Hello I'm a male Registered Nurse (RN) and I'm currently in school at University of Hawaii at Manoa for my masters in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). I love technology. This blog is more of a personal one with some others. Which is to blog about my life, tech related stuff, and health related issues. I will try to be as accurate as I can with the health related issues and be prudent enough to use evidence-based practice.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
What a year in the MSN-FNP Program
Well this may be a short one. It's nearly the end of the Fall 2010 semester and thus, I'm near the completion of my two years of Family Nurse Practitioner school. I'm on my way to get my masters degree. Some things I've noticed along my journey in FNP school. Well first, the way I view diseases and conditions affecting the quality of life is different from that of when I was in nursing school getting my bachelor's degree from University of Hawaii at Manoa. There are many things that changed since the start of my FNP schooling. My attitude toward healthcare changed. I'd thought, well the hospital is the most important part of healthcare and all nurses should therefore work in acute care inpatient hospitals and all the theory stuff we learned in school is irrelevant to our actual clinical practice. Well guess what? That assumption may be wrong. I'm not saying "it is" wrong, it "may" be wrong.
I've wondered why our nation tries to focus so much on primary care. Now I see why. Everyone working in the healthcare system has their role and without a doubt, they're are critical to sustain our nation's healthcare system. Hospitals are needed because patients do become sicker after they develop a bad disease. We primary care providers should be diligent in looking how to treat diseases to prevent hospital admissions. Unfortunately, a patient with a progressively worsening condition may need to be hospitalized and monitored closely by great nurses who work in these hospitals, namely Queen's Medical Center, Kuakini Health Systems, Hawaii Medical Center East and West, and all of Hawaii Pacific Health. However, it seems obvious that although these great hospitals do provide excellent nursing care, I still see fragmentation amongst nurses in various settings. There seems to be an ego issue and unfortunately, a pay issue as well. With the pay issue, it may not be so relevant to Hawaii, but in the mainland, depending on the department you work in, the pay is different. Well lets take out pay out of this picture now.
So back to the issue of primary care and fragmentation amongst nurses. Now, of course the Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) such as Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists, clearly have different roles and scopes of practice than Registered Nurses (RN) who are not independent practitioners. Even though we are still RNs, the scope of practice and educational preparation mindset is different. So that don't count. I'm going to separate APRN and RN. What I'm talking about is all these organizations within the realm of RNs, fragmentation is evidenced by staff RNs, outpatient RNs, nurse managers, nurse executives, etc. We need to work together and make each other professionally equal. I've heard instances where a nurse manager told another staff nurse with more experience, "I'm the nurse manager and I know better". This certainly may be true in the management position, but obviously does not indicate the nurse manager knows more than the staff RN. This is a issue that's been brought up at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners fellowship that I attended in Washington D.C. in August 2010. Primary care providers need to do the same and collaborate well with each other and putting aside the mindset of "I'm in a specialty and you're just a generalist". Moreover, I don't like being called a mid-level provider by many other healthcare workers. It sounds a bit degrading professionally. We are non-physician clinicians.
Anyway, now to the economic aspects. I see many new grad RNs not being hired in Hawaii because of "inexperience at least 1 year". Sure experience says a lot, but not hiring new grads to give them a chance to develop that experience will hurt our healthcare system in the long run. Think about it, the new healthcare reform kicked in and nearly 32 million uninsured individuals will be insured and the count will increase. If a large population becomes sick at once because of various diseases, will we be able to keep the nurses who are already working overtime sane? Of course not. We are humans and we do get feelings of being burnt out sometime. So training new grads is important. Pretty soon, our new grads in Hawaii will move to the mainland to work and Hawaii will be in a desperate need for nurses. At the same time, there will be more delay of care and quality of health care WILL decline because of poorer work performance by these nurses who are already overworked. This is unacceptable. What I think hospitals should do if they want to decrease cost in hiring new grads is to pay new grads low for the first year and if they have a good work performance, then put them at a regular rate post-1st year.
Also, I think Graduate Nurse Education funds should be able to fund residencies or fellowships for APRNs even though the pay may be low for working long hours in the duration of residencies. This would increase the quality of care because us APRNs would receive high quality training. Just my thoughts...
Monday, October 11, 2010
Making a new website
I'm thinking about making a new website. Not sure if I should disclose it. I want it to be cool for students and professionals. This could be working closely with other big websites. Not copying, but working with them. Just a thought...
Friday, July 30, 2010
Know the why before you stick with the what.
