I've decided to move to wordpress, as it it much simpler in the interface to use. Although I've been using blooger since 2003, it indeed has taught me alot of useful basic html codes readings.
I've grown up, all such fanciful and time consuming editing are not for me anymore, I've also learn to tone down my once happening life. As such wordpress meets my current changes.
Myjourneymyviews
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Monday, May 16, 2011
My (perhaps) Self fish and Limited views, on what nurses managers, and Directors should be doing.
After the previous post, my brain hadn't stopped thinking. I'm thinking over and over what is the situation here. I do feel that something has to be done, from the top. I've been trying to analyse the situation, (with the much limited capacity of my brain) why is nursing in Singapore so not comparable to other developed countries with flourishing economy like ours. I know, I will cause controversy yet again, but is it not through comparison, that we see where our weakness lies and we do something to overcome it, formulate a solution and improve? I believe that is what it meant to be constantly changing, not only in terms of medical technological advance, new pharmacological knowledge, but also how the system will flow.
There are probably people who are comparing me to the voters in the recent election in Singapore, who all wanted to see some changes, and got accused that they are ingrate, forgetting all the present system and government had done for them. Before we proceed to condemn such people, we need to understand, there will not be smoke if there is no fire. If we get complacent and contented, then changes will never occur, we will lagged behind, we will be overtaken. Is that how Singapore was founded on ? We moved from a third world country to one of the top economies in the world. Singapore has nothing, not natural reserves, yet in the span of just merely half a century, we have one of the strongest economy in the world, how is that possible ? Reason is simple, we choose to change, and keep changing and moving forward and that was how we achieved what we have now.
So what makes nursing that indifferent? We're satisfied with how things are, things are much better compared to olden days etc. The older nurses will always say that today nurses life are so much better. Comparison. Why compare to the past ? We cannot change what has happened in the past, so there is no use comparing, we should compare it with the "future". "Future" in the sense of how others are doing better then us. The others will feel that our current practice and system is in the past, so to us, their practice and system is the future. When one starts to get complacent and conceited, they will not seek change. A lot us are very used to our comfort zone, thus not many are willing to leave that comfort zone, and explore a brand new zone. If you do that, you have to start from scratch, you have to try hard and work harder again. If we are all that selfish, then nothing will ever change.
Nursing has so many great virtues values etc. Are we really that great ? One of the thing that people will agree about nurses; selflessness. They put patients before themselves, all for the patient. That is the mark of a supposed good nurse. Yes, the catch here, SUPPOSED good nurse. Why do I say so ? Are nurses only selfless when it comes to their patients ? So it means that nurses should and can be selfish when it comes to their colleagues ? How many of the nurses are guilty of making a din and complaining that the other staff did not finish their previous shift work ? How many of us are guilty that we go and find that staff involved and probably gave her or him hell on earth ? Frankly speaking, I'm guilty at times. I'm not saying that nurses should be perfect, I'm not, I'll be the first to admit. At the very least, we can just try. I tried to be tolerant and selfless, I help you, you will help me back. Not that I am demanding or expecting you to do it, but it is just a natural response.
I still remember when I was a new staff, this SN helped me a lot during my adapting period, therefore, there was once where I was on morning shift, she has yet to finish her things from the previous night, and it was already 7.30 am, her shift was over by 30 minutes. She passed the report to me and we served the medications, and she continued to stay on till 8 am plus, I shooed her home and force her to hand everything she had not done over to me and I get it done for her, even though it is not necessary my duty. Nurses, we should not just only be nice to our patients, just to show nurses care, this is just like a facade. How you treat others privately, out of the public view, is who you really are. So have you just proven you're an angel or had you just shown that you're a devil walking on earth ?
Why has this situation occured ? Our upper authorities allowed it to happen. They will always claim that they are unaware of what is happening on the ground, then if that is the case, why are you a director, or manager? What is your job scope ? Your job scope is one that also covers what is happening on the ground, understand what is happening and help to change for the better. And all you people, of all people, said you DON'T KNOW? You don't know can solve everything? Your "I DON'T KNOW" can probably bring world peace now. I believe strongly is not that you're unaware, genuine unaware, but selectively unaware. Argue for all you want, but that is how I sees it. If you have to intervene and manage, implement change, it is going to be hell load of a work. Of course, if you're receiving a big fat pay now, you would rather do less and get more. Typical Human mind set, unavoidable for some poor people. I simply cannot understand how some people can take such money, claimed it as their hard earned, when it cannot be justified by common people like us that it should be given.
Accepting a title is another ridiculous issues I want to talk about. Adjunct AP? (Associate Professor) What rubbish is that ? Is either you're a Associate Professor or you're not, what shit about Adjunct ? Come on, read the word adjunct and understand what it means. If I do not hold the necessary qualifications and I am being awarded such a title and salutation, I will gracefully reject it. This does not makes me someone better or greater, in actual fact, I take it as an insult. Are you implying that I do not have what it take to become an AP ? That I have to be an Adjunct AP? I'll rather commit suicide then accept such rubbish. It is either you show to people you did it with your hard work, or you just humiliate yourself thinking that you're somebody great. Sadly, there are certain of such air heads around.
Precisely of such air heads around, we are suffering. In my previous post, I've mentioned something about nurses pay, so there you go. I wont say Director of Nursing needs to be slap, no, Nurse managers should be slapped. For condoning bullying in the ward. How many new staffs are not being bullied ? A lot of staffs are being bullied by senior staffs. It is an evil cycle you idiots. You (senior staff) bullies me (Junior/ New staff), when I become senior staff, I bully the new and junior staff. So when will the damn cycle break ? Nurse managers, do you have cataract or are you seriously needing help with your vision ?
Director of nursing should not be slapped, what did they do to deserved to be slapped ? They don't, just crucify and burn them on the stake, that is all. Yes, you of all people, should be fighting for the nurses, and you end up being some whiny pussy and did nothing for your people. It is like Abraham is supposed to lead his people to the promised land, he did according to the bible, but the DON didn't, they lead you to hell instead of the promised land. You want to deny ? Take a look at your staff turn over rate statistic before you talk crap. How many local staffs you have compare to foreign staffs? Don't bull shit me that local don't want to do etc, I'm a local, I hold a pink IC, I did 2 years of NS to protect some useless piece of junks. I love nursing, yet I wouldn't want to do it locally as much. Why, you think you can and should treat us like those foreign staffs from overseas. Hello? Which part of your brain is not working ? Occipital? Parietal? Cortex or Brain dead ?
Enough talking about DON, we can go the whole night and still come out with more reasons why they should be crucified and burned. Next up. SNB. Totally another organisation that I do not know what should I say. I won't say much, but Nurses, you want another alternative voice ? SNA (Singapore Nurses Association) should be your next choice. I strongly urge nurses to join SNA, and probably kick the directors there, and form a new young team, be like the opposition, create a presence that cannot be neglected, and you will be able to fight for better benefits, a brighter future for the coming generations of nurses.
Our healthcare reforms need to change further, if not we will lag behind. I've been reading up on the changes in Australia and things seems to be very promising and happening there. I do understand of not copying wholesale, but at least model after them, which we are not seeing. I am here by going to EMPHASIZE, you get complacent you're screwed. Look at your APN and Australia's, USA, Canada's etc APN, our APN are simply a joke as compared to theirs, yet qualifications for APN from those few countries are not recognised in Singapore when they have APN earlier then us, doing better then us. THAT IS A RED TAPE issue, so what more do I have to say, our healthcare system will lose, and collapse, and it will, and who suffer the most ? Not us nurses, we can run, but where can our DEAR and MOST PRECIOUS patients run to ? It is about them also, so what are you doing ? Do you think it is time for some reflections here ? Or are you still going to be a stuck up stubborn old fellow ? Your call.
