If you're a nurse in the Philippines

A nursing student asked me one morning "Sir, where can I find a Urinal?"

Here is my answer:

My dear student, you are not in a private hospital. Be creative. Find an empty plastic IV bottle, cut it and make sure no sharp edges, for urinal purposes. Use the same way when you encounter a sick patient who needs to throw up and you need emesis basin!

If you do not have ampule BREAKER and you are giving IV Meds? I understand it is difficult to open the medicine, therefore use those bandage scissors with you. You might need to saw it slowly on the neck part, maybe it will break easy.

If you need to SUCTION, take a syringe, remove the needle and plunger. Wrap in gauze and have the patient bite for easy suction. Just make sure to remove after use. That will work as bite block for the patient and saves them from too much bills as they hardly had enough to pay for the hospital bills. 

When doing Blood transfusion, you need COMPRESSOR when it stops leaking?  Use a BP cuff and save time from looking for something that is not available.

If you need to cover those IVF bottles because some are mixed with drugs that are sensitive to light? Cover the bottle and tube with a CARBON PAPER ..

No Hot Water Bag and Ice pack? Use GLOVES, and speaking of gloves, sometimes you need to do AUTOCLAVE for multiple uses, until it breaks.

No Hot Water Bag and Ice pack? Use GLOVES, and speaking of gloves, sometimes you need to do AUTOCLAVE for multiple uses, until it breaks.

Now, if you need a FACE MASK for your pedia patient to perform Nebulizer and there is no supply for patients who can’t afford to buy one,  secure a CLEAN BOND PAPER, SHAPE IT INTO CONE AND ATTACH to the KIT USING TAPE. Some nurses use STYRO CUPS, durable compared to a bond paper.!! hehe..

When OXYGEN TANK is outnumbered by the number of admissions, my HEAD NURSE will SPLIT the MAIN TUBE, connect the NASAL CANNULA to two patients. 1 oxygen tank is good for 2 patients!

My superior instructs me to find some wire if there is no available IV stand. What? A wire? How would a wire help? Stick it to the ceiling, with a really good clasp and secured, hook the IV bottle. And so I did while at the back of my mind, praying that it won’t come to a point where we have to improvise the bed as well. Hmmmm… I may have to use the wheel chair first and to stop worrying before I get sick.

Where’s the cardiac board during Code Blue? Wait, here it is. What is this? A plywood? Where did you get this? It was by the window. OMG! And if you have a pedia patient, just pull the wood at the bedside that would help revive the patient.

We don’t really have the power to improvise the mechanical ventilator even if the patient can’t afford one. We are the AMBU BAG (BVM) throughout the day, super nurse to the rescue when patients’ watcher is only one person. I offer to relieve the watcher so he or she can rest or eat, even for just an hour. The sad thing is learning that the patient’s family has to sign up for HAMA because they just can’t come up with the money even as charity patient class D.  Life is that hard!

These are just a few scenarios in the hospital. The orthopedic department might be improvising traction too! The nurse supervisor said to us “you’re working in a government hospital, if you’re idealistic, your patients won’t survive. You have to find a way for the patients to survive without complaining for things that are not available and just be a great nurse!

If you are in a private hospital or taking the board exam, it’s alright to be “ideal” by following all methods from the book. But if you are in a poor hospital taking care of a poor patient, be creative and become skilled with strategies for the book doesn't teach you all the ways to be a great nurse if you’re a nurse in the Philippines.



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The fruit of SILENCE is Prayer 

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