A good friend and mentor once told me: "You should never speak about a topic you are not oriented to.
You will end up being talked about and worst, laughed at.
" Another elegant lady told me, "No one is an expert.
" Now, with these two conflicting admonitions, you would most probably tell me, "Mum's the advice.
" Albert Einsten said: "The only source of knowledge is experience.
" Therefore, we "already know" if we "experience.
" But then, "to experience" can also mean a lot of things.
Before this gets complicated and academically challenging, let me start with that word - "experience.
" When we were kids, we stare at awe with our playmates who knows how to ride the bicycle.
In your mind you repeatedly imagine how you would ride the same equipment.
Then when you were given the chance to try, bumps and bruises before you can finally see yourself racing around the block.
But like all things in life, we outgrow the joy of riding the bicycle.
Isn't this not the same with your experience of the Nursing Profession or any other profession for that matter? When I was in my junior highschool years, I used to admire the ladies wearing the pristine white uniform, admiring the pictures from science books showing the gentle and caring women beside each doctor and with that admiration, is also a dream of seeing myself in such attire.
And yes, I got what I dreamed of.
It was a good odyssey, an odyssey that brings with it, many paths, arrows, directions and challenges.
The road to the Nursing profession is not an easy one - not during my time.
We were trained to heed the call of duty despite the storm, and of course, the floods.
Vividly, I can still remember how I folded my white nursing uniform and securing it inside a plastic bag so as not to get wet before I prepare myself for the rain and flood.
Yes, there was flood alright.
It was knee deep.
I reached the hospital where I was assigned and carried out the day's assigned work as if I did not waddle in knee deep flood water some hours ago.
And yes, like everything else, we outgrow things.
We smile at the memory.
The opportunity of teaching and transferring the same knowledge and values of the Nursing profession came.
It was a good and refreshing experience.
I taught and at the same time, learned so many things from the youth, yet I was able to see the difference with each generation of nursing students.
One thing is for sure, knowledge without proper values and good attitude is useless.
Not everything in the old generation is bad, and not everything that the new generation invent meant better.
As I look back, everything that I encountered on my way to the Nursing Profession were there to serve a purpose or two.
I met people who came just to share their lunch when I have none.
I also met sick people who saw a caring daughter in me when she has none.
I also encountered grumpy, yet knowledgeable superiors and less than friendly colleagues.
Without these experiences, including the waddle in the knee-deep flood, I may not be able to give inspiring words to the sick at heart and body.
Without the trust of my clinical instructors on my capability to establish rapport with my patients, I may not be able to develop my own personality.
Needless to say, the travel towards the Nursing profession is but a great one - It molded me.
I learned to care, to see with the heart, to teach without dictating and to see the good in every difficult situation.
Most of all, the Nursing profession taught me to write with heartfelt wisdom.
You will end up being talked about and worst, laughed at.
" Another elegant lady told me, "No one is an expert.
" Now, with these two conflicting admonitions, you would most probably tell me, "Mum's the advice.
" Albert Einsten said: "The only source of knowledge is experience.
" Therefore, we "already know" if we "experience.
" But then, "to experience" can also mean a lot of things.
Before this gets complicated and academically challenging, let me start with that word - "experience.
" When we were kids, we stare at awe with our playmates who knows how to ride the bicycle.
In your mind you repeatedly imagine how you would ride the same equipment.
Then when you were given the chance to try, bumps and bruises before you can finally see yourself racing around the block.
But like all things in life, we outgrow the joy of riding the bicycle.
Isn't this not the same with your experience of the Nursing Profession or any other profession for that matter? When I was in my junior highschool years, I used to admire the ladies wearing the pristine white uniform, admiring the pictures from science books showing the gentle and caring women beside each doctor and with that admiration, is also a dream of seeing myself in such attire.
And yes, I got what I dreamed of.
It was a good odyssey, an odyssey that brings with it, many paths, arrows, directions and challenges.
The road to the Nursing profession is not an easy one - not during my time.
We were trained to heed the call of duty despite the storm, and of course, the floods.
Vividly, I can still remember how I folded my white nursing uniform and securing it inside a plastic bag so as not to get wet before I prepare myself for the rain and flood.
Yes, there was flood alright.
It was knee deep.
I reached the hospital where I was assigned and carried out the day's assigned work as if I did not waddle in knee deep flood water some hours ago.
And yes, like everything else, we outgrow things.
We smile at the memory.
The opportunity of teaching and transferring the same knowledge and values of the Nursing profession came.
It was a good and refreshing experience.
I taught and at the same time, learned so many things from the youth, yet I was able to see the difference with each generation of nursing students.
One thing is for sure, knowledge without proper values and good attitude is useless.
Not everything in the old generation is bad, and not everything that the new generation invent meant better.
As I look back, everything that I encountered on my way to the Nursing Profession were there to serve a purpose or two.
I met people who came just to share their lunch when I have none.
I also met sick people who saw a caring daughter in me when she has none.
I also encountered grumpy, yet knowledgeable superiors and less than friendly colleagues.
Without these experiences, including the waddle in the knee-deep flood, I may not be able to give inspiring words to the sick at heart and body.
Without the trust of my clinical instructors on my capability to establish rapport with my patients, I may not be able to develop my own personality.
Needless to say, the travel towards the Nursing profession is but a great one - It molded me.
I learned to care, to see with the heart, to teach without dictating and to see the good in every difficult situation.
Most of all, the Nursing profession taught me to write with heartfelt wisdom.