I will and will become someone of importance, where I will implement change without hesitation. I will axe all those useless crap and get things going. I'll not hesitate firing all the old guns if I can. Your only choice now, is either you make sure I die, or if I do survive by chance, you will all be getting a free one way ticket to writing a new resume for a new job, or end up unemployed. I'll have a team, and make sure they go out all over the country and carry the change that is needed.
I'm proud to be a nurse. It is one of my greatest goals accomplished.
God Bless the Nurses, (and blast those losers away if possible.) =)
There are probably people who are comparing me to the voters in the recent election in Singapore, who all wanted to see some changes, and got accused that they are ingrate, forgetting all the present system and government had done for them. Before we proceed to condemn such people, we need to understand, there will not be smoke if there is no fire. If we get complacent and contented, then changes will never occur, we will lagged behind, we will be overtaken. Is that how Singapore was founded on ? We moved from a third world country to one of the top economies in the world. Singapore has nothing, not natural reserves, yet in the span of just merely half a century, we have one of the strongest economy in the world, how is that possible ? Reason is simple, we choose to change, and keep changing and moving forward and that was how we achieved what we have now.
So what makes nursing that indifferent? We're satisfied with how things are, things are much better compared to olden days etc. The older nurses will always say that today nurses life are so much better. Comparison. Why compare to the past ? We cannot change what has happened in the past, so there is no use comparing, we should compare it with the "future". "Future" in the sense of how others are doing better then us. The others will feel that our current practice and system is in the past, so to us, their practice and system is the future. When one starts to get complacent and conceited, they will not seek change. A lot us are very used to our comfort zone, thus not many are willing to leave that comfort zone, and explore a brand new zone. If you do that, you have to start from scratch, you have to try hard and work harder again. If we are all that selfish, then nothing will ever change.
Nursing has so many great virtues values etc. Are we really that great ? One of the thing that people will agree about nurses; selflessness. They put patients before themselves, all for the patient. That is the mark of a supposed good nurse. Yes, the catch here, SUPPOSED good nurse. Why do I say so ? Are nurses only selfless when it comes to their patients ? So it means that nurses should and can be selfish when it comes to their colleagues ? How many of the nurses are guilty of making a din and complaining that the other staff did not finish their previous shift work ? How many of us are guilty that we go and find that staff involved and probably gave her or him hell on earth ? Frankly speaking, I'm guilty at times. I'm not saying that nurses should be perfect, I'm not, I'll be the first to admit. At the very least, we can just try. I tried to be tolerant and selfless, I help you, you will help me back. Not that I am demanding or expecting you to do it, but it is just a natural response.
I still remember when I was a new staff, this SN helped me a lot during my adapting period, therefore, there was once where I was on morning shift, she has yet to finish her things from the previous night, and it was already 7.30 am, her shift was over by 30 minutes. She passed the report to me and we served the medications, and she continued to stay on till 8 am plus, I shooed her home and force her to hand everything she had not done over to me and I get it done for her, even though it is not necessary my duty. Nurses, we should not just only be nice to our patients, just to show nurses care, this is just like a facade. How you treat others privately, out of the public view, is who you really are. So have you just proven you're an angel or had you just shown that you're a devil walking on earth ?
Why has this situation occured ? Our upper authorities allowed it to happen. They will always claim that they are unaware of what is happening on the ground, then if that is the case, why are you a director, or manager? What is your job scope ? Your job scope is one that also covers what is happening on the ground, understand what is happening and help to change for the better. And all you people, of all people, said you DON'T KNOW? You don't know can solve everything? Your "I DON'T KNOW" can probably bring world peace now. I believe strongly is not that you're unaware, genuine unaware, but selectively unaware. Argue for all you want, but that is how I sees it. If you have to intervene and manage, implement change, it is going to be hell load of a work. Of course, if you're receiving a big fat pay now, you would rather do less and get more. Typical Human mind set, unavoidable for some poor people. I simply cannot understand how some people can take such money, claimed it as their hard earned, when it cannot be justified by common people like us that it should be given.
Accepting a title is another ridiculous issues I want to talk about. Adjunct AP? (Associate Professor) What rubbish is that ? Is either you're a Associate Professor or you're not, what shit about Adjunct ? Come on, read the word adjunct and understand what it means. If I do not hold the necessary qualifications and I am being awarded such a title and salutation, I will gracefully reject it. This does not makes me someone better or greater, in actual fact, I take it as an insult. Are you implying that I do not have what it take to become an AP ? That I have to be an Adjunct AP? I'll rather commit suicide then accept such rubbish. It is either you show to people you did it with your hard work, or you just humiliate yourself thinking that you're somebody great. Sadly, there are certain of such air heads around.
Precisely of such air heads around, we are suffering. In my previous post, I've mentioned something about nurses pay, so there you go. I wont say Director of Nursing needs to be slap, no, Nurse managers should be slapped. For condoning bullying in the ward. How many new staffs are not being bullied ? A lot of staffs are being bullied by senior staffs. It is an evil cycle you idiots. You (senior staff) bullies me (Junior/ New staff), when I become senior staff, I bully the new and junior staff. So when will the damn cycle break ? Nurse managers, do you have cataract or are you seriously needing help with your vision ?
Director of nursing should not be slapped, what did they do to deserved to be slapped ? They don't, just crucify and burn them on the stake, that is all. Yes, you of all people, should be fighting for the nurses, and you end up being some whiny pussy and did nothing for your people. It is like Abraham is supposed to lead his people to the promised land, he did according to the bible, but the DON didn't, they lead you to hell instead of the promised land. You want to deny ? Take a look at your staff turn over rate statistic before you talk crap. How many local staffs you have compare to foreign staffs? Don't bull shit me that local don't want to do etc, I'm a local, I hold a pink IC, I did 2 years of NS to protect some useless piece of junks. I love nursing, yet I wouldn't want to do it locally as much. Why, you think you can and should treat us like those foreign staffs from overseas. Hello? Which part of your brain is not working ? Occipital? Parietal? Cortex or Brain dead ?
Enough talking about DON, we can go the whole night and still come out with more reasons why they should be crucified and burned. Next up. SNB. Totally another organisation that I do not know what should I say. I won't say much, but Nurses, you want another alternative voice ? SNA (Singapore Nurses Association) should be your next choice. I strongly urge nurses to join SNA, and probably kick the directors there, and form a new young team, be like the opposition, create a presence that cannot be neglected, and you will be able to fight for better benefits, a brighter future for the coming generations of nurses.
Our healthcare reforms need to change further, if not we will lag behind. I've been reading up on the changes in Australia and things seems to be very promising and happening there. I do understand of not copying wholesale, but at least model after them, which we are not seeing. I am here by going to EMPHASIZE, you get complacent you're screwed. Look at your APN and Australia's, USA, Canada's etc APN, our APN are simply a joke as compared to theirs, yet qualifications for APN from those few countries are not recognised in Singapore when they have APN earlier then us, doing better then us. THAT IS A RED TAPE issue, so what more do I have to say, our healthcare system will lose, and collapse, and it will, and who suffer the most ? Not us nurses, we can run, but where can our DEAR and MOST PRECIOUS patients run to ? It is about them also, so what are you doing ? Do you think it is time for some reflections here ? Or are you still going to be a stuck up stubborn old fellow ? Your call.
