Nursing Goal: To-Do List to Work On For This Summer

What do I need to do every day (independent of assignments specific for that week) that will distinguish myself and make me a better nurse than those around me?

-          Invest time everyday to study Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination, 5e by Linda Anne Silvestri (Author) and Medical-Surgical Nursing Made Incredibly Easy! by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (Author)

(My classmate said that this book is better than our professor’s notes because it gives you exactly the information that you need to know, will remember throughout your nursing career, and doesn’t bombard you with excessive details of pathophysiology like our textbook does)

-          Set up time to go over Professor Debourgh’s notes. Answer any questions you may have through textbook or via internet.

-          Set up time to review old notes (notes that you just went over for this past test so you build and solidify the knowledge; don’t let it just slip away and have to re-pick up all over again due to not touching it for a long time!)

-          Go over fundamentals! Meaning, study Jarvis book to improve your assessment skills! (ex: Lung Sounds; Abnormal Heart Sounds; percussion, what to look for EXACTLY and understand what is EXACTLY going on with the patient) 

-          Invest time to run over the steps of performing Skills in your head. (Ex: Trach. Suctioning, catheter insertion, wound dressing change, etc.) Clarify any questions!  

Weekly:

-          Set up time to review CPR

-          Invest time to review EKG strip interpretations

***Write out nursing goal to-do list in a place where you will easily see it every day.  

How much time should I spend on each per day? I need to challenge myself AND be realistic simultaneously. 

Problems From This Past Test and Ways to Improve Upon

Problems:
- Still had questions late yesterday night before test

- Could not verbalize answers satisfactorily to more in-depth pathophysiology related questions if tested myself due to not enough time going over all the pages of notes (not that i did not know that testing myself was important but that i had so many pages to go over in the limited time span so testing myself, i imagine at least, would have taken too long and i would not have been able to look over all the slides)

- Some questions or parts of the notes that i previously assumed to be not worth paying attention to, when late yesterday i finally took the time to go over, i found out i had questions on (again, this is b/c i felt i lacked the time and decided to go over the seemingly more important slides with focus)

- Lacking knowledge in the "how to" or "how it's done" for procedures. Ex: continuous bladder irrigation, peritoneal dialysis, epicardial pacing, etc.

Lesson from this test is that I need to start earlier b/c I noticed on the last day studying for the test, I still had questions that for some reason, before when going over, just did not come into my awareness. If you start even earlier than you did for this test (1 week), you will have time for these types of questions to come into your awareness as you are studying. It's the same as re-reading a book as you will pick up on information that you just missed last time.And this way, you won't feel rushed to skim over "insignificant" slides, you'll have time to go over the "how it's done", be able to actually test yourself by verbalizing or writing out the pathophysiology of diseases w/o feeling like you're crammed for time to finish the rest of the slides, and you won't likely have any problematic questions the night before the test.

Way to Improve: Start Early!

Day 1 & Be the Hero In Your Own Story

“We all love the good hero story.

The person who had it all stacked against him/her.

The person who kept on getting up after getting knocked down.

The person nobody thought would ever make it.

And then they do it all despite it.

Never forget that you can be the hero in your own story.”

- Brian Kim's MIT of the day of Wed.; April 3^rd, 2013 

http://briankim.net

Today is Day One of my 30 day marathon of establishing the habit of waking up every day at 5 AM. Again why am I doing this? To distinguish myself through my work ethic, desire, and wisdom to achieve goals that will serve myself and others. To distinguish myself to the point where, when people think of my name, they understand it stands for something with high regard. That is what I want, and it can’t be disregarded that those who wake early tend to be more productive with their time. Perhaps Aristotle said it best, “It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” Certainly I will be adapting my early morning routine as I go along here to suit my preference and I will not rush it. We can all be the hero in our own story. 

Writing Out My Goals:

To become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

To become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

To become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

To have a body as cut as brad pitt in troy without flexing.

To have a body as cut as brad pitt in troy without flexing.

To have a body as cut as brad pitt in troy without flexing.

