A year ago, there was a stray puppy smelling the roses outside our house. My sister found the puppy in the morning on her way to school, and the puppy was surprisingly still there at night. It seemed like no one owns him so my sisters and my dad decided to let him in inside the backyard, since we're worried that he might get runover by cars in the middle of the night. We fed him (though he was a little aloof and picky) and he seemed at ease with my sisters. Back then, i was too scared to touch him because I didn't know if he was immunized against rabies or what. Back then, i didn't realize I could love a dog this much.


Mikey's first photograph ever



He was so playful and heresponded when my sisters were calling him "Mikey". Just to let you guys know we used to have a dog in the Philippines named "Mikey" but we left him when we had to live here in the US. So it was surprising that the puppy responded when he was called that name, so from then on he was named Mikey.

We waited for like a month for somebody to claim him, if maybe a neighbor owns him. Then we eventually went to the vet to get him checked if he has a microchip, but he didn't, meaning nobody really owns him. At that time we got him his immunizations and finally adopted him. We also found out from the vet that Mikey is a half-breed chihuahua and pomeranian. He also said that Mikey was 8 months old (human years) at that time. It was interesting how he could tell just by looking at Mikey's canines.




love those puppy eyes






Mikey's look when asking for food

Until now, it remains a mystery where Mikey came from. But he definitely showed up on the right door because he's well loved by everybody in this house. He's our little baby brother!

Happy anniversary Mikey!!! Love!
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Nursing anti-stress kit

I was cleaning up my school stuff the other day and found this "anti-stress kit" that the nursing program gave out in the orientation day. Now that I'm graduating, it just makes me smile reminiscing a little bit of my nursing life this past three years.


The note reads:
Anti-stress Kit

Eraser - so you can erase your mistakes
Marbles - so no one can say you've lost yours
Pennies - so you won't be broke
Rubber band - so you can stretch beyond your limit
String - so you can tie it all together
Kiss - so you will know you are loved!

The anti-stress ways take more than a kit though, hehe...Nursing is still super stressful after all!

Btw, I just took my last college final yesterday. Now I'm finally done with school forever and ever!!! (unless i decide to take my Masters someday, but that'll come later, hehe..)

Just waiting for graduation to officially call myself a college graduate. 15 more days left baby!!!

One more step to go until I call myself a full-pledge RN BSN!
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And here comes our last fundraising event for graduation...

Please support!!! One last event guys!

Let's party and celebrate!!!
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Good movies last weekend!

Of course I saw "Made of Honor" and I absolutely loved it! I agree with some people saying that it's a cliche story and similar to "My bestfriend's Wedding" and given the romantic side of me it's a given that i'm gonna love it! The story and the ending was predictable though, and *spoiler** it must suck for the must-be-groom that the wedding didn't happen. His family must've been pissed off, if that happens in real life.


Saw this movie too and I also liked it, knowing that i had no clue about what this movie was about before seeing it. I liked Robert Downey Jr's acting and I loved him in that 80's movie, "Chances are" way back. I think his superhero character is fresh and funny. Just a tip if you haven't seen it yet, stay til after the credits are over. There's an interesting scene supposedly, Mike and I actually missed that so yeah don't leave right away. I read that this movie already has a remake that's due on 2010 release date.

Next movie to watch....


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I'm loving this song by Sara Bareilles. I officially added her to my most favorite singers list. She's got a smooth voice and her songs are catchy. I'll grab her album actually! Here's the mp3..

Gravity
(Sara Bareilles)
Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long
No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone

You hold me without touch.
You keep me without chains.
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.

Chorus
Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be
But you're on to me and all over me

You loved me 'cause I'm fragile
When I thought that I was strong
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone...

I live here on my knees as I
Try to make you see that you're
Everything I think I need here on the ground
But you're neither friend nor foe though I
Can't seem to let you go
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down
You're keeping me down, yeah
But you're onto me, onto me and all over

Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long
----------------//
And i finally got to sing this song I've been wanting to record for the longest time, "Just because". 