I will and will become someone of importance, where I will implement change without hesitation. I will axe all those useless crap and get things going. I'll not hesitate firing all the old guns if I can. Your only choice now, is either you make sure I die, or if I do survive by chance, you will all be getting a free one way ticket to writing a new resume for a new job, or end up unemployed. I'll have a team, and make sure they go out all over the country and carry the change that is needed.
I'm proud to be a nurse. It is one of my greatest goals accomplished.
God Bless the Nurses, (and blast those losers away if possible.) =)
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Self Fulfilling Prophecy by Nurses ?
Ever since I started doing my First University assignment on Nursing knowledge and practice, I've begin to have a different point of view why nursing in singapore was deem some what pathetic. (I am well aware that there will be disagreement on this.) I used to think that Nurses are really poor people, long working hours, meger income, under appreciated and over worked. However, as I research further into my assignment for that unit of study, I found that, it was actually Nurses who chose what they want, which resulted in today nursing scene. I'll elaborate as I proceed further, so do not jump to conclusions yet.
Harvard School of Nursing was a concept that excited many back in the 1800's. There is this Medically trained Doctor, or physician, who was thinking that nursing could transform if it were to be brought into educational institution, where nurses are taught knowledge and trained in skills at the school, rather then in the hospital. However, he was met with much strong resistance from the influential nursing leader of that time. The author suggest that it wasn't feminism or sexist thinking at play as presumed by many, but rather, a power struggle between medicine and nursing. I reflected on it and started thinking, and I came to realise that it really is a power struggle, that lead to the failure of a Harvard Nursing School. If Harvard Nursing school was established back in the 1800's, would things had been different in today's 21st century nursing scene? I'll say not in Singapore at least. I have my reservations and reasons on why it would not affect and work in Singapore.
Advance Practioner Nurse, (APN) was the hype and peak of nursing history when it was first established in the western societies. APN'S holds relatively high autonomy and authority to a certain extend, which sees the APN attending to patient in clinics, titrating their medication dose or prescribing new drugs and performing certain invasive procedures that traditionally are not done by nurses. This was seen as a new image of nursing, that nurses if educated enough, can also perform certain duties of a qualified physician, but to a certain limit. Singapore rode on that wave and APN was introduced in the late 2000's, where there are the first few registered APN in Singapore.
It does sounds good that APN are also recognised in Singapore Nursing scence, but are they really performing to the level of the western societies ? Frankly speaking, Singapore APN's are a far stretch from those of USA, Australia, Canada etc. Our APN, cannot prescribe medication, are not seeing patients in the clinics, which will help the medical physician to free up time to attend more to actue cases, are not doing much invasive procedures that other APN's in certain countries are doing. I feel that it is a pity that Singapore that has a rather good healthcare system in the world, has failed in this aspect. Some blamed that the Medical body has objected to this and feels threaten, all these being said by the nurses, but is this really the case ? I'll tell you the shocking truth. It isn't. Nurses made that up.
I happen to bump into this consultant, (whom I've worked with during my final student days attachment) in my Army Unit. (Yes, currently I'm serving my National Service.) He is oncology trained, and we had a little catch up with my fellow army mate whom is also a nurse and also had worked as a new staff in the oncology setting, all within the same hospital. (I got posted to Cardiology Critical Care when I joined the hospital as a new staff.) We were chatting about how was one of the first few registered APN in Singapore Nursing history is performing, what has she been doing over the years. Not really exciting to hear, seems like another so-so task. However, the consultant told us that his team, are actually pushing for her to perform more. They wanted her to run outpatient clinic, and to call them if there are things that she couldn't handle, but she said, she has to refer back to her Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON), because she is a nurse, and the medical profession shouldn't be interfering. My God, isn't that what should be happening? The Medical body is approving of the APN to carry on more roles, but seems likely the nurses are not keen. (May be too biased to say this.) They wanted to train the APN to set central lines etc, but again, bounded by the limitations of laws of what an APN could and could not do.
Come on Nurses, what are you doing? This is a good oppurtunity for nurses to push themselves a grade higher. (I am hearing some people arguing that nurses should handle bedside care etc.) No doubt that Nurses are meant to care for the patient, but we can express it in a different manner. Who says APN cannnot fulfill her fundamental role of a nurse? The APN could still attend to patients, prescribe drugs etc and at the same time perform nursing education. These are what Overseas APN are doing. The Heamtology and Oncology team of my previous emplyment hospital are so willing to expand the boundaries of the APN, but was rebuffed. The consultant mentioned that, because Nursing directors felt that nurses should just fall into their jurisdication, therefore the Medical body should not interfere. And so the limitation has began.
Another Great example, this same consultants' (lets call him Dr. A) wife is the consultant of pediatric critical care unit. She has saw how hard her nurses had worked, and felt that they should have a pay increament, therefore attempted to fight for pay rise for her Nurses, but the Director of Nursing (DON) just gave her a black face. (A face that, they are my nurses, I've got no need for a consultant to tell me what needs to be done.) So what is up with that Doctors belittle nurses issue? Doctors are supressing Nurses ? They are more then willing to train nurses to fulfill certain duties of doctors if they are adequately qualified. So did Nursing self imposed the pity and pathetic situation on themselves ? Aparrently they did, especially the ADON's and DON's. That is why I have mentioned in my previous notes on Hypocisy in Nursing that these ADON's AND DON's needs to be slapped damn hard on the face.
I went on to further discuss with Dr A on what we can better do to push the boundaries even further. Dr A was very nice and said that we need to determined what the APN could and should do, and how it will make them different from the normal Nurses and yet not being a threat to the medical Doctors. He also mentioned that the APN need to band together from inter discipline, sit down discuss and bring it up to the DON, and make her sees it and have it brought up to other DON in other hospital, so that it can be discussed on a national and ministry level. Are our APN doing this ? I am not seeing it as far as I am concerned. I came to a conclusion that these APN are satisfied that they have become APN, Nicer name with a slightly higher status and a much improved income, so they probably felt it is good enough, but is it really good enough? In the eyes of the younger nurses, no. (These APN are easily over 35, most of the current APN's.) As far as I'm concerned. I'm not satisfied.
Dr. A however has also asked if it was me today, would I take up the challenge, seeing outpatient cases etc. I said I would. When you consistently overcomes people's expectations, that is where you show them you could do it. So why are nurses not doing it ? Dr. A mentioned that it is simply infuriating when nurses tells him that the patient is unwell, and when he ask why is he unwell, they say, not sure, just unwell. Have we just tell the Dr. or others that we suck? We do not know our stuffs ? How many APN really wants to fight for greater autonomy? I'm not sure, but as far as I can see, not alot now. Why?
Randy Pausch, a professor with carnegie mellon university (CMU) [he had passed away] states in his famous "The Last Lecture" video, that a brick wall is there for a reason. It is there for you to prove how badly you want certain things. It is there to stop people who doesn't wants it badly enough. [It is a nice video, available on youtube] So we have a brick wall, there are no medical insurance cover for APN's mal practice, no policies and ministry agreement on expanding APN roles and responsibilities, but are we doing something about it ? Do we want it badly enough ? Or are we just procrastinating and painting a pitiful picture of nursing ?
