The Department of Health embarked on Essential Newborn Care , a new program to addressed neonatal deaths in the country. Under the umbrella of the Unang Yakap Campaign, Essential Newborn Care is an evidenced based strategic intervention aimed at improving newborn care and helping cub neonatal mortality.

The Essential Newborn Care package is a four-step newborn care intervention undertaken to lessen newborn death.

1. Immediate and thorough drying to stimulate breathing after delivery of the baby
2. Provision of appropriate thermal care through mother and newborn skin-to skin contact maintaining a delivery room temperature of 25-28 degrees centigrade and wrapping the newborn with clean, dry cloth.
3. Properly timed clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord, (1-3 minutes or until cord pulsation stops)
4. Immediate latching on and initiation of breastfeeding within first hour after birth.

Post-natal care required within 24 hours after birth also includes

• Cord care
• Breastfeeding
• Vitamin K injection
• Eye prophylaxis
• Delayed bathing until 6 hours of life
• BCG and first dose of Hepatitis B Immunization
• Newborn screening

The Essential Newborn Care Package aims to reduce newborn mortality rate from 13 deaths (2006 FPS, NSO) to 10 per 1000 live births by 2015.

I have encountered a lot of people being infected with viral conjunctivitis. The following is a health advisory from the Department of Health. Hand hygiene (hand washing with soap and water or use of hand sanitizer, best is still 70 % isopropyl alcohol) is the basic precaution for all common diseases .

Sore Eyes is a term often used for viral conjunctivitis

Incubation period or time from exposure to onset of symptoms: 5 -12 days

Mode of Transmission

• Direct contact by one’s eyes with hands contaminated with eye secretions of an infected person.

• Touching of eyes with hands getting contact with surfaces, instruments, eye solutions, make-ups contaminated with the virus from an infected person.

• Entry of the virus through the eyes by swimming in poorly chlorinated pools.

Signs and Symptoms

• Begins in one eye and later affects both eyes.

• Watery to pus-like discharge.

• Redness of the eye with pain and/or itching sensation.

• Eyelids that are stuck together on awakening.

• In severe cases, pain of the eyes on exposure to sunlight and foreign-body solution.

Treatment

• There is no specific treatment during the acute phase (1-2 weeks).

• If eye discharge is profuse and pus-like or patient develops blurring of vision or severe pain, consultation with an ophthalmologist is advised.

Prevention

• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water.

• Minimize hand-to-eye contact.

• Use only own towels, eye drops, make-ups and applicators, sunglasses or eye glasses.

• Wear eye/sunglasses on a windy day to protect one’s eyes from foreign particles

• Avoid crowded places.

• Disinfect surfaces, doorknobs, counters, elevator buttons and hand rails with dilute bleach solution.

• Clothes, towels, pillow cases and anything else which may have come in contact with an infected person should be washed

Source:

HEALTH ADVISORY, National Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Department of Health

Here some of the guidelines for Related Learning Experience (RLE) Exhibit, which are requirements for application to the NLE examination for 2010 (based on PRC BON Memorandum No. 03 Series 2008)