To write and contemplate about life’s wisdom.

Tp wirte and contemplate about life’s wisdom.

To write and contemplate about life;s wisdom.

To build upon my vocabulary ti improve my ability to articulate exactly what I am thinking.

To build upon my vocabulary to improve my ability to articulate exactly what I am thinking.,

To build ipin my vocabulary to improve my ability to articulate exactly what I am thinking.

To become an active DC QHHT practitioner AND write about the sciences that are merging science with spirituality.

To become an active DC QHH practitioner AND write about the sciences that are merging science with spirituality.

To beome and active DC QHHT practitioner AND  write about the sciences that are merging science with spirituatly.

What am I Grateful for?

Grateful for the opportunity to have the resources that I've had to improve my life. I'm grateful for the opportunity to really be able to make a difference in the lives of others. Grateful that I'm up this early and MAKING the conscious decision to dictate my actions based off my goals and to choose not to be dictated by the circumstances of every day life and the need to be in a 100% state of "everything is going right" to live my life based off what I want to pursue. Grateful to understand that I can choose to overcome obstacles, and that they cannot thwart me if I choose so.


Time today after finishing my early morning routine: 5:55 AM

My Early Morning Routine today:
5 min. to check basic news; play motivational music; read MIT, contemplate, write about it briefly; write down your goals; visualize and understand the opportunity you have right now to distinguish yourself, especially when compared to the majority of others your age; think over what I'm grateful for; and begin your To-Do List of Objectives to complete today

I wonder what parts I can or need to shorten down or cut out?

My Many Goals: Now and in the Near Future

1. To be the nurse who makes the difference in a crisis.  

To be the leader, a life-saver, and the difference maker in a crisis.

Motivation for this goal: I want to be the hero; to save lives; to act in an emergency when others can only watch, wishing they knew what to do; to make a positive and inspiring difference in the lives of others.

For clinical: to conduct thorough assessments, practice hands-on, to ask for what I need, to understand what interventions should be done based off priority, to understand why I am giving each medication, and to take my time to get it right.

2. To become a habitual Early riser and be productive with my time. To minimize the amount of time I NEED to sleep to have more time during the day.

Distractions to be Expelled From My Life: the television <-- the most prominent distraction in my life  

Motivation for doing this: I want to be seen as someone who has discipline, determination, ambition, desire and this makes an obvious first hand statement with just the eyes when someone sees you up that early at such a young age when it’s just not the norm, and of course, this helps me be more productive and disciplined in my mentality towards other goals.

"If you will do what most people are not willing to do for the next few years, then
you'll be able to do what most people won't be able to do for the rest of their lives.

Extremely concentrated effort in a short period of time builds enough rocket fuel to
help you escape the gravity of mediocrity that entraps everybody else."

3. To write and contemplate about life’s wisdom. (Brian Kim’s MIT’s of the Day, articles, Books; Steve Pavlina; Anthony “Tony” Robbins; Personal Excellence Blog (Ex: article on overcoming shyness article mentality change); Self-Improvement Individuals)

Motivation for doing this: B/C the more you can learn from the wisdom and life lessons of others, the more you will amplify your potential for the attainment of your own goals.

4. To become an active DC QHHT practitioner AND write about the sciences that are merging with what DC’s work has found as well as other sources regarding Spirituality.

I also want to write about how these modern chronic diseases that Western medicine has no cure for is being covered up for profit by powerful pharmaceutical companies as well as how it's related to our modern day lifestyles. <-- How we are making ourselves sick and why medicine is not the answer to these chronic illnesses. (Relates to DC and spirituality b/c it's talked about how we shouldn't be sick, and how we do it to ourselves; how people have been healed by DC's work, thus understanding that medicines and chemotherapy of Western medicine is not the answer; and worst of all, the travesty that is going on by drug companies for money)  Write about BL's work, DC, Tom Campbell, and the likes who are proving how science is moving us into an age to spiritual enlightenment, growth, and health.

Motivation for doing this: to change lives, heal people in ways that medicine hasn’t been able to, and to grow even more spiritually.

