Ten Commandments for Nurses to Avoid Illegal Recruitment

1. Do not apply at recruitment agencies not "currently" licensed by POEA.

2. Do not deal with licensed agencies without job orders.

3. Do not deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency.

4. Do not transact business outside the registered address of the agency. If recruitment is conducted in the province, check if the agency has a provincial recruitment authority.

5. Do not pay more that the equivalent of one month salary as placement fee, exclusive of documentation and processing costs. For some countries in Europe, the placement fee is paid by the employer, not the worker.

6. Do not pay any placement fee unless you have a valid employment contract and an official receipt.

7. Do not be enticed by ads or brochures requiring you to reply to a Post Office (P.O.) Box, and to enclose payment for processing of papers.

8. Do not deal with agents of training centers and travel agencies who promise overseas employment.

9. Do not accept a tourist visa for overseas employment.

10. Do not deal with fixers or entrust your money and documents to them.

Reposted from Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) website.

Nursing Survival Guide (NSG)

I think I am very much qualified to make a nursing survival guide since I already experienced being nursing student, a staff nurse, and a nursing clinical instructor.

The following are the essentials if you want to survive nursing:

1) ATTENDANCE - Always remember that whenever you are absent, it is always a double jeopardy situation because you missed signing in the attendance sheet that might cause you a sanction or make up duty as well you probably missed a quiz or two.

2) APTITUDE - For a 100-item test, always remember to never leave any test items unanswered as well as avoid doing super impositions or alterations that may invalid your answer. It is best to have a pencil and an eraser with you. Always be time conscious whenever you are taking a test, limit a maximum of 45 seconds or less than a minute on each item that you are unsure. Encircle that item then return to it after you are done answering the items that you are more sure of your answers.

3) ATTITUDE - Unlike any courses, all nursing faculty give a weight as much as 10% for attitude in a grade of the nursing student. This can be very subjective since it is based only on the clinical instructor's perception but you can make it to your advantage by being more polite, punctual, and prepared in any requirement given to you. Instead of spending time arguing with a clinical instructor about a missing written requirement that you did pass earlier, how about avoiding that situation by having a photocopy of the written requirement as contingency and your copy for future reference.

4) ALLOWANCE - Money. Money. Lots of money! You definitely need to budget your allowance or request for a constant raise every semester because of the expenses of assignments, requirements, contributions, affiliations, and many to mention (as in words with suffixes "-ments" and "-tions" in nursing!).

5) AMOR - It is the Spanish word for "love". It means that you should love nursing because it makes everything easier for you as a nursing student and professional someday. Nursing may not be the course that you really like but it doesn't mean you have to hate it. The best thing about nursing is that it can be your stepping stone for another career and can be your reliable fall back if all else fails in the other career that you choose. Nursing can also be your motivation for living a more healthier life for you and the people you care about the most.

Post NCLEX Stress Disorder

First posted on February 27, 2008 at Friendster blogs.

I thought 22 was my lucky number.

February 22, 2008, the day I got my mail from Board of Nursing in Saipan (that's in Northern Marianas for the ignoramus).

I did not PASS the NCLEX. Well, I already have a feeling before I won't make the cut but now, I have the hard copy. I am seriously thinking of having it laminated. It is my first time to fail an exam. (excluding ofcourse la salle, ateneo, UP college entrance examinations)

My folks, like most middle-class parents, were disappointed.

While waiting for the NCLEX result, it seems that my father is already planning the loans he will be applying soon which I am the one who will be paying when I'm already in the land of milk and honey, and britney spears.

It also seems that my mother was already anticipating then that she will be receiving her retirement pension soon aka allotment from my work worth $30 an hour.

But reality kicks in. I did not pass the NCLEX.

My parents told me, "Bahala ka na sa buhay mo..."

But ofcourse, I know what they really meant was that I'm an investment gone bad but I need to take the NCLEX again but now, I'm paying using what I am earning now as parttime Clinical Instructor.

It makes me realize that is this the price of raising me in a bubble? A life where I was expected to do good in everything because everything is already provided and I don't need to work my ass just to get through my studies.

Then, what is the difference between raising a child and hog raising? The feeds perhaps.

I am not saying that my parents are EVIL, like most Filipinos in Metro Manila think of our president, but I believe that parents should integrate empowerment in raising their children.

I know that parents will do to their best to prevent their children from making the same mistake that they made before but if their children did make their own mistakes, the parents, with their guidance, should let them handle the responsibility.

Nevertheless, I never consider myself a FAILURE because I did my best, though in a cramming way.

With that mistake, I learned my lesson the hard way and I am moving forward my way.