1. 5 Major Operations (maximum of 2 similar cases, 2 students may assist a complicated major surgery)
2. 5 Minor Operations (maximum of 2 similar cases; 1 case per student; major case cannot be used as substitute for minor scrubs)
3. 5 Handled Delivery Cases – 1 student per case
4. 5 Assisted Delivery Cases – 1 student per case
5. 5 Initial Cord Care Cases – 1 student per case
6. The Certification of Authenticity of O.R. / D.R. / Initial Cord Care Cases is subscribed and sworn to for free by authorized PRC officials per Office Order No. 7-259 dated September 24, 2007. There is no need to notarize each page of the RLE exhibits. To meet however the exigencies of beating the deadline for filing or towing a long line of applicants, Colleges of Nursing may opt to have notarization done by any independent notary public prior to filing the same documents to the PRC
   1. For major operation, 2 students may actually assist a major surgery or when the procedure takes two (2) hours or more, two (2) similar cases maybe allowed.
   2. For minor operation, two (2) similar cases maybe allowed but only one student may claim the cases.
   3. Deliveries in the community are to be supervised by a clinical instructor with Master’s Degree in Nursing or Allied Medical or Health-Related Sciences and signed by the same before the approval of the Dean.
   4. Note: Emphasis must be given to competencies developed during the intra-operative and intra-partal phase and a variety of cases is preferred.
   5. The faculty member, clinical coordinator, chief nurse and dean WITH ACTUAL ACCOUNTABILITIES in the RLE of the student must be the signatories to the forms.
   6. Student must accomplish as many forms depending on the number of institutions/agencies where the RLE have been conducted. OR-DR-Cord Care Cases completed in two or more hospitals or agencies must bear the signature of the Chief Nurses of the particular institutions or agencies.
   7. The Delivery Room and Initial Cord Care requirements of Registered Midwives who are nursing graduates applying for the Nurse Licensure Examination are hereby WAIVED, provided they submit a “photo copy” of their updated PRC Identification Card.
   8. For nursing graduates who have completed midwifery courses but have not practiced and/or are “under board” beyond five (5) years from date of midwifery graduation, a supervised case of one (1) actually handled delivery and cord care shall be required for the Nurse Licensure Examination properly documented and reported through the required Delivery/Initial Cord Care Forms.

Other tips in accomplishing your PRC BON Cases Form

1. Do not or never abbreviate anything from all your entries such as dates, ,operation performed, anesthesia route, diagnosis, name of hospitals, use the format (month/day/year) August 23, 2009
2. Name of patient , first name then surname eg Victoria Cruz

EX;  Pregnancy Uterine, 38-40 weeks Age of Gestation, Cephalic, In labor

Ex: Extra Capsular Cataract Extraction with Posterior Chamber Intra Ocular Lens

For cord dressing:

1. Date performed:  do not abbreviate
2. Name of the baby: write Boy/girl the surname   Correct: Baby boy Cruz
3. Gender of the baby: do not use boy/girl , Correct: Male
4. Name of the mother: first name and surname

For actual deliveries

1. Date of delivery: do not abbreviate or use numeric representations, use August 23, 2009
2. Time of delivery: do not use military time . use capital AM or PM, Correct: 5:00 PM
3. Gender of the baby: MALE or FEMALE only. Do not use girl of boy

Nursing case presentation can be a cause of anxiety for nursing students. It is considered one of the most dreaded moment in a nursing student life. But a well-prepared nursing case presentation can catapult a student to greatness and earn the respect of teachers plus of course a high grade.

I have been a panel and adviser for nursing case presentations for several years now and here are some tips and suggestions you can follow.

1. A thorough and complete nursing history is the key to the case. You have to have complete data, subjective data (nursing health history) and objective data (physical assessment, laboratory and diagnostic procedures)
2. Using the Gordon’s health patterns will definitely guide you in making your nursing diagnosis. List all appropriate actual and potential nursing diagnoses with supporting data, listed in priority.
3. When you do your pathophysiology, its better if it is presented like a concept map.
4. During the actual presentation, present only the salient points of the case. A PowerPoint presentation, in an outline or bullet form is the best.
5. Make sure you have consulted our adviser several times, to make sure you are on the right track e.g., are the problems of your client properly prioritized Are there gaps in your data? Is your NCP properly stated?
6. The panel would always prefer that everything is in order, most of the time, they don’t like interruptions or repetitions of the explanations. It has to be smooth and fast but with substance.
7. Do not make PowerPoint presentations in paragraph form. Don’t present the book word for word; make short and simple explanations. Most of the panel has poor visual acuity because of too much reading so keep your fonts readable.
8. Have a dry run of what you are to present. Read the evaluation tool, it’s a guide on how you will be graded.

Remember you are a nurse student. This is a learning activity. You have to do this on your own. Copying means plagiarism. You learn by doing. Good luck!

Posting the letter of Arellano University CHAIRMAN AND CEO FRANCISCO P.V. CAYCO TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHILIPPINE STAR. This is in line with an article in the Philippine star , November 25, 2009 issue,

“A total of 152 nursing schools face closure for registering poor passing percentages in the nursing licensure examinations over the past five years.