-          To write about the story of my dog and the legacy to leave. 

Motivation for doing this: B/C I want her story told, b/c her life and how it has and will impact me positively deserves to be known

5. To cut down on body weight and develop a strong body weight to strength ratio. To train my body towards a mountain climber's level of fitness.



Goals to Pursue Later in Life:

6. To live a life of excitement by pursing Adventure-related activities, hobbies, and travel. (From Lion King Days)

“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances without own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.” - Joseph Campbell

http://coachingtohappiness.com/follow-your-bliss-a-collection-of-joseph-campbell-quotes.html

7. To develop strong, deep, emotional connection with others based off honesty and the sharing of intimate thoughts, feelings, experiences (life and everyday exp.), beliefs, and values. (From Lion King Days)


8. To develop my personality in ways that benefit me, ways that I desire, and in ways that has a positive impact on those I come in contact with. To challenge my negative beliefs and to therefore change my attitude, thoughts, feelings, mindset, and actions for the better. (Inspired by the Domestic Disturbance Incident)

            One Area I Want to Change: To be able to confidently and intellectually articulate about topics of importance to me in front of a large group and audience. To deliver speeches (public speaking) with resonance, cogency, satisfactory economy of language, and be able to express myself in the moment, off the cuff, with the right words that come to mind and do justice to how I feel about what I am thinking about.  


9. To learn about the difficulties others are experiencing in their lives AND to step outside my own needs for the needs of others by portioning, saving up, and donating part of my salary to animal and human needs organizations monthly.

(Make sure the organizations actually make a difference vs. organizations where most of the donations go into the pockets and salaries of those not in need! i.e. Susan G. Komen Foundation)

Motivation for doing this: B/C animals and humans out there are suffering. To learn to be grateful for what I have and at the same time, taking advantage of the opportunities I have in this life to maximize my potential. 

Now that I have written out in clarity and specificity what it is I want to achieve in my life, what do I need to do everyday to take me one step closer? Also, continue to experiment with morning routine.

A Desire to Be Noticed in the Long Run

As I sit here at the law library typing this, I am wondering about a question I thought about an hour ago. First of all, I want to remind myself that no more than an hour ago, I wasn’t likely to be sitting here in the library, writing this. Less than an hour ago, I was sitting in my boxers after taking a bath, took out my contacts as my brother did and myself following suit without making the independent decision to do so, and started feeling my mind go into a state of drowsiness. The blinds being closed certainly didn’t help. Yet, I am here now. Why? Because I sat there thinking to myself, “I can go lie down and watch successive episodes of Two and a Half men and Rules of Engagement, or I can go do what I need to do to improve and distinguish myself. Why do I feel motivated lately, besides the fact that I witnessed Kobe Bryant’s own dogged determination to succeed and prove his doubters wrong after recently rupturing his Achilles? A few things. This past Saturday, I just had an exam, so the past week prior to the test, I was already in a state of discipline where I was practicing self-discipline. The fact that I did not do as well as I’d hoped for does not help either. Seeing the Man of Steel Trailer in theaters before the Jurassic Park movie in 3d played a part as it certainly reminded me of the hero’s journey that I learned about from my Mythology class this past summer. Learning about my upcoming senior one semester’s schedule is definitely contributing to my desire to pursue one of my goals here. And besides the recent seemingly trivial sources of motivation that has slightly lit a hotter fuse in my subconscious mind that ever so gently waiting to go off, I can’t say I’ve felt this way just now. I’ve felt motivated and determined for self-improvement and goal-attainment all my life. And I mean, all my life. Of course, no one huge event is responsible for my ambition but the question that I precluded this post with is something that is, has been, and will be my main source of motivation. And what is that question?