Aside from the financial reasons, I chose nursing because of the rewarding feeling I get whenever I get to help people and make a difference in people's lives. However, these are other reasons why nursing makes a great career. (got this from email)



1. Nurses are in demand now, and will be even more in demand by 2020. In fact, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has projected a shortfall of 800,000 nurses by 2020. Think of the job opportunities there will be.
2. Nursing pays! According to the US Department of Labor, an average registered nursing salary is over $52,000. Many nurses earn over $72,000.
3. There are lots of different opportunities in nursing. You can work in hospitals, schools, government agencies, home care facilities and more.
4. Flexible schedules. Nursing shifts can come in increments of 4, 8, 10 or even 12 hours, on weekends and weekdays. There are many opportunities.
5. Nurses make a difference in people’s lives. Caring for people and helping others lead healthy lives is satisfying and important.
6. Nurses interact with different people everyday, including patients, doctors, medical staff and administrators.
7. Nursing is exciting. You never know what’s going to happen, and have to stay one your toes, solve problems and make good decisions. Everyday is different.
8. There are lots of opportunities for advancement in nursing. You are get promote and take on bigger roles over time.
9. Nurses can change specialties. If you’re interested in pediatrics or trauma, you can move into those areas when the opportunities arise.
10. Nurses can take it on the road! Nurses are in demand everywhere and with portable skills; you can go where you want.
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101 Nursing Fun Facts