I am a nurse. I am proud to be one, but looking at the outcomes, I seriously cannot say for definite that I'll stay in clinical nursing. Some people poke fun of me, haven't even have a basic experience, and yet already doing a bachelors. (Havent even learn how to walk, you want to learn how to run.) You can say whatever you want, be jealous that the oppurtunity wasn't there for you, but you can consider of either stopping your jealousy, spend time to think how we can change the system, or spend the time scheming and plotting downfall of people. I cannot change Nursing alone, I need a team of capable people, who sees what I sees, and work together to push nursing to even greater heights and expand the boundaries.
So, do you think that nursing has self imposed the pitiful image? Do you still think that the medically trained physicians are opressing the nurses ? Or do you think that there is more to it, that the People who holds authority to nursing and nurses are controlling it? Decide for yourself, I for one believes, that the old guns needs to leave, its time for the new and younger generation to rise up, and bring it all to another level.
P.S. I am well aware of the controversy I may cause with this post, especially older generations of nurses. No disrespect intended here. I acknowledge the efforts you all have put into the transformation of nursing, maybe it is time to let the younger people with the vibrant energy and ideas to take over. You all can serve as mentor to these young leader, but not making it worse for them. Eventually, my generation will also have to give way and guide the next generation of nurses. Let us put aside our personal agenda for the greater good of nursing. If you still remember why you're in nursing, you will definitely understand what I meant.
God Bless the Nurses.
Nursing will be, and forever be, my greatest accomplishment in my life.
Harvard School of Nursing was a concept that excited many back in the 1800's. There is this Medically trained Doctor, or physician, who was thinking that nursing could transform if it were to be brought into educational institution, where nurses are taught knowledge and trained in skills at the school, rather then in the hospital. However, he was met with much strong resistance from the influential nursing leader of that time. The author suggest that it wasn't feminism or sexist thinking at play as presumed by many, but rather, a power struggle between medicine and nursing. I reflected on it and started thinking, and I came to realise that it really is a power struggle, that lead to the failure of a Harvard Nursing School. If Harvard Nursing school was established back in the 1800's, would things had been different in today's 21st century nursing scene? I'll say not in Singapore at least. I have my reservations and reasons on why it would not affect and work in Singapore.
Advance Practioner Nurse, (APN) was the hype and peak of nursing history when it was first established in the western societies. APN'S holds relatively high autonomy and authority to a certain extend, which sees the APN attending to patient in clinics, titrating their medication dose or prescribing new drugs and performing certain invasive procedures that traditionally are not done by nurses. This was seen as a new image of nursing, that nurses if educated enough, can also perform certain duties of a qualified physician, but to a certain limit. Singapore rode on that wave and APN was introduced in the late 2000's, where there are the first few registered APN in Singapore.
It does sounds good that APN are also recognised in Singapore Nursing scence, but are they really performing to the level of the western societies ? Frankly speaking, Singapore APN's are a far stretch from those of USA, Australia, Canada etc. Our APN, cannot prescribe medication, are not seeing patients in the clinics, which will help the medical physician to free up time to attend more to actue cases, are not doing much invasive procedures that other APN's in certain countries are doing. I feel that it is a pity that Singapore that has a rather good healthcare system in the world, has failed in this aspect. Some blamed that the Medical body has objected to this and feels threaten, all these being said by the nurses, but is this really the case ? I'll tell you the shocking truth. It isn't. Nurses made that up.
I happen to bump into this consultant, (whom I've worked with during my final student days attachment) in my Army Unit. (Yes, currently I'm serving my National Service.) He is oncology trained, and we had a little catch up with my fellow army mate whom is also a nurse and also had worked as a new staff in the oncology setting, all within the same hospital. (I got posted to Cardiology Critical Care when I joined the hospital as a new staff.) We were chatting about how was one of the first few registered APN in Singapore Nursing history is performing, what has she been doing over the years. Not really exciting to hear, seems like another so-so task. However, the consultant told us that his team, are actually pushing for her to perform more. They wanted her to run outpatient clinic, and to call them if there are things that she couldn't handle, but she said, she has to refer back to her Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON), because she is a nurse, and the medical profession shouldn't be interfering. My God, isn't that what should be happening? The Medical body is approving of the APN to carry on more roles, but seems likely the nurses are not keen. (May be too biased to say this.) They wanted to train the APN to set central lines etc, but again, bounded by the limitations of laws of what an APN could and could not do.
Come on Nurses, what are you doing? This is a good oppurtunity for nurses to push themselves a grade higher. (I am hearing some people arguing that nurses should handle bedside care etc.) No doubt that Nurses are meant to care for the patient, but we can express it in a different manner. Who says APN cannnot fulfill her fundamental role of a nurse? The APN could still attend to patients, prescribe drugs etc and at the same time perform nursing education. These are what Overseas APN are doing. The Heamtology and Oncology team of my previous emplyment hospital are so willing to expand the boundaries of the APN, but was rebuffed. The consultant mentioned that, because Nursing directors felt that nurses should just fall into their jurisdication, therefore the Medical body should not interfere. And so the limitation has began.
Another Great example, this same consultants' (lets call him Dr. A) wife is the consultant of pediatric critical care unit. She has saw how hard her nurses had worked, and felt that they should have a pay increament, therefore attempted to fight for pay rise for her Nurses, but the Director of Nursing (DON) just gave her a black face. (A face that, they are my nurses, I've got no need for a consultant to tell me what needs to be done.) So what is up with that Doctors belittle nurses issue? Doctors are supressing Nurses ? They are more then willing to train nurses to fulfill certain duties of doctors if they are adequately qualified. So did Nursing self imposed the pity and pathetic situation on themselves ? Aparrently they did, especially the ADON's and DON's. That is why I have mentioned in my previous notes on Hypocisy in Nursing that these ADON's AND DON's needs to be slapped damn hard on the face.
I went on to further discuss with Dr A on what we can better do to push the boundaries even further. Dr A was very nice and said that we need to determined what the APN could and should do, and how it will make them different from the normal Nurses and yet not being a threat to the medical Doctors. He also mentioned that the APN need to band together from inter discipline, sit down discuss and bring it up to the DON, and make her sees it and have it brought up to other DON in other hospital, so that it can be discussed on a national and ministry level. Are our APN doing this ? I am not seeing it as far as I am concerned. I came to a conclusion that these APN are satisfied that they have become APN, Nicer name with a slightly higher status and a much improved income, so they probably felt it is good enough, but is it really good enough? In the eyes of the younger nurses, no. (These APN are easily over 35, most of the current APN's.) As far as I'm concerned. I'm not satisfied.
Dr. A however has also asked if it was me today, would I take up the challenge, seeing outpatient cases etc. I said I would. When you consistently overcomes people's expectations, that is where you show them you could do it. So why are nurses not doing it ? Dr. A mentioned that it is simply infuriating when nurses tells him that the patient is unwell, and when he ask why is he unwell, they say, not sure, just unwell. Have we just tell the Dr. or others that we suck? We do not know our stuffs ? How many APN really wants to fight for greater autonomy? I'm not sure, but as far as I can see, not alot now. Why?