So it's been a while since I last posted. I was very busy earlier on in the summer reading all the chapters required for the class. Toward the end, I realized that many of the information in the book was review with a little more depth into it. The focus is different. Instead of reading about what to expect by the prescribing provider, it was reading about what I would do AS a provider. This was difficult as I haven't been truly into the role yet.
Nonetheless, I've been reading all the required chapters and I feel burnt. Burnt to a crisp in the brain. What also bothers me is that people don't read the chapters, but still get better grades than I do on the weekly quizzes. They just use the powerpoint and their iPhone or what have you, to find the answer and pass the quiz, without gaining a good understanding of why. They know the what, but it doesn't seem to show they're interested in knowing the why.
This goes to the same principal in life. If you just care about the what, then you'll be like a zombie following orders, rules, etc without making the critical thinking and choice for your own. In other words, you'll be doing things without knowing the reason behind such acts.
Nonetheless, I've been reading all the required chapters and I feel burnt. Burnt to a crisp in the brain. What also bothers me is that people don't read the chapters, but still get better grades than I do on the weekly quizzes. They just use the powerpoint and their iPhone or what have you, to find the answer and pass the quiz, without gaining a good understanding of why. They know the what, but it doesn't seem to show they're interested in knowing the why.
This goes to the same principal in life. If you just care about the what, then you'll be like a zombie following orders, rules, etc without making the critical thinking and choice for your own. In other words, you'll be doing things without knowing the reason behind such acts.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
This seems fair and appropriate to work as a team.
I agree that reform is needed even though it may be uncomfortable for some practitioners.
in reference to: New health-care law might make your doctor more informed, efficient, responsive (view on Google Sidewiki)Wrong update! Pakistani AF chief's son.
Nevermind, wrongly read, he's the Pakistani's Air Force chief's son.
in reference to: Car bomb suspect who slipped under radar is son of air force chief - Times Online (view on Google Sidewiki)ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
What is this world coming to?! The Air force Chief's son is the car bomb suspect?
in reference to: Car bomb suspect who slipped under radar is son of air force chief - Times Online (view on Google Sidewiki)Tuesday, May 4, 2010
My facebook page
I really like the way facebook and google is going good together!
in reference to: Facebook | Yusharn Wang (view on Google Sidewiki)Monday, January 18, 2010
Military Duty as a Registered Nurse
Aloha,
I'm in the process of joining the military as a nurse. Particularly a family nurse practitioner. Anybody has any advice or anything to say about military nursing as a family nurse practitioner? Not too many. I've been told by the navy recruiter that I am able to join now as a Navy reservist and obtain a commission as a Ensign, an equivalent to a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. Yes the navy has different names for their ranks by tradition. Then, I could get active duty recall when it's within 6 months of my graduation from my masters FNP program and get a Lieutenant Junior Grade rank (1st Lieutenant) since I would have my masters in nursing. Experience in the military, will definitely give me the experience I would never get in the civilian sector. So I feel special.
While in the navy reserves, the recruiter would get me into the Medical In Training (MIT) program. This will allow me to continue school full-time and get a monthly salary of reservist pay (about $750 a month as a Ensign in the navy reserves). All military branches pay the same base salary because it's all about what rank you are and years of experience. This program will also entitle me to other extra pay I believe. I would go to officers training for only 2 weeks in Rhode Island to learn about the military, navy, and how to put on a uniform basically. No bootcamp since I'm not going to be enlisted, I'm going to be an officer in the Nurse Navy Corp. Two hospital ships: Comfort & Mercy. One is based for the Pacific fleet in San Diego and the other is the Atlantic fleet based in Portsmith in the east coast. I chose the Pacific Fleet to stay on the west coast.
After getting active duty recall, I would have a 4-year commitment and get paid well actually. Alright, all this sounds great. Just one barrier. I lost my proof of citizenship in the December 2008 house flood while I was away in New York City! :( Now I have to cough up $380 for a replacement. I guess since I absolutely need it, I will have to get it and pay big for it. I'm glad my girlfriend is alright with all this military joining and stuff. She'll support me all the way! Whoohoo! I believe that is also important in making decisions like this. After 4-6 years of active duty, I may come back to Hawaii to work as a nurse practitioner and go back to the Navy reserves to be based at Pearl Harbor. Cool huh?
I'm in the process of joining the military as a nurse. Particularly a family nurse practitioner. Anybody has any advice or anything to say about military nursing as a family nurse practitioner? Not too many. I've been told by the navy recruiter that I am able to join now as a Navy reservist and obtain a commission as a Ensign, an equivalent to a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. Yes the navy has different names for their ranks by tradition. Then, I could get active duty recall when it's within 6 months of my graduation from my masters FNP program and get a Lieutenant Junior Grade rank (1st Lieutenant) since I would have my masters in nursing. Experience in the military, will definitely give me the experience I would never get in the civilian sector. So I feel special.