A Hundred and One Interesting Facts, Quotes (and Even a Couple of Jokes) About Nursing
1. January 27th is School Nurse Day.
2. The most visits to emergency rooms occur during the warmer months of the year.
3. According to the latest data available to the World Health Organization, Finland, Norway, Monaco, Ireland and Belarus have, in that order, the highest ratios of nurses per capita of all nations, ranging from 2162.0 to 1182.0 nurses per 100,000 people.
4. The National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses was formed in 1908.
5. According to a 2001 World Health Organization report, the number of psychiatric nurses in poor countries is about 0.1 per 100,000 persons.
6. In 1783 a black slave named James Derham worked as a nurse in New Orleans, eventually earning enough money to buy his freedom and move to Philadelphia, where he studied medicine and became a doctor.
7. Men and women between the ages of 25 and 44 account for 33 percent of all people in the U. S. who come to emergency rooms with injury-related wounds.
8. Linda Richards became the first nurse to earn a nursing diploma in the United States in 1873.
9. In 1846 the first hospital training school for nurses, the Institute for Protestant Deaconesses, was established in the town of Kaiserwerth, Germany.
10. The National Association of School Nurses recommends nurse-to-student ratios should be one to 750 for general populations, one to 250 in mainstreamed populations and 1 to 125 in severely handicapped populations.
11. According to a recent World Health Organization report, the United States spends more money, as a ratio of GNP, on health care than any country, followed closely by Lebanon and Zimbabwe.
12. “When we are well, we all have good advice for those who are ill.” Terence, from The Woman of Andros (166 B.C.)
13. In a 2001 survey done by the ANA/NursingWorld.com, 45.3% of nurses expressed fear of getting a potentially deadly disease as one of their top three occupational health concerns.
14. Nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S.
15. According to the latest data available to the World Health Organization, Nepal, Liberia, Central African Republic, Haiti and Bangladesh have, in that order, the lowest ratios of nurses per capita of all nations, ranging from 5.0 to 11.0 nurses per 100,000 people.
16. One out of every four registered nurses works part time.
17. The American Nurses Association, first known as the Nurses Associated Alumnae, was started in 1898.
18. The New England Hospital for Women and Children, established in 1862, was the first school for nursing in the U.S.
19. The order of the Brothers of Mercy was founded in 1538 by Juan Ciudad. (b. 1495. d. 1550.)
20. One out of every five licensed practical nurses works part time.
21. During the months that school is out emergency room visits from children under 14 years old rise by 18 percent.
22. The demand for registered nurses is expected to rise 21 to 35 percent through the first decade of the 21st Century.
23. “The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others.” Homer, from Odyssey (9th Century, B.C.).
24. There were 358 existing Master’s of Nursing programs in the U.S. in 2002, comprising 9.1% of all registered nurses.
25. In a 2001 survey done by the ANA/NursingWorld.com, 59.4% of nurses expressed fear of getting a severe back injury as one of their top three occupational health concerns.
26. Around 500 A. D. the Benedictine nursing order was founded by Saint Benedict.
27. There were 75 existing Doctorate of Nursing programs in the U.S. in 2002, comprising 0.6% of all registered nurses.
28. There were 1,100 existing Practical Nursing programs in the U.S. in 2002.
29. The average annual earnings for registered nurses was $44,840 in 2000.
30. In 1996, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported that one million workers are assaulted every year in the workplace and that “Most of these assaults occur in service settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, and social service agencies.”
31. In 1898 the British Army formed the Royal Army Medical Corp.
32. According to the latest data available to the World Health Organization, Ireland, Seychelles, Maldives, Philippines and Azerbaijan have, in that order, the highest ratios of midwives per capita of all nations, ranging from 411.0 to 137.0 midwives per 100,000 people.
33. In 1947, Florence Blanchfield became the first female regular commissioned officer in the United States Army, assigned as the superintendent of the Army Nurse Corp. (b. 1882. d. 1971).
34. There are approximately 567,000 bicycle-related injuries each year that require emergency room attention.
35. 29 Victoria Crosses have been awarded to British medical personnel.
36. The United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) has been the main regulatory institution of nursing training and standards in the British since 1983.
37. “It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” Charles Dudley Warner, from “Fifth Study,” Backlog Studies (1873).
38. You know you are a nurse when you baste your Thanksgiving turkey with a Toomey syringe.
39. According to a 2001 World Health Organization report, nurses and midwives can comprise between 50% to 90% of the number of health practitioners in many countries.
40. The American College of Nurse-Midwives was formed in 1955.
41. The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the national accrediting body of nursing education programs of all types, oversees over 1,900 different programs.
42. “If you would live in health, be old early.” – a Spanish proverb.
43. Walt Witman’s service as a nurse during the American Civil War inspired many of his poems, including Memoranda During the War. (b. 1819. d. 1892.)
44. According to the latest data available to the World Health Organization, the country of Nepal has the lowest ratio of nurses per capita in the world, with 5.0 per 100,000 people.
45. The first nursing school in history dates back to 250 B.C. and was located in India.
46. An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) takes about 2 to 3 years.
47. Clara Louise Maass is famous for serving as a contract nurse during the Spanish American War. (b. 1876. d. 1901.)
48. The largest demand for licensed practical nurses through 2110 will be in nursing homes.
