Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

A:  I am most proud of having able to bring Mauricia Copada, my second/third/fourth interviewee to speak during my two hour. It's a touch job to bring any kind of nurse in to speak due to the fact that she works full time and works in Pediatrics so I know she must be exhausted. But she ended up coming anyways last minute and took the day off just for me.  She told me the day before my presentation, "No mijo, just be yourself. You're a great young man and I'm really proud of you. I'm happy that there are still a lot of hard working young people like you. You are our future. I mean that with all my hearrt. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think you are great, for real." As you read, I am most proud of this because she really is a great nurse in general and I am glad I had the opportunity to share her knowledge/kindness to the audience.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)? Why?

I didn't memorize my whole presentation. I did look at my notes quite a few times but nontheless, I did meet the time required and I did educate them my answers and what a LVN is and the material was understood. I did fix some information I left out in the end but it was covered. The clarirty of my tone was just right and I had enthusiasm and my presentation wasn't boring like others. I entertained the audience while educating them at the same time.

AE            P            AP            CR            NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)? Why?

I give myself an overall assesment of a P because I did all that was required and not one component is missing. I tried my best in each individual component, even with obstacles in the way and I got them done. What I learned overall my senior project and what I acomplished is out of my belief. It is what Ipoly taught me even if I do receive bad grades. It has shown me that there is a reason for each project they give us because in the end we might be destined to do something great in the world. (Look at the last answer)

AE             P            AP            CR            NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

Finding articles was the easiest out of everything in the senior project. Nursing is a big branch spread out into many different little branches which gave me a variety of things to search up and use for my research. 

(4) What didn’t work for you in your senior project?

The service learning did not work very well with me. It took me forver to finally come to a place where it wouldn't be a hassle to volunteer at everyday.
Finding my interviewees came quite easy for me. Seeing that I had connections in Kaiser, I easily found my LVNs to interview.  It was just the laziness of actually getting them done was the problem and their busy schedules =.

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples. 

The senior project helped me to undestand what I really want to pursue as a career. I want to become a Nurse Practitioner. I want to be able to make a difference in the medical field;big or small. The senior project has also changed my unemployment title that I have as of right now. Ana Velasquez (Department Administrator in Pediatrics) offered me an employment opportunity to work in Pediatrics (which is my dream to work there). Of course I graciously agreed. Without the push from Melogno and the nudge from Mr. Ogden, this would have never had happened if I stopped trying to get volunteer service hours there. 

-Thank you I-poly. You did something right, 

2hour temp

2 hour template

3 Column Chart

3 Column Chart

Service Learning

Content:

(1) LIA Response to blog:

Literal

 

Hours: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10AZtNFY9ZCSqvEnftgWmb4m_YS5y8CgOJrqX7YUqAqQ/edit

Ricky, Maria, Ana

Activity Coordinators

Contact Number: (626) 960-1971

Interpretive

The most important thing I learned from this experience is making connections with the patients and being able to be emotionally stable and not take everything to the heart because if you do, then you won't be able to go throughout the day. For example, let's say you are with a patient who cannot eat from the mouth, but eats through a tube. Lets say it's lunch time and all the other patients in the convalescent home are eating except for them. They tell you they are hungry and you're about to give them food, when out of nowhere Maria comes along and says no she cannot eat from the mouth. She can choke. I was astonished yet saddened by this. I told her I'm sorry you can choke. Your nurse will be right with you to feed you. She starts to whimper and says she's really hungry but I can't give her food and I feel so bad. I feel like im neglecting her. The nurse told me to not worry about it. Just go on to finish my duties and her nurse will be here soon. Well after some time of being at Sierra Care View, I started to stabalize my emotions with the seniors there.  I know if they were to cry or get mad, it was out of caring and love and not because we didn't like them. It's because we care for their health.

    

Applied

Well like I explained above, this answered my Essential question because all the LVNs (from observing there) need emotional stability when dealing with patients who are in pain all the time, the ones who have alzheimers, the patients who are in wheel chairs for the rest of their life or the patients who cannot eat normally like the rest of the patients there.

(Unfortunately) Helping 2013 (Kidding, sorta)

Who did you interview: Gabriel Barreras
What day and time: 11:30
(1) What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

• One idea I've have for a long time is law in general. I've always been interested in law and I want to be a lawyer for my future career.
• Natalie Luna is doing her senior project on criminal law. Yoy may want to talk to her for ideas about service learning or anything else and make you sure you specify what kind of lawyer.