Randy Pausch, a professor with carnegie mellon university (CMU) [he had passed away] states in his famous "The Last Lecture" video, that a brick wall is there for a reason. It is there for you to prove how badly you want certain things. It is there to stop people who doesn't wants it badly enough. [It is a nice video, available on youtube] So we have a brick wall, there are no medical insurance cover for APN's mal practice, no policies and ministry agreement on expanding APN roles and responsibilities, but are we doing something about it ? Do we want it badly enough ? Or are we just procrastinating and painting a pitiful picture of nursing ?
I am a nurse. I am proud to be one, but looking at the outcomes, I seriously cannot say for definite that I'll stay in clinical nursing. Some people poke fun of me, haven't even have a basic experience, and yet already doing a bachelors. (Havent even learn how to walk, you want to learn how to run.) You can say whatever you want, be jealous that the oppurtunity wasn't there for you, but you can consider of either stopping your jealousy, spend time to think how we can change the system, or spend the time scheming and plotting downfall of people. I cannot change Nursing alone, I need a team of capable people, who sees what I sees, and work together to push nursing to even greater heights and expand the boundaries.
So, do you think that nursing has self imposed the pitiful image? Do you still think that the medically trained physicians are opressing the nurses ? Or do you think that there is more to it, that the People who holds authority to nursing and nurses are controlling it? Decide for yourself, I for one believes, that the old guns needs to leave, its time for the new and younger generation to rise up, and bring it all to another level.
P.S. I am well aware of the controversy I may cause with this post, especially older generations of nurses. No disrespect intended here. I acknowledge the efforts you all have put into the transformation of nursing, maybe it is time to let the younger people with the vibrant energy and ideas to take over. You all can serve as mentor to these young leader, but not making it worse for them. Eventually, my generation will also have to give way and guide the next generation of nurses. Let us put aside our personal agenda for the greater good of nursing. If you still remember why you're in nursing, you will definitely understand what I meant.
God Bless the Nurses.
Nursing will be, and forever be, my greatest accomplishment in my life.
Monday, April 25, 2011
After Being Hypocrites.
My close friends, especially those in nursing who had saw my post on Facebook, Blogs etc, has in a way of another came to an agreement with me. I believe alot of nurses out there who had yet to see the previous post, will also agree to a certain extent on the issues I've expressed. (Probably not those Local 'scholars')
I do agree that in the previous post, I have worded my work with alot of explosives and heavily peppered. Personally, I do believe that to get certain point across, you need to be very explosive, not in the sense of using $^%$#@*&^ and such, but using strong words and sentences. If today I am to post the same post but write in such a subtle manner, many would question if I am really wanting to seek change.
If I were to compare. The current Nursing Directors and Managers and many more in all major institution or government link institutions are like the current ruling party. Myself and others who share the same cause as me, are the oppositions. It has been a very uphill journey for nursing to seek a new reform and alternative voice, sounds familar? Appear alot like the oppositions in singapore agains the ruling government.
I've alot of comments on nursing. I'll like to emphasise on this point that I'm about to make, THE PREVIOUS GENERATION HAD DONE ALL THEY COULD, ITS TIME TO RISE UP FOR THE Y GENERATION, TAKE UP THE FAITH FOR THE BETTER OF ALL NURSES. I came into nursing believing alot of how I can help my patients, how nursing portray as a tightly knitted profession, and I came to a huge dissapointment since my student nursing days. I am questioning myself If I do still hold the conviction as I had prior to me experiencing the "adverse" effects of nursing. I believe strongly that many nurses are questioning themselves on this, or for some, they may have even lost the conviction long ago.
I'll probably re-edit my previous post and do a much proper post for further mass spreading purpose, and maybe, hand over to my MP representative when he comes house visiting and see how he can help me solve. (Sly intentions here.)
Neverthelss, I still want to hold onto the hope that there is still that small little hope and chance for a change. Change we need. (Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign Slogan.)
I do agree that in the previous post, I have worded my work with alot of explosives and heavily peppered. Personally, I do believe that to get certain point across, you need to be very explosive, not in the sense of using $^%$#@*&^ and such, but using strong words and sentences. If today I am to post the same post but write in such a subtle manner, many would question if I am really wanting to seek change.
If I were to compare. The current Nursing Directors and Managers and many more in all major institution or government link institutions are like the current ruling party. Myself and others who share the same cause as me, are the oppositions. It has been a very uphill journey for nursing to seek a new reform and alternative voice, sounds familar? Appear alot like the oppositions in singapore agains the ruling government.
I've alot of comments on nursing. I'll like to emphasise on this point that I'm about to make, THE PREVIOUS GENERATION HAD DONE ALL THEY COULD, ITS TIME TO RISE UP FOR THE Y GENERATION, TAKE UP THE FAITH FOR THE BETTER OF ALL NURSES. I came into nursing believing alot of how I can help my patients, how nursing portray as a tightly knitted profession, and I came to a huge dissapointment since my student nursing days. I am questioning myself If I do still hold the conviction as I had prior to me experiencing the "adverse" effects of nursing. I believe strongly that many nurses are questioning themselves on this, or for some, they may have even lost the conviction long ago.
I'll probably re-edit my previous post and do a much proper post for further mass spreading purpose, and maybe, hand over to my MP representative when he comes house visiting and see how he can help me solve. (Sly intentions here.)
Neverthelss, I still want to hold onto the hope that there is still that small little hope and chance for a change. Change we need. (Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign Slogan.)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Being hypocrites
Being hypocrites, today post is to look at the hypocrites who runs organisations and ministries that drafts policies.
Being an undergraduate studying now, you are fired up and all ready to work and "change" the world.
I've big dreams that I'll be able to earn a decent income, and work my way up
the heirachy. But nothing goes just the way you want it. Because you want it,it does not means it should be given to you.
And that is the exact "BAM" that I've got, a brick wall.
So why hypocrites? We have always been told, we need to recruit more and retain in local nurses. We were also told that we should not always depends on foreigners to fill up vacant positions that the locals does not want to fill up. They [put in those hospitals and only health ministry name in here] blame the locals for being demanding, they blame the locals for being greedy, citing that the local are always running overseas just for monetary benefits offered by another country, but the question here is, Why are the locals doing that ?
There have never been any shortage of nurses. I would boldly claimed that it is in fact a facade and propaganda by those who draft policies and determine your salary. Let us look at some ROUGH and I insists on ROUGH Statistics. NYP has graduating students on average 700 from Diploma (3 year) and Acclerated Diploma(2 years), NP has graduating students on average 400 from Diploma (3 years) and NUS has graduating students on average 100 from Bsc and Bsc Hons. (3-4 years). These 1200 graduants and graduates a year are all qualified people to be registered in Singapore Nursing Board as Registered Nurses, and for the last 3-4 years, assuming that these statistics does not changed, we would have 3600 - 4800 registered Nurses within the last few years.
Does these numbers shows that we lack nurses ? We never lack nurses if we are producing thousands a year. and IF ALL entered the work force. But why are there shortage of nurses? Because not all had entered the workforce.
I do agree to a certain extend that some of these graduants or graduates are just interested in getting a diploma or degree just to hitch on to another programme or qualification, but there are not alot of them that exists. The real reason for alot of nurses not willing to enter the workforce as nurses or left the nursing scence all on the whole after just a short period of working which can last from 6mths to 1 year of working, is that the remuneration are not attractive enough.Especially for the amount of work load that is involved.