In your heart of hearts, what do people think about quiet people? Regardless of what people might say when publically asked on the spot, I feel like quiet people are looked down upon in our society. Quiet people are looked as loners. Quiet people are less thought about, less talked about, and if talked about, not likely to be regarded in a positive light. Quiet people are less noticed, and considered to be nobody. Quiet people are unintentionally ignored by girls, all the while, us noticing them. I don’t think people expect us to make noise- not literally of course- in life. As I type this, I surmise this reason as to why Kobe Bryant, who has been perceived to be quiet and reserved, has become such a fierce competitor, besides his love for the game. “When it comes to the game, the thing that is most important to me is winning. I want to win, I want to win by any means necessary, I want to be the best. I want to be the best, simple and plain. And to be the best you have to win. That’s why I play the game. That’s what drives me.” Also, does it surprise me that the bulk of my music playlist consist of two types of songs? Songs with elements of sadness to them, and music that motivates me. Certainly I have songs that may not fall into these two categories, but those are far and few in between. Songs with a jolly, upbeat attitude have their place, but lose their vigor and conviction faster than songs of despair and motivation. Do I want to be sad? After experiencing the passing of my beloved dog, the answer is a surefire NO! I listen to sad songs because they serve as the fueling ground for motivation. I love that feeling of determination and ambition. The thought of going for a run at 5 in the morning and having one of my old high school classmates, who just had to coincidentally be up early for that one day, see me working with a passion gives me a feeling of satisfaction like little that I’ve experienced. It’s similar to the feeling of being in the zone when playing basketball and no matter WHAT the defender tries to do, it has all been futile for them. Followed by the bonus of seeing and hearing signs of self-contained amazement and frustration from someone that has never noticed you or thought much of you gives me such satisfaction! That respect for being noticed NOW after time has passed and the tables have switched is what I want. No wonder self-improvement has been such a big focus for me in life. The desire to be the hero, to stand apart, to individuate myself from the crowd, this is what I work for! I want to live my life to my greatest potential and be admired. I want to live a life where others, who were too good for me, will talk about in a commendable or envious manner. Don’t get me wrong, not all my goals revolve around self-desired goals that will only benefit myself. It’s far from that. I know that a life lived to pleasure ourselves solely is a life that has made no impact on anyone. We all have to decide who we want to be in our lives. We can all change the world, for better or worse.         

The Type of Motivation & Inspiration I Want Others to See in Me

Kobe Bryant- on the night/early morning hours (Friday; April 12th/ Sat.; April 13th) after suffering a ruptured Achilles:

"This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I've done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I'm supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??
I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that
was. Maybe this is how my book
ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me...Then again maybe not! It's 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I'm wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what's the purpose of social media if I won't bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.
One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.
"If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear". Ive always loved that quote. Thats "mamba mentality" we don't quit, we don't cower, we don't run. We endure and conquer.
I know it's a long post but I'm Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.
Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. Much Love Always.
Mamba Out                                                                                                                                              "

https://www.facebook.com/Kobe/posts/10151563315250419

I desire to be seen in this fashion by others. To prove myself. RESPECT.

Why Torture Matters

This past Wednesday, I attended a lecture on War and Its Effects on Society. Here are my thoughts. (Writing all this while listening to the Man of Steel trailer)

              Why does torture matter? This is a serious question with significant implications. The more appropriate question is, why wouldn’t torture matter? Besides the obvious fact that torture yields an automatic gut reaction so vile that is beyond contempt- in the vast majority of us at least-, should there ever be a time or situation where torture is appropriate? Rebecca Gordon argues that torture matters because of what it does to a nation. It matters because it is not an isolated event. It matters because torture is a practice, and torture engenders in us habits that not only ruin the image and perception of this overly proud nation when exposed, if exposed, but it instills in the torturers, values that are thrown into grave questioning, and nations that allows this to happen behind the shadows will certainly be questioning their own values as well, regardless of the values this nation supposedly stands for beyond all else. What does it say about a nation who covers up the veracity of what really goes on inside or behind enemy lines? It would devastate the nation’s reputation for one thing, but the individuals who participate in the abuse are guilty of cruelty to its fellow mankind. After all the changes and uprisings between groups of superficial difference this nation has seen, you would think we would all understand to treat each other with courtesy and respect, as we are not so different. But apparently when it comes to institutions of power such as the military, where information of what really happens can easily be kept a secret from the public, we can lose the common decency we show for each other. One may say, “Hold on a minute, they are the enemy! Why should we care? They deserve it!” And while I can understand the anger and hate against our “enemies”, and may even agree on an emotional level that these people should be treated horrendously for what they have done, we shouldn’t. Why? Because of what it does to us as individuals. Because of what it does to our character and values. Certainly the acts of war may be as criminal as murder, as soldiers are motivated to kill the enemy out of differences in what they believe (e.g. religion). One can argue that soldiers only go to battle because they have orders to follow, and while this is true, when we are in the midst of a heated firefight, and we see our comrade go down, it becomes personal. It is not about just following orders. We are increasingly motivated to murder the enemy in a heated moment in time. Certainly the murder is not planned like a calculated cold-blooded serial killer who stalks and executes his plan to fill some obsessive, twisted desire, but as a Delta Force soldier named Hoot in the award-winning film, Black Hawk Down, stated, “Once that first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that s#!t just goes right out the window”. And even better stated, is another quote from this same soldier when talking about how he responds when every day people ask him why he goes to war. “When I go home people ask me, ‘Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What are you some kind of war junkie?’ You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the man next to you, and that's it. That's all it is”. I bring this up not to try and turn the acts committed in war into something that is glorious save the fact that the values of soldiers such as trust, teamwork, valor, courage, and loyalty are certainly tested on the battlefield, but because to remind us that torture instills values of deceit (making it hidden from the public); cruelty to our fellow mankind; hate and truculence towards people of difference; along with the self-doubt, self-questioning, shame, and guilt in the minds of people who commit acts of torture. 

What about the ticking time bomb or Jack Bauer scenario? Is torture acceptable then? My answer to this is quite straight forward and simple. I would respond that if it has come to this, if it has to come to the point where there is a calamitous threat where the number of lives impacted would be colossal, we have already failed. The fact that if we have a ticking time bomb on our hands with an enemy that hates us with that much intensity, we have severely failed as a species with the intelligence and capacity to be compassionate and help each other live life more optimistically and peacefully. At this point, whether torture is acceptable is purely a decision based off your values and beliefs. If you believe in doing what it takes to save the greatest number of people, torture is absolutely what you are going to promote for the individual with “knowledge”. Is it despicable? It doesn’t matter anymore by this stage. The fact that we cannot help each other out as the human race, the fact that there are people who are so lost in greed and power to the point where we can’t solve our differences with compassion and understanding for each other is entirely reprehensible and much more worthy of scorn than the torturing of an individual with knowledge of where the bomb is. It’s the same with these massive school shootings. People are all about the gun control debate, vehemently arguing that guns don’t belong in the household. But where are all the people who are vehemently promoting to get help for these individuals who are at risk of committing these crimes? Many of these shooters acted out of incredible rage built up from years of bullying, loneliness, hopelessness, and a feeling of being unloved and uncared about. Certainly these shooters are responsible for their actions, but how blameworthy are they? What I am saying is that we are all interconnected. We all affect each other and that while massive killings are acts of horror, we need to be on the offensive on helping people who are getting bullied at school or in the work environment, or anyone who is in distress. We have to have options and people who will care about those who are going through times of difficulty so they don’t feel so alone. We need to be there for each other and that happens through compassion and understanding. 

Torture is a result of a lack of compassion, understanding, and a willingness to put aside our own desires to help others. Torture matters because it is the epitome of savagery. And understand this, savagery is worse than primal instincts because you know the impact and the damage that you are inflicting while ignoring the needs, perspectives, and reality of others. Torture matters because of what it does to our character. Our character matters because it is the key that will sustain us. Our character is what will sustain our species and our children to live in a better world than the way we found it. Our character is what we all individually have to live with. We will never escape ourselves. We all have to decide what type of person we want to be, whoever that person is.  We can all help to change the world. The philosopher Lao Tzu said it best, “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”