(2) What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting? Note: They also have to complete the 50 hours during the school year.

• I'm not entirely sure yet. I want to volunteer at a law firm. I have a cousin who is a lawyer, so I am hoping I can go to his firm and volunteer there.
• Before even summer starts, make sure you talk to your cousin and see how logn th process will take to start volunteering and if he says that you won't be able to volunteer, start searching elsewhere. That will give you enough time to look for another and have a backup place to get your hours done which are very crucial before you begin your senior year. Make sure you make great connections with the people at the law firm. It will help you answer your essential question. 

(3) What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

• I would expect to learn a lot. I hope to see the environment and structure of the presentation so I can get an idea of how to setup my two-hour.
• Make sure you pay attention to how the overall structure of the senior presentation. I recommened you go to Natalie Luna's presentation. Pay attention because something might catch your eye that you would like to do for your two hour.  

(4) What questions do they have about senior project? What additional recommendations would you give the 2013 student about senior project? Be specific and note what you told them.

• The senior project is composed of two Independent Components, Service Learning, Science Fair, Interviews (4), Mini Presentation on your answer in response to your essential question. Make sure you have a service learning place or it will catch up with your interviews and log hours.
• For the five minute presentation, make sure your answer is not too general. Be as specific as you can. Make sure it ties around your essential question. DON'T miss the dates to turn in your senior project components. Check your Senior Project Contract all the time.

Independent Component 2

Literal

(a) Statement saying: “I, student name, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

(b) Assisting Licensed Vocational Nurses with whatever they needed. Helping the patients in need and assisting their every need, of course with supervision of the nurses. Leading activities with the seniors in the convalescent home.

Interpretive

Significant parts of my volunteer work is getting to know the long-term patient and seeing how I, myself can improve patient care with nurses. I would tell the nurses that the patient needs attention or the patient needs your assistance. I would try my best to assist every patient in need when the nurses weren't there because at times the nurses would leave me alone with the paitnets. Imagine me surrounded by old folk. I would have gone crazy, but surprisingly I did not. I loved helping every single one.

Applied

Honestly, from just observing. Why you ask? Well all the nurses in the Rowland Convalescent Home are all bitter to be brutally honest. It is what it is. For example, looking at the nurses go from day to day task like taking the patients vital signs, to simply TRYING to be an empathetic nurse, or distributing their daily medication. What I've seen so far is that the staff try to push each other to improve the patient quality there. It's hard because all the nurses are ignorant to one another but they really do focus on their long-term patient. 

Grading Criteria

· Log (calendar or list)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10AZtNFY9ZCSqvEnftgWmb4m_YS5y8CgOJrqX7YUqAqQ/edit

Answer #3

Essential Question: What is most essential to being a Licensed Vocational Nurse?

Answer 3: LVNs feel the joy of seeing a baby born or feelthe pain of losing a long-term patient who became closer than expected. Emotional stability is crucial when being an LVN in order to survive the everyday emotional roller coaster LVNs endure with daily.

Evidence:
Mauricia Copado (my third interviewee)says she can't let her emotions control her every day tasks since she sees sick patients everyday in the Pediatrics Department. If she does then she will fall into a depressed state and won't be able to work.

Nursing is a stressful job where traumatic situations are common. The ability to accept suffering and death without letting it get personal is crucial. Some days can seem like non-stop gloom and doom. That’s not to say that there aren’t heartwarming moments in nursing. Helping a patient recover, reuniting families, or bonding with fellow nurses are special benefits of the job. Just don’t come to expect it. Leave the happy endings for Grey’s Anatomy. :) (Rowland Convalescent Home)

Nurses must have the emotional stability to deal with the stresses that accompany the nursing field. For example, nurses must have coping skills to handle patients who are in extreme pain. Also, nurses must care for patients who die from their injuries or medical conditions, or who die after their health was improving. Nurses must emotionally handle unexpected events and emergencies such as the ones explained above. (Article #47)

http://www.best-job-interview.com/nursing-interview-questions.html

Source(s:
Volunteering at the Rowland Convalescent Home.
Article #47
Mauricia Copado (Interviewee)

Answer 2

EQ = What is most essential to being a Licensed Vocational Nurse?

Answer 2 = What is most essential to being a LVN is alway playing your role in hospital quality improvement.

Evidence = Interviewing Mauricia Copado, I asked her what she believed is vital when it comes to nursing and she told me that you never stop learning. Nurses should be active learners and I asked her what she meant by "active learners" and she told me that nurses should look at where they can improve with their overall health care.

