Rydgel Reign C
Santos
August 2022
Rydgel Reign C
Santos
,
Student
University of the Philippines Manila
Health Carousel Philippines
Manila, Philippines
The work we do as student nurses do not stop on paper. We are much more than that. Our help touches the lives of everyone we care for no matter how small, how far, or how long.
I am Rydgel Reign Santos, a 4th-Year Nursing student from the University of the Philippines - Manila. I can confidently say that all of my experiences in handling clients as a student nurse have been wonderful and fulfilling. The particular experience I will share with you is from my Maternal and Child Nursing (MCN) course which was done in September 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our academic setup was forced to shift to an online modality which made handling clients even more difficult. I was challenged as to how I could actually help my pregnant client via telenursing because I knew that I was limited by only having Zoom meetings for interactions. However, I did my best to establish a good rapport with her and prepared extensive teaching materials for my health teaching regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. We had a good working relationship, and I was proud that our planned goals and objectives were met during our interactions. But of course, we also had to end our working relationship eventually as it was a time-bound course. I thought that this would be the end of my story with this client.
About four months later, my pregnant client suddenly reached out to me via a social media application to thank me for all the help that I gave her during her pregnancy and childbirth journey. She updated me that she was able to successfully deliver her first baby via spontaneous vaginal delivery without any complications and that her pregnancy and childbirth experience was bearable and easier because of my guidance. Furthermore, she shared her experiences as a new mother which included breastfeeding problems. Even though I had already passed my MCN course by this time, I re-established my working relationship with my now postpartum client and also gave her health education on breastfeeding and motherhood.
From time to time, I would be updated on her and her child’s current status and still provide assistance when needed. Seeing her child grow to be a healthy girl knowing that I cared for her mother from before she was even born never fails to give me a sense of pride and love. I feel honored and privileged to be in one of the professions that can have meaningful experiences with people like this and have a definitive impact on their lives.
These moments constantly remind me of why I chose Nursing and why I am even more passionate about it today. In the UP College of Nursing, our motto is “Manus, Caput, Cor.” This is something that I strive to completely exercise and commit to heart as a nursing student - to have hands that extend help beyond what is expected, to have a mind that effectively utilizes the Nursing theories and concepts in providing care, and to have a heart that will ceaselessly give service willingly and unconditionally. The work we do as student nurses do not stop on paper. We are much more than that. Our help touches the lives of everyone we care for no matter how small, how far, or how long.
The name of my client’s child is R, and she was named after me. My academic accomplishments as a nursing student are my semestral recognitions of being a College and University scholar, which are titles given to students with a general weighted average of 1.75 or higher for a semester. I have also been inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing as a member of the Alpha Alpha Phi chapter.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our academic setup was forced to shift to an online modality which made handling clients even more difficult. I was challenged as to how I could actually help my pregnant client via telenursing because I knew that I was limited by only having Zoom meetings for interactions. However, I did my best to establish a good rapport with her and prepared extensive teaching materials for my health teaching regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. We had a good working relationship, and I was proud that our planned goals and objectives were met during our interactions. But of course, we also had to end our working relationship eventually as it was a time-bound course. I thought that this would be the end of my story with this client.
About four months later, my pregnant client suddenly reached out to me via a social media application to thank me for all the help that I gave her during her pregnancy and childbirth journey. She updated me that she was able to successfully deliver her first baby via spontaneous vaginal delivery without any complications and that her pregnancy and childbirth experience was bearable and easier because of my guidance. Furthermore, she shared her experiences as a new mother which included breastfeeding problems. Even though I had already passed my MCN course by this time, I re-established my working relationship with my now postpartum client and also gave her health education on breastfeeding and motherhood.
From time to time, I would be updated on her and her child’s current status and still provide assistance when needed. Seeing her child grow to be a healthy girl knowing that I cared for her mother from before she was even born never fails to give me a sense of pride and love. I feel honored and privileged to be in one of the professions that can have meaningful experiences with people like this and have a definitive impact on their lives.
These moments constantly remind me of why I chose Nursing and why I am even more passionate about it today. In the UP College of Nursing, our motto is “Manus, Caput, Cor.” This is something that I strive to completely exercise and commit to heart as a nursing student - to have hands that extend help beyond what is expected, to have a mind that effectively utilizes the Nursing theories and concepts in providing care, and to have a heart that will ceaselessly give service willingly and unconditionally. The work we do as student nurses do not stop on paper. We are much more than that. Our help touches the lives of everyone we care for no matter how small, how far, or how long.
The name of my client’s child is R, and she was named after me. My academic accomplishments as a nursing student are my semestral recognitions of being a College and University scholar, which are titles given to students with a general weighted average of 1.75 or higher for a semester. I have also been inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing as a member of the Alpha Alpha Phi chapter.