are required to take an Academic Reading test. The test consists of three sections and the sections are in order of increasing difficulty. The examinee should manage his time wisely during this part of the exam, keeping in mind that he will need more time to go through reading and answering the latter parts of the test as the difficulty increases and the reading material gets longer. A good tip in answering the exam is to underline the main sentence in each paragraph so you can use them as markers when answering the test that goes after each article.

The next part of the IELTS exam is the Writing test which also lasts for 60 minutes Nurses are required to take an Academic Reading test. The examinee must perform two writing tasks, which require different styles of writing. There is no choice of question topics so a good way to prepare prior to exam day is to read up on current events. Socio political and environmental news are always good sources of information and may be helpful when it comes to this part of the exam. The examinee should a lot 20 minutes for the first part of the exam and 40 minutes for the second part. Grammar and spelling check is a must and legible handwriting will make or break the examinee. The flow of your discussion and/or your argument must organized so as not to veer away from the topic and possibly confuse the reader. No need for “big” words, you just have to make sure any person who reads your article understands what you’re trying to get at.

The last part of the IELTS exam is the speaking test. This may be done before the actual exam day or even after the 3 other tests are done. It consists of a one-to-one interview with a specially trained examiner. The examiner will lead the candidate through the three parts of the test:
  1. An introduction and interview 
  2. An individual long turn where the candidate speaks for one or two minutes on a particular topic 
  3. And a two-way discussion thematically linked to the individual long turn. This interview will last for approximately 11-14 minutes. 
My tip for the examinee is to relax and be confident. Confidence is a good indicator of your ease in conversing in English. Do not use words that you cannot define and be casual and friendly. Imagine talking to a person you have just met in an office setting and striking up a conversation with them.

These are the things that worked for me and helped me pass the IELTS exam. The execution and results will still depend on the individual’s effort and preparation. I wish my fellow registered nurses all the luck in their endeavors. For those who did not pass their initial take, remember to pick yourselves up try again. Dreams come true to those who persevere and never give up.

Mnemonics and Tips Related to Psychiatric Nursing.pdf

Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 11.pdf

Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 10.pdf

Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 9.pdf

Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 8.pdf

MCQ. Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 7.pdf

MCQ. Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 6.pdf

MCQ. Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 5.pdf

MCQ. Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 4.pdf

MCQ. Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 3.pdf

MCQ. Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 2.pdf

MCQ. Mental Health Nursing Practice Test 1.pdf

THINKING AND REASONING ppt.

LEARNING ppt.

PERCEPTION ppt.

ATTENTION ppt.

Psychology as a Science of Behavior ppt.

Biological Basis of Human Behavior ppt.