 Evidence = An Article I came across really opened my eyes because it explains that as the nation’s hospitals face increasing demands to participate in a wide range of quality improvement activities, the role and influence of nurses is also increasing, according to a new study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). Some improvementsthat hospitals address to the LVN's are

Having adequate nursing staff when resources are scarce

Engaging nurses at all levels—from bedside to management;

Confronting traditional nursing education that does not always adequately prepare nurses for their evolving role in today’s contemporary hospital setting.

 Evidence = When volunteering at Kaiser Permanente, my Department Adiministrator Ana Velasquez told me who do the patients see the most. I answered her question by saying nures. She told me nurses are the heart and soul of the hospital. She told me even with the wonderful nurses they have, there will always be downfalls and mistakes being made everyday. She asked me to follow the nurses around and take note of how and what can nurses improve on. I took the challenege and got started right away. Something I found that they could improve on is taking time to input all the data recorded from the patient. I saw some nurses looked rush and scribbling out mistakes. Another thing is they looked rush. Patients shouldn't think you're in a rush. They should feel like you have all the time in the world to hear them out. The biggest important factor I saw that needs a lot of improvement is communication with the other nurses and physicians. Some get along well and others don't. They need to see that each one of them needs one another. The nurses need to communicate well with the physicians so they can administer the patients health correctly because any misleading information can not affect both their relationship, but the diagnosing of the patients health.

Source = For answer/evidence

 Mauricia Copado Interview 2

 Volunteering at Kaiser Permanente

 The Role of Nurses in Hospital Quality Improvement  by Debra. A Draper

The Product

Before volunteering/working in any medical environment, I had very little sympthay towards anyone really. If I was treated nicely or rudefully, I would do the same back. I was always taught to treat people how I would like to be treated. Of course, the little rebel that I am, that wasn't the case for me. It wasn't until my journey through the Kaiser Permanente Outreach Program that changed my whole aspect on this subject. In the medical field, whether you're a Nurse, Physician, Receptionist, you will get patients who look like they are in a hurry, worried about their child, anxious about going to the doctors, etc. You have to give them the benefit of the doubt which means assuming that their is a reason behind their behavior towards you because you really don't know who they are and they don't know who you are either. An example of this that I've encountered would have to be at the convalescent home I was volunteering in. There is this senior citzen who loves me so much and she was always sweet saying "thank you"and "I'm glad your here helping us". Except one day when I was passing out cards to each senior citizen, instead of starting on the right side of the room like I've done all the time, I started on the left because I was already there. Well she was on the far right and when I got to her she had her arms crossed and had this little snooty face on and she asked me in a angry tone why I skipped her. I told her I did not skip her that I was getting to her. She said, "No you don't like me anymore and I don't want to play." I thought about what I was going to say and I remembered "give them the benefit of the doubt. Look at where they came from and where they ended up now. I told her, "I like you and I would never skip you." She didn't forgive me but I myself was surprised I didn't answer rudefully. I was empathetic and I understood why she was upset. In the end she felt sorry and apologized to me. I told her not to be sorry. It is my fault.

Fourth Interview Questions

1. What is most important in being a Licensed Vocational Nurse?
2. What do you think are the most important qualities a nurse should have and why?
3. What type of mangement style do you work with best?
4. Is nursing a rewarding job?
5. What challenges have you faced during your nursing job?
6. What training did you through in order to become an LVN?
7. The difference between LVN's and and other nursing jobs out there?
8. How do you deal with the issue of being burned out?
9. Do you need brains for this job or people skills for this?
10. What should people do to get started on a nursing career?
11. Do you recommend to be a nurse?
12. What classes are you taking in order to be up to date with new LVN's out there? (Education)
13. How important is it to maintain a positive relationship with your health care unit?
14. When you are expecting a stressful situation how do you relax?
15. How do you go about making small or tough decisions?
16. Why did you choose to be a nurse over a doctor?
17. What has been the most important lessons you’ve learned as a LVN's?
18. How do you set priorties in your work?
19. Give me a specific example when you knew you did a good job as a nurse?
20. We have all tried being considerate of others. What are some things you have done to do that?

Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

(1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.
For my second independent study component I plan on going to Kaiser Permanente. I have already turned in my volunteer application and the lady said since I've worked there, my chances of getting to volunteer there are higher!

(2) Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

Ways on how I will plan to meet the 30 hour work requirement
-work with nurses
-help with projects they have in store for me (which they do)
-help out at the front desk
-shadow a nurse
-restock nursing supplies
-work with the doctors and see what they need assistance with

(3) How does your independent study component relate to your EQ?   