However, Emmanuel Angeles, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman, said the 152 nursing schools will be given another chance in next year’s nursing examinations.

Metro Manila has the most number of erring schools among the 152 poor performing schools: Arellano University-Manila, Arellano University-Pasay….. “

CHAIRMAN AND CEO FRANCISCO P.V. CAYCO WRITES A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHILIPPINE STAR

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

This has reference to the article in the November 25, 2009 issue of The Philippine Star entitled 152 nursing schools face closure for poor board performance and the subsequent article of November 28, 2009 bannered CHED list of poorly performing nursing schools questioned, both written by Rainier Allan Ronda, which included Arellano University Manila and Pasay in the list. We take strong exceptions to both printed articles for being factually misplaced and inaccurate! Foremost, Arellano University has a long standing legacy of nursing education in the Philippines having an established and recognized nursing program since 1954.

Our College of Nursing in Manila is Level I Formal accredited where it enjoys a deregulated status conferred jointly by CHED and PACUCOA, for having passed the stringent criteria over and above the minimum educational standards required by the government in areas of faculty, instruction, library, physical facilities, laboratories, student personnel services and student assistance program.

Inspite of the plea of CHED and no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the University froze its tuition fees in the last 3 years to enable student to gain access to affordable quality education. With the conviction that quality education should be accorded to all who seeks the same, the University has an open admission policy but maintains its academic standards through selective retention. Our tuitions fees are currently less than Php 700.00 per unit, one of the lowest for private college education in the industry which through efficient and cost effective management still allows us to produce world class nurses.

Since 2008, we produced several nursing graduates who placed in the top 10 in the Nursing Licensure Exams in the persons of Roberto Asuncion (5th place), Paul Fabian Gumabao (9th place), and Michelle Alejandro Barberan (3rd place), plus many more who landed in the top 25 placers. We have as of last known count 11 of our nursing graduates who recently were appointed as deans of various nursing schools in Metro Manila as well as substantial numbers of Chief Nurses in private and government hospitals both here and abroad.

Our record and history speak for itself because we have earned success and respect in the nursing profession. Our worldwide alumni and the accomplishments they have achieved is a testimony to the quality of education we have given them. Our College of Nursing is an institution in the health care industry both here and abroad. We have established a name and reputation which we are proud of and which we will die for because we have earned them through hard work, honesty and integrity.

This is precisely what we are fighting for when you published your November 25, 2009 article which we strongly claim has no factual and legal basis considering the series of CHED pronouncements, contained in a number of issuances including CHED Memo No. 14 dated April 28, 2009 and Resolution No. 378-2009 dated October 2, 2009, where the standards for poor performance are clearly outlined and the parameters defined. Clearly, this does not include Arellano University.

It is regrettable that the rejoinder in your article of November 28, 2009 did not carry the essence and most salient points of the discussions we had with your reporter, Rainier Allan Ronda who presented it out of context.

The distorted and irresponsible report has caused tremendous anxiety among our stakeholders, administrators, faculty members, alumni, students, parents and our entire University community. The implication it created in the minds of the public has caused enormous damage to the University’s reputation and goodwill which could have been averted by the simple act of understanding, verifying and ascertaining the facts prior to printing.

Arellano University remains committed to provide equitable access to quality education as we have always done so in the past and stand firm on the fundamental principles of excellence and high educational standards that the founder of this University has ingrained in all of us as a tradition.

FRANCISCO P.V. CAYCO

Chairman and CEO- Arellano University

The College of Nursing in Arellano University in Pasay had their year-end activities such as the Nursing week and Faculty Christmas Party.

The Mr. and Miss Nightingale 2009 Contest highlighted the nursing week celebration, which was participated by students from all year levels. It was a night of fun at the same time a welcome respite from schoolwork for the students. The officers and members of the Arellano University Pasay Nursing society spearheaded in organizing the different activities like the basketball, volleyball, quiz bee and singing contest.

Here are of the photos taken during the Mr and Miss Nightingale 2009 of Arellano University Pasay, College of Nursing.