While in the navy reserves, the recruiter would get me into the Medical In Training (MIT) program. This will allow me to continue school full-time and get a monthly salary of reservist pay (about $750 a month as a Ensign in the navy reserves). All military branches pay the same base salary because it's all about what rank you are and years of experience. This program will also entitle me to other extra pay I believe. I would go to officers training for only 2 weeks in Rhode Island to learn about the military, navy, and how to put on a uniform basically. No bootcamp since I'm not going to be enlisted, I'm going to be an officer in the Nurse Navy Corp. Two hospital ships: Comfort & Mercy. One is based for the Pacific fleet in San Diego and the other is the Atlantic fleet based in Portsmith in the east coast. I chose the Pacific Fleet to stay on the west coast.
After getting active duty recall, I would have a 4-year commitment and get paid well actually. Alright, all this sounds great. Just one barrier. I lost my proof of citizenship in the December 2008 house flood while I was away in New York City! :( Now I have to cough up $380 for a replacement. I guess since I absolutely need it, I will have to get it and pay big for it. I'm glad my girlfriend is alright with all this military joining and stuff. She'll support me all the way! Whoohoo! I believe that is also important in making decisions like this. After 4-6 years of active duty, I may come back to Hawaii to work as a nurse practitioner and go back to the Navy reserves to be based at Pearl Harbor. Cool huh?
A man, a student, a nurse, a tech lover.
Aloha everyone,
Well it's imminent that the fast pace of growing technology now days is ever so, well...FAST. Is it me or is the cell phone industry growing more popular because of the availability of "smartphones" able to do nearly everything a laptop can do wirelessly? Well it seems the health care industry is also shifting gears to get ready for the tentative date of 2015s requirement that all medical records need to be in electronic form, including outpatient small clinics. This my friends, is not only cool, but more efficient, secure, available, green, and easier to use in the health care setting. However, I've heard about long time nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and other health care workers hating the new system and it's requirements. That's got to change! Now days everything is on the internet, including journals and news. So I believe we healthcare workers must be willing to make efficient use of the available and future technologies.
Let me give you an example. The Apple's iPhone 3GS is the best smartphone from Apple that is capable of doing nearly everything you need: calls, media entertainment, web browsing, texting, tweeting, facebook, myspace, medical resource applications, etc. Now the rumored Apple tablet is supposedly imminent this month and it is suspected that new gadgets will be revealed at the January 27 event that apple is holding called "Latest Creation". Wow, I'm very excited actually. Just recently in Fall 2009, I bought my very first mac, then Macbook Pro 15" with the "middle specs" of 2.66GHZ at the student price with the free ipod touch. Then it was like a gateway drug that led to other Apple stuff. I needed a bigger monitor to read my PDF files and do research and papers, all at home. I found a solution. A refurbished 24" Apple cinema display to connect to my macbook pro. Then it led to getting a apple tv which I love to watch movies and other media. I used handbrake to rip my purchased DVDs and store it on the Apple TV. Then it led to a mac mini that I got as a gift, the latest 2.53GHZ mac mini that syncs well with my MBP since I won a subscription to Apple's MobileMe. Along with this, I switched from T-Mobile to AT&T to get the iPhone 3GS. All this seems like a lot but hey, I actually make good use of all these things nearly every single day.
Now they're coming out with a Apple Tablet that would be good as a laptop as it can do new iWork touch processing. Sort of like a large iPod touch but with 3G capability rumored to be on Verizon's network. This is also attractive to my technology enjoyment. As I try to keep up with the technological advancements, I'm able to do homework on the computer and internet with ease and I am always up-to-date with future developments that could possibly help me in my future work as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Also, it's entertaining to see all these cool new gadgets come out. :) I realized now though, since I have many of the new gadgets, I must calm down and stop obtaining these cool things such as new computers. I thought to myself though, that getting a new cell phone if I could afford it isn't that bad. Hence, Google's Android phones are coming out fast and better than ever. Especially their new Nexus One sold only on the Google online store. They're coming out with a version for Verizon's network but that's later in the earlier half in Spring 2010. This phone may actually urge me to switch form AT&T to Verizon because of these cool Google phones that can do a lot more things freely. Also, the network may be better as Verizon is known to be and it's good too that my girlfriend has Verizon and she wants to stay on that network so we can get a family plan!