Well I will be working in a nursing environment full of LVN's, RN's, NP's, etc. I will not only get a view of a nursing environment but I will also be doing hands-on work that is related to nursing.

Independent Component 1

Link to calender >> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ahlit3G12AC_dEl2TGhMaFA1MjdiUnc4OGdfd0RzNWc

Literal

(a) Statement saying: “I, Emanuel Anthony Cortes, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

(b) Since the time I began my service learning at the convalescent home in Covina, I have been running the activities for the seniors. The games consisted of Bingo, holiday celebrations. card games and many more affiliated activities to keep the seniors entertained. My job as a volunteer there would also consist of spending time with each and every senior citiizen there and make them feel loved. It sounds like an easy job but it is not. Some seniors have grown to hate or are depressed, etc. When lunch hour would come along, we would distribute the food to each senior citizen making sure they got the correct plate as well as setting up and clearing the tables for new games or lunch time.I would also take them to their rooms if they asked me too or they would ask me to call their nurse for them.

Interpretive

How did I accumlate to thirty of hours of work you say? Well thankfully, I was always put up to busy tasks that made the hours go by quickly. Playing exciting games with the seniors really made time go fast. It's like they say, "When you're having fun, you lose track of time." At times, I felt extreme sorrow for these seniors so I would stay longer because I wanted to keep them company. One day, one of them told me, "I'm so happy you're here." That really got to me. I had this particular senior that wanted to go outside so I took her and we just stood there basking in the sun while we talked about her whole life. It was a memorable moment for sure.

Applied

"People will forget what you said. They'll even forget what you did. But they'll never forget how you made them feel."-Maya Angelou

Working at the senior home has taught me to be nothing but sincere and empathetic no matter the circumstances there; you always have to give them a hand. You need to understand what they might be going through. The things you might say or do can hurt them without knowing it. For example, I was passing out 12 cards to each senior citizen and I usuallly start at the right side of the table and this time I started on the left side and one of them named Doris, yelled at me and said why did I skip her. I told her I didn't that I was going to get to her and I would never skip her. She got mad and said she doesn't want to play anymore and I tried to apologize but she didn't accept my apology. Moral of this story is, no matter how small the situation might be, you  need acknowledge they're feelings and make them feel important.

Presentation Rough Draft 2

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W94cIRelCc5-NjavEC5FJE745lAcAnXPpEAa9BTKpfQ/edit

Answer 1

 The top two qualities that makes a good nurse is showing compassion and true care for them. True care is actually sitting down with your patient and listening to what they have to say. If you looked rush, they won't feel important. They'll feel like just another patient of yours. Technical skills is great but you never hear patients and families say, "Wow, she/he really knows how to work that program!" They always talk about how much you cared for them or their loved one. I aqcuired this answer in my articles and my experience in working at Kaiser.
I first heard this quote at an interview for a new job opening in the Pediatrics Department. "People will forget what you said. They'll even forget what you did. But they'll never forget how you made them feel."-Maya Angelou. First impression is everything and in order to become a wonderful Licensed Vocational Nurse, you need to start with your patient. Then you will know what a true nurse really is.

Blog 12: Service Learning

Convalescent Home: (626) 967-2741
Ask for Valerie


1)Where are you working for your service learning?
-As of right now, I am doing my service learning at a convalescent home in Covina.


2)Who is your contact?
-My contact is Mauricia Copado. She actually works at Kaiser Permanente. The reason  I don't have a contact at the Convalescent home is because of liability issues.


3)Summarize the services you have performed to complete the 10 hour requirement.
-My services I performed to complete my 10 hour was playing games with the senior citizens, taking them to their room, accompanying them to their every need. Also we would clean up after they were done eating. At times we would just sit down and talk to them.


4)How many hours have you worked?
I have worked 13 and a half hours in total.

Blog 11: Third Interview Questions

1) What is most essential to being a Licensed Vocational Nurse?

2) What are great characteristics a nurse should have? Does it depend which department they are in?

3) Describe a challenging problem you faced on one of your clinical rotations. How did you solve the problem?

4) We have all tried different ways of showing consideration for others. What are some things the you have in this respect?

5) Give a specific example of a time when you knew you did a good job as a nurse?

6) Is it important to keep up-to-date with the nursing postition? Why?

7)What motivates you?

8) How do you set priorties in your work?

9) Do you have any time management tricks?

10) What are the most important lessons you learned as a LVN?