49. Early in the 17th Century a shipwreck survivor, Juan de Mena, is considered the first nurse in the New World.
50. The average starting wage for a certified registered nurse anesthetist is over $50,000.
51. According to a recent World Health Organization report, 93 member countries of the United Nations annually spend less than $100 per capita on health care, 56 member countries spend less than $500 per capita and 26 member countries spend over $1000 per capita.
52. The Teutonic Knights, the Knights of Lazarus and the Knights Hospitalers, were all orders that organized male nurses to tend to sick and wounded.
53. Second Lieutenant Edward Lynn, in 1955, was the first male to be commissioned in the United States Army Nurse Corp.
54. Around nine million children visit emergency rooms in the U.S. each year due to injuries.
55. “To preserve a man alive in the midst of so many chances and hostilities, is as great a miracle as to create him.” Jeremy Taylor, from The Rule and Exercise of Holy Dying (1651).
56. In October of 1902 Lina Rogers Struthers became the first school nurse in the United States.
57. The second week of May is National Nursing Home Week.
58. A Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) takes about 4 to 5 years.
59. Lucretia Lester was a midwife for 34 years, between 1745 and 1779, and is reputed to have helped deliver 1,300 children, of which only two were lost.
60. The Knights Hospitalers was founded in 1119 to protect a hospital build in Jerusalem and also provided nursing care.
61. Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881. (b. 1821. d. 1912).
62. A 1996 survey done by the Department of Health and Human Services found that 95% of all working nurses are female.
63. The U.S. Army Nurse Corp was started in 1901.
64. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, open wounds are the leading diagnosis for injury-related visits to emergency rooms.
65. Why did the nurse keep the bedpan in the refrigerator? Because when she kept it in the freezer it took too much skin off. (NO WAY, refrigerator? That's totally gross!!!)
66. There were about 700,000 jobs for licensed practical nurses in the year 2000.
67. According to a recent World Health Organization report, the United States, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and Germany, respectively, annually spend the most money per capita on health care.
68. About three out of every five registered nurses work in hospitals.
69. The fourth week of May is National Nurses Week.
70. There are more nurses than any other workers in the health profession.
71. “When a man is ill his very goodness is sickly.” Nietzsche, The Will to Power (1888).
72. A 1996 survey done by the Department of Health and Human Services found that only 10% of working nurses represent minorities.
73. There were 86 existing Diploma for Nursing programs in the U.S. in 2002, comprising 27.0% of all registered nurses.
74. You know you are a nurse when you think giving your patients TLC means giving them Thorazine, Lorazepam and Compazine.
75. The training time it takes to become a licensed practical nurse is about 1 year.
76. Traumatic wounds account for around 11 million visits to the emergency room each year.
77. The Canadian Victorian Order of Nurses was founded in 1897 in honor of Queen Victoria of England’s Diamond Jubilee.
78. Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Abraham Lincoln, was a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War. (b. 1818. d. 1882.)
79. There were about 2,200,000 jobs for registered nurses in the year 2000.
80. If you see a nurse smiling when things go wrong, she is probably going off duty.
81. May 8th is National Student Nurses’ Day.
82. According to a 2001 World Health Organization report, the number of psychiatric nurses in developed countries is about 33.5 per 100,000 persons.
83. The first week of May is National Hospital Week and Health Care Administrators’ Week.
84. In the various U.S. Military branches, approximately one-third of all nurses are male.
85. In 2000, there were 57,954 school nurses looking out for the health of 52 million students.
86. The Nurses Registration Act of 1919 established the first oversight of nursing training and standards in Great Britain.
87. There were 885 existing Associate Degrees for Nursing programs in the U.S. in 2002, comprising 32.0% of all registered nurses.
88. According to the latest data available to the World Health Organization, the United States has a ratio of 972.0 nurses per 100,000 people, or about the same as Germany and Uzbekistan.
89. In a 2001 survey done by the ANA/NursingWorld.com, 50.7% of nurses said they worked an average of 41 to 60 hours per week.
90. Mary Seacole, a self-taught nurse was famous for establishing a hotel for invalids close to the front during the Crimean War.
91. In a 2001 survey done by the ANA/NursingWorld.com, nurses said they spent 61.5% of their time in direct patient care.
92. Anne L. Austin was a famous historian of nursing. (b. 1891. d. 1986.)
93. Florence Nightingale, the most famous nurse in modern history, was only a nurse for three years of her life. (b. 1820. d. 1910).
94. Saint Camillus de Lellis established a Catholic order called the Fathers of a Good Death in 1584 to tend to the terminally ill and is also reputed to have designed the red cross on a white background symbol and to have developed the first ambulance. (b. 1550. d. 1614.)
95. The average annual earnings for licensed practical nurses was $29,440 in 2000.
96. Mary Eliza Mahoney became the first African-American nurse in 1879. (b. 1845. d. 1926).
97. There were 695 existing Baccalaureate of Nursing programs in the U.S. in 2002, comprising 31.0% of all registered nurses.
98. You know you are a nurse when you find yourself complimenting a complete stranger on his veins.
99. The demand for licensed practical nurses is expected to rise 10 to 20 percent through the first decade of the 21st Century.
100. In a 2001 survey done by the ANA/NursingWorld.com, 70.5% of nurses selected ‘acute/chronic effects of stress and overwork’ as one of their top three occupational health concerns.
101. You know you are in trouble when it’s your first night shift in three years—and there’s a full moon.
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In the reminiscing mode...