A week before Christmas the faculty members of the Arellano University Pasay, College of Nursing had their Christmas party. It was a fun filled day, eating the sumptuous lunch, funny games, gift giving and dancing.

The mood at the party venue was so exhilarating. It was indeed a merry, merry Christmas party.

The next local nursing board examinations for nursing will be on the last week of November 2009. I took my nursing board examinations in December 2003. I have been teaching nursing students since 2005 and as I read board examination review questions, I find them at times hard for me to answer even if I have taught most of the major subjects in nursing care management.

Staying focus and being diligent in reading review questions is one of the main keys in preparing yourself for the local nursing board examinations. Its like exercising your mind everyday to read nursing board type examination questions because on the day of the exam itself you will probably tackle at least 500 questions in a span of 6-8 hours. At the same time analyze each question in choosing the best answer.

You have to get used to it, which is reading and analyzing questions. Take this practice everyday, 100 questions in a span of 1- and a half hour or 9o minutes, an average of answering one question per minute.

For now, I think it is the best you can do, answering and analyzing board examination type questions, rather than reading lecture notes. Application of test taking strategies will also be of help.

For more local board examination tips, take this from littlenars.com , a June 2009 board passer.

Nursing Board Exam Tips 01: Current Health Issues

Nursing Board Exam Tips 02: Starting Out by LittleNars

How to start reviewing for the board exam? (the LittleNars way)

Nursing Board Exam Tips 03: During review hours…

Nursing Board Exam Tips 04: On questions…

Nursing Board Exam Tips O5: The Power of Elimination

The Arellano University  Pasay College of Nursing mobilized a relief operation for Typhoon Ondoy victims. Faculty and nursing students of the Arellano University Pasay College of Nursing brought relief goods, used clothing and cash donations. This was spearheaded by our College of Nursing Dean, Arlene Blaise Cortez with the cooperation of nursing faculty and Level II, III , IV nursing students and Arellano University Pasay College of Nursing Society.

Click thumbnails for larger view

• In 6 year period (2003 – 2009) there were more than half a million                  (530, 988) nursing board examinees in the Philippines
• In 2008 alone there, there were 153, 108 nursing board examinees, graduates of Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
• The June 2008 NLE had  the biggest number of examinees (88,649)
• It was only in June 2003 and December 2005, that the passing rate reached more than 50 per cent
• The lowest passing rate was in December 2006 (40.10 %) and June 2006     (41.23 %) which was the leakage marred NLE exam.
• More than fifty percent (53 %) of nursing board examinees in a 6-year period (2003-2009), have not passed the nursing licensure examinations.

On Aug 18 and 19 , 2009, a lot of these passers will troop to the SMX convention center  for the much awaited Oath Taking ceremony.

I have been involved in teaching nursing students for the past 4 years and I was always telling them that out of 10 students, only 4 or 5 of them would pass.

Who will be among their group, it’s up to them. It is how focus and determine

 you are to pass the NLE.

The Philippine Nurses Association Building is located at 1663 F.T Benitez St, Malate Manila

If you are From Monumento or any LRT route ,Take the LRT Line 1

• Alight at Pedro Gil Station,
• You will see the Petron Gas Station and from there take a jeep with the sign board Sta Ana or Paco.
• But If you are with your friends , you can actually walk in going to PNA, cross the street and you’ll see Red Ribbon
• You will pass by Red Ribbon, walk through, until you see another stop light and Petron Station
• Pass the Petron station is F Benitez Street , turn righ,t walk , pass by the Iglesia ni Cristo church
• Next to INC is the PNA building with the signboard Pambansang Samahan ng Mga Nurse ng Pilipinas

If from Makati or Guadalupe Area

• Take the Guadalupe- Tulay – Paco jeeps and alight directly at F. Benitez street. remember it has a stop light and Petron Station.
• FX cars are available also that ply the route going to Robinsons Place Manila, alight at Pedro Gil St and walk.

From Morayta or Espana Area

• You can take LRT again to reach Pedro Gil or ride a jeep with signboard Pasay taft and alight at Pedro Gil Station

NOTE: The PNA is only open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM