Bayanihan is a Filipino term that refers to a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective. The term originated from a common tradition in Philippine towns where men in the community work together to help a family move their home. This practice required the men to carry the whole house on their shoulders using a frame made of bamboo poles. Today, Bayanihan is also used to refer to a local civil effort to resolve national issues.

On Sunday, June 20th ACN will be hosting “Gabi ng Bayanihan” (A Night of Nation-building), a fundraising effort to benefit Bantay Bata, a program of the ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. that services the needs of abused, sick, neglected, and abandoned Filipino children. The event will include cultural dances, folk, rock, and hip hop music.

The benefit show will be held on June 20, 2010 at the Grand Ballroom in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Concord from 7-10 pm. Tickets will be sold for $10 at the door, but will be available for advanced purchase via paypal for $8. The opening act will feature local performers of the Maharlika Cultural Troupe, Inc., a non-profit organization that seeks to preserve Filipino heritage by teaching traditional dances to youth in the community. Other acts include Kulintronica, a performance by musician Ronald Quesada showcasing the unique sounds of the kulitang a percussive instrument common among cultures of the Southern Philippines.

The tournament was held on Saturday, April 24, 2010, to raise funds for the rehabilitation of the Pasig River. Through the support of the American College of Nursing, the FIBL organized the event, called “A Shot for the River”, which was held at the El Rancho Gym in Hayward, CA.

Today, the Pasig River is one of the most polluted and toxic river systems in the Philippines. Once a a major transport route, the 27-kilometer stretch of water passes through Metro Manila and connects the Laguna de Bay to the Manila Bay.

Thanks to various fundraisers, including the $10 buy-in for the three-point shootout, the six hour event managed to raise around $2,000 for the Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig River project, which is translated: Linking Arms for the Pasig River.

Thank you again to all those who came out to the event to support the players and the cause.

“Which patient should you see first?” is a popular question, so it is also important to understand the rules of management.

Registered nurses (RNs) provide direct care for patients in acute care settings (59% are in hospitals), in public health programs, home health, long term care, correctional facilities, schools, doctors’ offices, summer camps, and in the military. RNs also work in jobs that do not provide direct patient care such as: infection control nurses, nurse administrators, legal nurse consultants and nurse educators. The roles and settings for RNs to work are varied and every potential site for a nurse to work is affected by the shortage.

Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) provide basic bedside care for patients in a variety of settings. LVNs work in clinics, long term care/rehabilitation facilities (75% are in nursing-homes), correctional facilities, doctors’ offices and in home health care. LVNs care for patients under the direction of RNs or MDs. Patients need care 24 hours a day, and nurses (both RNs and LVNs) work a variety of hours and days. LVNs also work in jobs that do not provide direct patient care such as: staff developers, administrators, educators and consultants.

I think the major way in which most of us have been affected by the shortage of nurses is in the length of time we, and those we love, need to wait for nursing care, whether that wait is in a clinic, our homes, a hospital, a residential care facility or some other health care setting. But this shortage is ongoing and soon will be creating other problems for those of us who need care.

As a result of the nursing shortage and of other changes in the economy and in certain professions/careers, many men and women are flocking to nursing as a career. Real estate sales, computers and electronics, retail sales, and finance are just a few of the careers that people are leaving to join the nursing field. Nursing is seen as a stable profession with reasonable salaries and many opportunities for secure jobs. I asked some of the older students who are changing careers to share why they are choosing nursing.

For some, nursing was a lifelong passion that had to be set aside in youth for a variety of reasons – following the wishes of a parent, meeting the needs of children and family – and the situation is now ripe to fulfill that desire. For others, nursing is a calling – a vocation – based on personal experiences with caregivers during childbirth or illness/death of a loved one. Some are choosing nursing because many family members are nurses and have been for generations. Others are not sure why they are choosing nursing; maybe that the care given to others will eventually come back to them and to those they love.

Regardless of the reasons for choosing nursing as a profession, nurses reap many rewards from their care of others. Whether working with children, adolescents, adults, or the elderly, nurses make a difference in the life and health of others. For most nurses, this is the real reward.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a Career Guide/ Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 with information about the training, employment, job outlook and earnings for both RNs (http://data.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm)

and LVNs (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos102.htm).

You can compare both, although Vocational Nursing is often a first step in the career ladder to RN. Because of the impacted status of most RN programs in the San Francisco Bay Area, many men and women who really want to become RNs start by becoming an LVN.  The LVN license provides a way for the person to support themselves and their families while waiting for admission to an RN program.

- written by Dr. Laura Smith McKenna

Dr. Laura Smith McKenna earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Syracuse University, New York. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctorate in Nursing Science (DNSc) at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. McKenna has many years of experience related to teaching, administration, and nursing leadership in a variety of settings.

American College Of Nursing - LVN, Vocational Nursing Program in Bay Area, CA

The education process therefore must encompass both art and science components. In a dynamic society, education for nursing professionals must include not only development of competence, but also of sociable and responsible citizens in a multi-cultural environment. The theoretical and vocational framework must reflect humanistic nursing and instill in students a sense of service to community and society in general. The curriculum fosters the development of graduates who think critically, make evidence-based decisions, communicate effectively, advocate for timely and quality care that is also cost effective.

Come and find out why a well paying career in nursing is a rewarding vocation.

Contact us at:
(925) 689-9900
www.americancollegeofnursing.com
2600 Stanwell Dr. #103 Concord,CA 94520