I was backtracking on my past entries when I was bored the other night and I saw this old entry of mine time-stamped  "1:51pm 3/28/06". Oh man time really flies and it just made me smile now that I know that "this is my now" (naks, like that Jordin Sparks song!) and my time is really coming close. Read to find out..

Could've been

everytime the month of "March" passes by every year, i can't help to feel kinda sad. i was thinking, what if i still live in the Philippines? then i could've been done with school by now. i want to finish school already, graduate like my friends do and wear those caps and gowns already. i want to be able to fulfill that dream of mine, and that is to graduate already, work in the real world and help my family. but see, education here in the US (especially my beloved major, Nursing) takes hella lot of time like  "3 years" in the program. and especially getting-in the program and finishing up those lower and upper division GE's take up most of your time. I know i shouldn't do anything like rant like this because i know time will fly so quickly that i wouldn't even notice when it's my time to graduate too. so far, i've spent 5 years in college already, and having a Child Development minor (4 more classes to finish) and now pursuing Nursing. I'm really getting tired of school, and i know i shouldn't have this feeling at all especially i'm doing this for a brighter future. I know I should not feel this way, but then, all my batchmates have graduated, all my friends have been done with school...and I am so jealous.   what's wrong with feeling this way? what's wrong if i long for the what could've been if i studied college back home? i'm just really feeling a little sad, but of course I'm happy for my friends who have been done with school.

oh well. my time will come eventually...
1:51pm 3/28/06

Geez, time really flies. Now it's my turn.
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And I've said I was backtracking and I saw this iTunes survey that I had before. So I thought, why not do one again? My computer crashed last year and wiped out all my files including my mp3s so it totally changed my playlist and that I had to download songs and rip the tracks from my CDs again. This is just interesting.

iTunes Survey

How many songs?
1565

Sort by song title:
First: Above the clouds - Cyndi Lauper
Last: 6,8,12 - Brian McKnight

Sort by time:
Shortest: Happy Working Song ("Enchanted" movie OST) - Amy Adams (2:11)
Longest: Acoustic Medley by Freestyle (16:05)

Sort by album:
First: Stupid - Afterglow by Sarah McLachlan
Last: The Same Love - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection by The Jets

Date added:
First: Lose my breath by Destiny's Child (3/3/05)
Last: 4 minutes - Madonna (4/28/08) -----the only decent song in her latest album. Hate to say this but her latest album SUCKS! I heard the mp3s  that were"leaking" online and I'm just so disappointed. Why did she have to make a stupid album like this??? She was my favorite. You wanna have a copy of the album to see for yourself? Okay click here.

Top Twenty-Five Most Played Songs: (this is not really accurate since I use my iPod or my iPod playlist cd in my car on my way to clinical or school..but here are the most played ones in my iTunes)
1. Wait for you - Kyla 
2. Between the lines - Sara Bareilles
3. Just Because - Anita Baker
4. Each other - Katharine McPhee
5. Yesterday - Leona Lewis
6. Here you come again - Carly Smithson
7. I don't need a man - Pussycat Dolls
8. Realize - Colbie Caillat
9. Sober - Kelly Clarkson
10. In God's hands - Nelly Furtado
11. Manhid - Regine Velasquez
12. 4 in the morning - Gwen Stefani
13. Only reminds me of you - St.Paul
14. Fragile - Delta Goodrem
15. Wheel of the world - Carrie Underwood
16. Irreplaceable - Beyonce
17. Home - Michael Buble
18. I didn't mean to make you mine - Nina
19. Secret Lovers - Atlantic Starr
20. Hard habit to break - Chicago
21. I will (take you forever) - Christopher Cross & Frances Ruffelle
22. Like a star - Corinne Bailey Rae
23. Huwag mo nang itanong - M.Y.M.P.
24. Pangarap ko'y ikaw - Regine Velasquez
25. I'm not that girl - Wicked Musical OST

First song that comes up on Shuffle:
Hips don't lie - Shakira

Find "sex", How many songs come up?
- none

Find "death", How many songs come up?
- none

Find "love", How many songs come up?
202 songs.

Find "like", How many songs come up?
21 songs.

Find "fall", How many songs come up?
19 songs.
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The Orphanage


I saw this movie on dvd the other night. Man, it was brilliant! I actually think it was a good horror movie without using gore and blood. Maybe it could've been a better movie if I hadn't had "lost in translation" since it's a subtitled movie. There were some scenes I didn't clearly understand, like that "puzzle game" that they were trying to figure out. But overall, I liked it. Gave me chills!
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On a weird and strange unbelievable side note....

How can someone do this to his daughter...This is so outrageous!
"House of Horror" Children never saw daylight.