I remembered that I graduated with a Diploma in Nursing from NYP in the Year 2010, and proceed on to apply for a job as a RN in a local tetiary hospital in Singapore, Frankly speaking, totally Dissapointing. I've been offered a basic salary if $1650, which in actual fact if broken down, is $1500 is the raw salary, and MVC of $150. The trick here is MVC. MVC (Multiple Variable Condtions) is a total well thought and planned scamming scheme. In short, in time of economic down turn, or the hospital is losing money, the MVC can be removed from your salary. that essentially means you are infact working on a pay roll of $1500. Yes yes, I can already hear all those higher up screaming like a small kid defending themselves like how a small kid denied stealing the sweets.
Yes, we have shift allowances, meal allowances, that adds on to probably another $100 more or $150, which make my income to be $1800. Sounds like it is on par with other diploma graduants from other courses. Here is the trick, if you're not on an afternoon or night shift, you are not entitled to meal allowances. If you're not on night and afternoon shift often, you are also cutting down on shift allowances, and if they decides to take away the MVC which they can for whatever "justified" reason they come up with, do your own mathematics, do I have to elaborate further?
My friend who gradauted with some computer programming engineering, earns a raw pay of $1800 too, but he works 8-5.30 daily, no hassle of trying to shift sleeping hours forward and backwards becasue of shift work. He has the weekends off to do whatever he wants, while we have day offs that falls on weekdays, that makes you wanting to meet up for a drink or meal with your friends fairly difficult.
My friend sits in an office just facing the computer doing his work, oh yes, he has his stress and fair share of work, but you can never deny one thing, nurses worked much harder and paid much lesser. We take 6 -9 cases on average in a local nursing scene in a general ward setting in local restructured hospital. Do the computer programmer worked on all 9 computers throughout the day? Do we sit down on our comfortable butts and bed bathe our patients or do we stand all the way up with our legs through the shift ?
Nurses are always getting screamed at by patients, relatives, even doctors gives them the treatment if the doctor( I WOULD PREFER NOT TO CALL Doctor, Dr. is solely and strictly for PhD holders only.)doesn't sees fit or eye to eye. The worse part of all, NURSES ARE BULLYING NURSES. Senior staff nurses bullying new staff nurses giving them difficult cases and scolding them if they can't handle, staff nurses bullying junior nurses and student nurses, Nurse managers pushing their own staff to the chopping board when things happen, Directors of Nursing should be slap. They are our voice to this huge injustice treatment, yet because these organisations bribed them with high salary, they join the rank. Oh my God (if there is one), what is happening here ?
Who allows all these organisation or ministries to determine the fate of Nurses ? If the physician(Doctor as most layman wld call) has their own SMC to manage them , why is that your SNB is not doing anything? Worse off, our Singapore Nursing association is utterly useless and powerless. When things about nursing is brought up, SNA is never looked upon for consultation, opinions of nurses are not needed, THERE IS A SILENCING EFFECT IN NURSING ?
Why should we continue to stay silent ? Who understand the patient's condition better ? I won't deny that physicians understand their biological and medical conditions, but they do not know the contributing factors, the social, environmental and pyschological determinants, we nurses who spend all our time with patients knows it best.
Here is one classic example I got from my ex colleague. Patient came into his unit, and was presented with sky rocketting HBA1C results. Patient had been on mixtard dosage unchanged for the last 12 years. The Consultant comfortably walked in and scolded the patient for not taking his insulin. The consultant ASSUME (it is known to be made an ASS out of U and ME. that patient did not follow the reigme, my ex colleague who was chatting with the patient finding more history from the patient lashes it out at the Consultant. My ex colleauge lashes at the consultant that the patient was compliant to his regime, but because of the change in his work, which affected the working hours, resulting him unable to take his normal dose and timing of insulin, as his eating time has changed, and he worries he may end up hypoglycemic. See what I mean ? It is all because of the BIO MEDICAL MODEL, CARTISAN DUALISM. These retards simply doesn't know a thing.
Lets look back at Remuneration for nurses, that makes me simply pissed till my balls drop. I've witness my army mate, who called my ex hospital asking for salary range upon his graduation from NUS. It sounded great, and I thought (I THOUGHT)having a degree makes a big difference. So the following are the possible income range he may have.
NUS BSC
$2600 upon graduation (inclusive of the scamming MVC)
$200 extra for Male nurse who completed NS
Average of $150-200 for shift and meal allowances.
Monthly expected income before cpf = $3000 plus minus.
NUS BSC Hons
$2800 upon graduation(inclusive of the scamming MVC)
$200 extra for Male nurse who completed NS
Average of $150-200 for shift and meal allowances.
Monthly expected income before cpf = $3200 plus minus.
All these sounded great, and so I CALLED THE SAME HOSPITAL AND TALKED TO THE SAME person. I told her I am a university of sydney student doing locally, and will be graduating with a full University of Sydney Bachelors. This is what I'm qouted.
University of Sydney Bac. In nursing
$2150 upon graduation
$200 extra for Male nurse who completed NS
Average of $150-200 for shift and meal allowances.
Monthly expected income before cpf = $2550 plus minus.
University of Sydney Bac. In nursing Hons
$2250 upon graduation
$200 extra for Male nurse who completed NS
Average of $150-200 for shift and meal allowances.
Monthly expected income before cpf = $2650 plus minus.
Look at the $500-$600 a month difference. WHY SUCH A BIG DISPARITY?
I questioned the person over the phone, the person said because the NUS did it locally, I said, OH YES, I DID MINES LOCALLY too. She said, it is an overseas university. Let me enlighten you readers, in case you thing my university is some cheap rubbish university.
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2010
University of Manchester 30 in rank
NUS 31
University of sydney 37.
MY UNIVERSITY IS IN THE TOP 40 RANGE ZONE ! ALL IN THE THIRTIES RANGE !
Why am I being ostracised ? MY professor insists that our Degree is a full wholesome degree conffered by the Uni. Because Whatever we do locally, is the same as the australia main campus, my professors all fly into singapore to teach, we do not hire local cheapo tutors to teach their australian syllabus, they demand the same standards from us locally as in australia, why ?
I do understand the point of supporting local universities etc etc. But NUS only takes in 100 a year. Of which I presume 70 places goes to diploma students. What is happening to the rest of 1030 diploma students ? They've got no choice but to study these overseas university. Not to say the rest of the 1030 students are having rubbish results, some of them met the requirement of 3.5 /4.0 GPA to study, but because of places constraint, those who are scoring 3.7 to 4.0 are all getting in, the rest are not necessary lousy. AND RESULTS DOES NOT DETERMINED THAT YOU ARE A GOOD NURSE. YOU CAN HAVE A GPA OF 5.0 IN uni, in the end you're just another BOOKWORM who doesn't bother about patients.
NUS Nursing cites places limitation to quality control ,well done! That is the exact reason why all of us are flocking to overseas universities. AND if the local university is that great as you claimed, WHY SEND THE SCHOLARS overseas to study ? Just get their butts glued here and study in NUS, since it is so good, you can save that money to send them overseas and give it to the poor nurses.
So SNB accredited so many universities in hope that Nurses can get their degrees as they wished and hopes to retain them, yet not giving them the salary they deserves. THEN WHY BOTHER ACCREDITING in the first place. IS THAT NOT HYPOCRISY AT IT'S BEST AND MAX?
Nurses runs overseas because they get paid better over there, we've got families here too, It pains us alot to make that decision to go over to another forgein land and work. But because of Livelyhood, We've got no choice.
