Good evening everyone, I'm sorry, I was only able to access the VLE last Friday so I will be reposting my self-introduction which I sent via email hehe.
A Lofty Ideal
Good day everyone, I am Jonas Elmer V. Balneg, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science degree in Nursing, major in Nursing Administration. I have graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Nursing in May of 2009, and I am returning to my alma mater to further my continuing education.
The Philippine General Hospital was our training ground back when we were undergraduates, and due to the variety and complexity of diseases and disorders being treated in the institution, I decided to practice my profession in PGH. In the meantime, while awaiting the results of my application, I worked at the UP National Institutes of Health as a Research Assistant for the Burden of Disease Project, a research study collaborated by both the University of the Philippines and the Department of Health. I was assigned in two provinces, namely Tarlac and Agusan del Norte, to train field workers and conduct surveys, FGDs and interviews. This stint helped me understand the perceptions of health by Filipinos from different backgrounds.
It was in 2011 when I first started working as a staff nurse in one of the general private wards of the Philippine General Hospital, and it was here where I was able to develop my skills as a nurse. I learned that being a nurse is not something to be taken lightly. Nursing involves compassion for the patients and their family, as well as dedication to the profession. In my years of experience, I somehow understood why physicians, relatives and patients are somewhat hard on us; it is because as nurses, we are dealing with health, and a simple mistake might cost someone that life.
Initially, I planned to work here in the Philippines for at least 5 years before seeking greener pastures abroad. However, being a nurse here in the country made me realize two things. First, that the Philippines is truly suffering from the brain drain phenomenon; the country produces several hardworking healthcare workers, and yet, these very same workers leave the country to seek better compensation abroad – something that I can’t really blame them for. Second, that our profession – the Nursing profession – deserves more respect from our countrymen. It is we nurses who perform healthcare interventions for our patients, and it is we nurses who serve the frontlines during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It is for these reasons that I decided to stay, and now I find myself working in the institution for 13 years.
I took up a Master’s degree in Nursing as a requirement for promotion if ever I decide to go up the career ladder in our institution. But another lofty ideal which serves as a reason for pursuing graduate studies is to be able to make a difference in our profession. I believe that several steps must be taken to improve the status of healthcare systems and the esteem of Nursing in the Philippines. Honestly, I don’t know where to start, but maybe by pursuing graduate studies in the field of Nursing, I may find direction in which steps I must first take in achieving this goal. I am not naïve to know that I alone cannot change the future of Nursing, but maybe, just maybe in little steps, I may be able to contribute in my own small way for the future of our profession.