Well it's imminent that the fast pace of growing technology now days is ever so, well...FAST. Is it me or is the cell phone industry growing more popular because of the availability of "smartphones" able to do nearly everything a laptop can do wirelessly? Well it seems the health care industry is also shifting gears to get ready for the tentative date of 2015s requirement that all medical records need to be in electronic form, including outpatient small clinics. This my friends, is not only cool, but more efficient, secure, available, green, and easier to use in the health care setting. However, I've heard about long time nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and other health care workers hating the new system and it's requirements. That's got to change! Now days everything is on the internet, including journals and news. So I believe we healthcare workers must be willing to make efficient use of the available and future technologies.
Let me give you an example. The Apple's iPhone 3GS is the best smartphone from Apple that is capable of doing nearly everything you need: calls, media entertainment, web browsing, texting, tweeting, facebook, myspace, medical resource applications, etc. Now the rumored Apple tablet is supposedly imminent this month and it is suspected that new gadgets will be revealed at the January 27 event that apple is holding called "Latest Creation". Wow, I'm very excited actually. Just recently in Fall 2009, I bought my very first mac, then Macbook Pro 15" with the "middle specs" of 2.66GHZ at the student price with the free ipod touch. Then it was like a gateway drug that led to other Apple stuff. I needed a bigger monitor to read my PDF files and do research and papers, all at home. I found a solution. A refurbished 24" Apple cinema display to connect to my macbook pro. Then it led to getting a apple tv which I love to watch movies and other media. I used handbrake to rip my purchased DVDs and store it on the Apple TV. Then it led to a mac mini that I got as a gift, the latest 2.53GHZ mac mini that syncs well with my MBP since I won a subscription to Apple's MobileMe. Along with this, I switched from T-Mobile to AT&T to get the iPhone 3GS. All this seems like a lot but hey, I actually make good use of all these things nearly every single day.
Now they're coming out with a Apple Tablet that would be good as a laptop as it can do new iWork touch processing. Sort of like a large iPod touch but with 3G capability rumored to be on Verizon's network. This is also attractive to my technology enjoyment. As I try to keep up with the technological advancements, I'm able to do homework on the computer and internet with ease and I am always up-to-date with future developments that could possibly help me in my future work as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Also, it's entertaining to see all these cool new gadgets come out. :) I realized now though, since I have many of the new gadgets, I must calm down and stop obtaining these cool things such as new computers. I thought to myself though, that getting a new cell phone if I could afford it isn't that bad. Hence, Google's Android phones are coming out fast and better than ever. Especially their new Nexus One sold only on the Google online store. They're coming out with a version for Verizon's network but that's later in the earlier half in Spring 2010. This phone may actually urge me to switch form AT&T to Verizon because of these cool Google phones that can do a lot more things freely. Also, the network may be better as Verizon is known to be and it's good too that my girlfriend has Verizon and she wants to stay on that network so we can get a family plan!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A New Year 2010!
Wow it has been a very good 2009 year. I graduated in Spring 2009 from University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing with my bachelors of science in nursing (BSN). Soon after, around 6 weeks I received my RN license! Then I got into the Family Nurse Practitioner program at the same university I graduated from. Couldn't find a job as a new grad so I did flu shots for an agency. I also got hired as a graduate assistant to help me with my tuition and make some money on the side.
My girlfriend Kathryn was still in Kauai and she was working hard to look for jobs in various hospitals who were willing to hire new grads. However, at this time of economic hardship, it was pretty much like, NO LUCK for both of us. Some of our classmates did get jobs, but that was probably because they did their last semester of complex nursing at the unit or they know someone, or they worked on the unit as a nurse aide for a long time while in undergrad nursing school. She's making money for the time being at a movie theater in Kauai and she's making more than a NA!
Anyway, I've noticed I was the only one who pursued graduate school soon after getting a BSN. People thought I was crazy and I think of myself as the same. While everyone else is making money, becoming officers in the military, I decided to do the crazy thing. Continue to grad school and stay as a poor college student with federal loans. It's the good thing my graduate assistantship job in the simulation learning lab is waiving my tuition and giving me a monthly $800 stipend + medical/vision/dental. It's something, right? You're damn right it is. Sometimes I think it's not enough money aside from the benefits, so I did some flu/H1N1 shot administration in schools and around the community for an agency on the side. Though I'm getting my tuition waived, the admin fees, books, gas, food, cell phone bills, and truck maintenance really add up to making me go over than what I make even with the student loans no matter how hard I try to save it to use it for school supplies and travel to school. I drive a V6 toyota tacoma 2004 and it really eats gas. I could take the bus but from where I live, the buses that go closes to the university leaves before 6AM! WTF? Well, I'm working hard to finish school again.
I'm looking into the Air Force or Navy active duty as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Anybody has any thoughts?
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