Now a comfortable 5 room HDB is around $400k++ raw. Thanks to some stupid horse. Raising a kid is not cheap in singapore, neither is healthcare. Yes government helps etc etc, but things are just going to get more expensive and our pay are just staying stagnant.
I've just been back from bukit timah hill climbing in the morning, and after decending, I went to have breakfast with my Mum, aunt, uncle and cousin, guess what. 1 bowl of BAR CHOR MEE with kopi is $5.00. Tell me, how to survive ? Alot of us are facing this problems, not only nurses alone.
So in short, Nurses, forget about the fact that the Local Nursing Scene will change. The roots are rotten beyong cure, no amount of antibiotics are going to work, we are just going to be silenced one by one. If you have to leave to get a better life, Do not hesistate. BECAUSE They Don't Really Care About Us. (Michale Jackson)
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living [I thought so too]
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid [Yes I am, so I'm posting now.]
And dreams were made and used and wasted [My dreams all gone, probably the rest too]
There was no ransom to be paid [What can we do ?]
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night [Put the organisation and ministries here]
With their voices soft as thunder [ Yeah totally]
As they turn your hope apart [ Thy shredded it.]
As they turn your dreams to shame [ I am totally ashamed.]
And still I dream he?d come to me [I dreamed all of the dreams will come]
That we would live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be [But simply not to be]
And there are storms we cannot weather [We cannot overcome the hypocrites]
I had a dream my life would be [I totally have]
So different from the hell I?m living [ Yes it was Hell.]
So different now from what it seemed [Difference ?]
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed [They hypocrites killed my dream]
I've said my piece. I won't be getting a satisfied answers. My friends. Lets leave. why should we bother heeding the call to stay at their convenience, when they are not doing anything. We are professionals of our kind. Let us just leave and let the whole system collapse. I really want to see the whole system collapse and they will realise that without us local nurses, They cannot survive, because foreign nurses will not continue to let you scam them over for eternity.
Being an undergraduate studying now, you are fired up and all ready to work and "change" the world.
I've big dreams that I'll be able to earn a decent income, and work my way up
the heirachy. But nothing goes just the way you want it. Because you want it,it does not means it should be given to you.
And that is the exact "BAM" that I've got, a brick wall.
So why hypocrites? We have always been told, we need to recruit more and retain in local nurses. We were also told that we should not always depends on foreigners to fill up vacant positions that the locals does not want to fill up. They [put in those hospitals and only health ministry name in here] blame the locals for being demanding, they blame the locals for being greedy, citing that the local are always running overseas just for monetary benefits offered by another country, but the question here is, Why are the locals doing that ?
There have never been any shortage of nurses. I would boldly claimed that it is in fact a facade and propaganda by those who draft policies and determine your salary. Let us look at some ROUGH and I insists on ROUGH Statistics. NYP has graduating students on average 700 from Diploma (3 year) and Acclerated Diploma(2 years), NP has graduating students on average 400 from Diploma (3 years) and NUS has graduating students on average 100 from Bsc and Bsc Hons. (3-4 years). These 1200 graduants and graduates a year are all qualified people to be registered in Singapore Nursing Board as Registered Nurses, and for the last 3-4 years, assuming that these statistics does not changed, we would have 3600 - 4800 registered Nurses within the last few years.
Does these numbers shows that we lack nurses ? We never lack nurses if we are producing thousands a year. and IF ALL entered the work force. But why are there shortage of nurses? Because not all had entered the workforce.
I do agree to a certain extend that some of these graduants or graduates are just interested in getting a diploma or degree just to hitch on to another programme or qualification, but there are not alot of them that exists. The real reason for alot of nurses not willing to enter the workforce as nurses or left the nursing scence all on the whole after just a short period of working which can last from 6mths to 1 year of working, is that the remuneration are not attractive enough.Especially for the amount of work load that is involved.
I remembered that I graduated with a Diploma in Nursing from NYP in the Year 2010, and proceed on to apply for a job as a RN in a local tetiary hospital in Singapore, Frankly speaking, totally Dissapointing. I've been offered a basic salary if $1650, which in actual fact if broken down, is $1500 is the raw salary, and MVC of $150. The trick here is MVC. MVC (Multiple Variable Condtions) is a total well thought and planned scamming scheme. In short, in time of economic down turn, or the hospital is losing money, the MVC can be removed from your salary. that essentially means you are infact working on a pay roll of $1500. Yes yes, I can already hear all those higher up screaming like a small kid defending themselves like how a small kid denied stealing the sweets.
Yes, we have shift allowances, meal allowances, that adds on to probably another $100 more or $150, which make my income to be $1800. Sounds like it is on par with other diploma graduants from other courses. Here is the trick, if you're not on an afternoon or night shift, you are not entitled to meal allowances. If you're not on night and afternoon shift often, you are also cutting down on shift allowances, and if they decides to take away the MVC which they can for whatever "justified" reason they come up with, do your own mathematics, do I have to elaborate further?
My friend who gradauted with some computer programming engineering, earns a raw pay of $1800 too, but he works 8-5.30 daily, no hassle of trying to shift sleeping hours forward and backwards becasue of shift work. He has the weekends off to do whatever he wants, while we have day offs that falls on weekdays, that makes you wanting to meet up for a drink or meal with your friends fairly difficult.
My friend sits in an office just facing the computer doing his work, oh yes, he has his stress and fair share of work, but you can never deny one thing, nurses worked much harder and paid much lesser. We take 6 -9 cases on average in a local nursing scene in a general ward setting in local restructured hospital. Do the computer programmer worked on all 9 computers throughout the day? Do we sit down on our comfortable butts and bed bathe our patients or do we stand all the way up with our legs through the shift ?
Nurses are always getting screamed at by patients, relatives, even doctors gives them the treatment if the doctor( I WOULD PREFER NOT TO CALL Doctor, Dr. is solely and strictly for PhD holders only.)doesn't sees fit or eye to eye. The worse part of all, NURSES ARE BULLYING NURSES. Senior staff nurses bullying new staff nurses giving them difficult cases and scolding them if they can't handle, staff nurses bullying junior nurses and student nurses, Nurse managers pushing their own staff to the chopping board when things happen, Directors of Nursing should be slap. They are our voice to this huge injustice treatment, yet because these organisations bribed them with high salary, they join the rank. Oh my God (if there is one), what is happening here ?
Who allows all these organisation or ministries to determine the fate of Nurses ? If the physician(Doctor as most layman wld call) has their own SMC to manage them , why is that your SNB is not doing anything? Worse off, our Singapore Nursing association is utterly useless and powerless. When things about nursing is brought up, SNA is never looked upon for consultation, opinions of nurses are not needed, THERE IS A SILENCING EFFECT IN NURSING ?
Why should we continue to stay silent ? Who understand the patient's condition better ? I won't deny that physicians understand their biological and medical conditions, but they do not know the contributing factors, the social, environmental and pyschological determinants, we nurses who spend all our time with patients knows it best.
Here is one classic example I got from my ex colleague. Patient came into his unit, and was presented with sky rocketting HBA1C results. Patient had been on mixtard dosage unchanged for the last 12 years. The Consultant comfortably walked in and scolded the patient for not taking his insulin. The consultant ASSUME (it is known to be made an ASS out of U and ME. that patient did not follow the reigme, my ex colleague who was chatting with the patient finding more history from the patient lashes it out at the Consultant. My ex colleauge lashes at the consultant that the patient was compliant to his regime, but because of the change in his work, which affected the working hours, resulting him unable to take his normal dose and timing of insulin, as his eating time has changed, and he worries he may end up hypoglycemic. See what I mean ? It is all because of the BIO MEDICAL MODEL, CARTISAN DUALISM. These retards simply doesn't know a thing.
Lets look back at Remuneration for nurses, that makes me simply pissed till my balls drop. I've witness my army mate, who called my ex hospital asking for salary range upon his graduation from NUS. It sounded great, and I thought (I THOUGHT)having a degree makes a big difference. So the following are the possible income range he may have.
NUS BSC
$2600 upon graduation (inclusive of the scamming MVC)
$200 extra for Male nurse who completed NS
Average of $150-200 for shift and meal allowances.
Monthly expected income before cpf = $3000 plus minus.
NUS BSC Hons
$2800 upon graduation(inclusive of the scamming MVC)
$200 extra for Male nurse who completed NS
Average of $150-200 for shift and meal allowances.
Monthly expected income before cpf = $3200 plus minus.
All these sounded great, and so I CALLED THE SAME HOSPITAL AND TALKED TO THE SAME person. I told her I am a university of sydney student doing locally, and will be graduating with a full University of Sydney Bachelors. This is what I'm qouted.
University of Sydney Bac. In nursing
$2150 upon graduation
$200 extra for Male nurse who completed NS
Average of $150-200 for shift and meal allowances.
Monthly expected income before cpf = $2550 plus minus.
University of Sydney Bac. In nursing Hons
$2250 upon graduation
$200 extra for Male nurse who completed NS
Average of $150-200 for shift and meal allowances.
Monthly expected income before cpf = $2650 plus minus.
Look at the $500-$600 a month difference. WHY SUCH A BIG DISPARITY?
I questioned the person over the phone, the person said because the NUS did it locally, I said, OH YES, I DID MINES LOCALLY too. She said, it is an overseas university. Let me enlighten you readers, in case you thing my university is some cheap rubbish university.
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2010
University of Manchester 30 in rank
NUS 31
University of sydney 37.
MY UNIVERSITY IS IN THE TOP 40 RANGE ZONE ! ALL IN THE THIRTIES RANGE !
Why am I being ostracised ? MY professor insists that our Degree is a full wholesome degree conffered by the Uni. Because Whatever we do locally, is the same as the australia main campus, my professors all fly into singapore to teach, we do not hire local cheapo tutors to teach their australian syllabus, they demand the same standards from us locally as in australia, why ?
I do understand the point of supporting local universities etc etc. But NUS only takes in 100 a year. Of which I presume 70 places goes to diploma students. What is happening to the rest of 1030 diploma students ? They've got no choice but to study these overseas university. Not to say the rest of the 1030 students are having rubbish results, some of them met the requirement of 3.5 /4.0 GPA to study, but because of places constraint, those who are scoring 3.7 to 4.0 are all getting in, the rest are not necessary lousy. AND RESULTS DOES NOT DETERMINED THAT YOU ARE A GOOD NURSE. YOU CAN HAVE A GPA OF 5.0 IN uni, in the end you're just another BOOKWORM who doesn't bother about patients.
NUS Nursing cites places limitation to quality control ,well done! That is the exact reason why all of us are flocking to overseas universities. AND if the local university is that great as you claimed, WHY SEND THE SCHOLARS overseas to study ? Just get their butts glued here and study in NUS, since it is so good, you can save that money to send them overseas and give it to the poor nurses.
So SNB accredited so many universities in hope that Nurses can get their degrees as they wished and hopes to retain them, yet not giving them the salary they deserves. THEN WHY BOTHER ACCREDITING in the first place. IS THAT NOT HYPOCRISY AT IT'S BEST AND MAX?
Nurses runs overseas because they get paid better over there, we've got families here too, It pains us alot to make that decision to go over to another forgein land and work. But because of Livelyhood, We've got no choice.
Now a comfortable 5 room HDB is around $400k++ raw. Thanks to some stupid horse. Raising a kid is not cheap in singapore, neither is healthcare. Yes government helps etc etc, but things are just going to get more expensive and our pay are just staying stagnant.
I've just been back from bukit timah hill climbing in the morning, and after decending, I went to have breakfast with my Mum, aunt, uncle and cousin, guess what. 1 bowl of BAR CHOR MEE with kopi is $5.00. Tell me, how to survive ? Alot of us are facing this problems, not only nurses alone.
So in short, Nurses, forget about the fact that the Local Nursing Scene will change. The roots are rotten beyong cure, no amount of antibiotics are going to work, we are just going to be silenced one by one. If you have to leave to get a better life, Do not hesistate. BECAUSE They Don't Really Care About Us. (Michale Jackson)
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living [I thought so too]
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid [Yes I am, so I'm posting now.]
And dreams were made and used and wasted [My dreams all gone, probably the rest too]
There was no ransom to be paid [What can we do ?]
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night [Put the organisation and ministries here]
With their voices soft as thunder [ Yeah totally]
As they turn your hope apart [ Thy shredded it.]
As they turn your dreams to shame [ I am totally ashamed.]
And still I dream he?d come to me [I dreamed all of the dreams will come]
That we would live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be [But simply not to be]
And there are storms we cannot weather [We cannot overcome the hypocrites]
I had a dream my life would be [I totally have]
So different from the hell I?m living [ Yes it was Hell.]
So different now from what it seemed [Difference ?]
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed [They hypocrites killed my dream]
I've said my piece. I won't be getting a satisfied answers. My friends. Lets leave. why should we bother heeding the call to stay at their convenience, when they are not doing anything. We are professionals of our kind. Let us just leave and let the whole system collapse. I really want to see the whole system collapse and they will realise that without us local nurses, They cannot survive, because foreign nurses will not continue to let you scam them over for eternity.
Friday, February 18, 2011
My start of Academic Life
Confidence... thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
If you treat people right they will treat you right... ninety percent of the time.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
Mohandas Gandhi
A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.
Mohandas Gandhi
An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.
Mohandas Gandhi
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
Mohandas Gandhi
Mohandas Gandhi
An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.
Mohandas Gandhi
As I said before, Great man in history thinks differently.
Let us see what we can learn, and practice,
to just make us that little bit better of who we should be.
P.S I like the last quote of Mohandas Gandhi. Practice, Preach.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
If you treat people right they will treat you right... ninety percent of the time.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
Mohandas Gandhi
A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.
Mohandas Gandhi
An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.
Mohandas Gandhi
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
Mohandas Gandhi
Mohandas Gandhi
An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.
Mohandas Gandhi
As I said before, Great man in history thinks differently.
Let us see what we can learn, and practice,
to just make us that little bit better of who we should be.
P.S I like the last quote of Mohandas Gandhi. Practice, Preach.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
I'm just human. To Err is Human. To forgive is Divine.
Even a Saint has temper, What more about me ?
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.
-Abraham Lincoln
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
- Abraham Lincoln
Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them.
-Abraham Lincoln
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
-Winston Churchill
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
Winston Churchill
Great People in History, Simply thinks differently. Quieten down our Hearts, and learn from these great people.
I'm again, Just another Human.
Even a Saint has temper, What more about me ?
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.
-Abraham Lincoln
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
- Abraham Lincoln
Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them.
-Abraham Lincoln
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
-Winston Churchill
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
Winston Churchill
Great People in History, Simply thinks differently. Quieten down our Hearts, and learn from these great people.
I'm again, Just another Human.
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