Wish You All The Best

I am a VA Nurse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3rSFDAgfs4

“I am a VA Nurse” by Alberta E. Gudes, MSN, RN

A veterans affairs’ (VA) nurse is a very pleasing words to many and as a young nurse I had a dream to be and now I am a VA Nurse. It means to commit oneself, taking all the necessary steps to take care of the other  even to paying in person, “come close” to the veterans, to the point of identifying oneself with them who had served their life, fighting for freedom for this country, the beautiful America. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, behold Lord’s Commandment. I care the veterans the same as oneself, teaching them how to prevent diseases through simple handwashing, healthy lifestyle changes, getting necessary immunizations, taking medications as prescribed, making follow up laboratory works and well doctor’s visit to monitor  body fluids as needed through staying healthy as possibly can. Thanks through channels of  the leadership who encouraged this essay writing. Thank you everyone for keeping me, I am a VA Nurse.

Integrity. As a Prime Care Clinic Nurse, I take care of a veteran one at a time, well and sick patient visits, between life and preventing death situations with daily assessments and nursing care. Well care because at allergy clinic allergy immunotherapy are administered for established veterans who decided to build their own immunity by taking a long series of weekly frequency of increasing dose of their own allergy injection. Sick care because illness is one part of health continuum of healthy and happy life for everyone.

Commitment. Veterans are my family in nursing profession that strictness, alertness and close surveillance is my heartfelt commitment especially in doing the identifiers for each patient before medication and procedure executions. Checking the five rights of giving medications: (1)right patient, (2)right medication,(3) right dose, (4) right route,(5) right time and plus right doctor’s orders. For every nurse to sustain every day includes a healthy clean environment and a  robust nursing commitment forever!

Advocacy. Without veterans there is emptiness in our heart. Advocacy are the application of our nursing feelings through listening what veteran need most, integrating with the standard of holistic patient care and overcoming barriers to become an advocate to veterans patients by empowering them in their active practice. Providing the options of health care and let patient decide which one would be the best care. 

Respect. Respectful communication and privacy are the basic network that connect veterans care and knowing each individuals cultural diversity of family and support system can cultivate a growth of potential strength of mind and body leading to a content healthy person. I made a step in showing this through education and mainly at daily nursing encounters. It is a big refuge!

Excellence.  Pursuit to life excellence and make a difference especially in one of the most difficult life threatening emergencies through prayers, following protocols and guidelines of safety practice. Honing safe nursing enthusiasm and have faith in all of us that this endeavor will be a continuous great success and veterans are around our side…I am a VA nurse!

Being Happy & Outstanding Nurses for PNAMH 2016

May I share with you this beautiful message by Pope Francis which a friend shared. BEING HAPPY by Pope Francis "You may have defects, be anxious and sometimes live irritated, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. Only you can prevent it from going into decadence. There are many that need you, admire you and love you. I would like to remind you that being happy is not having a sky without storms, or roads without accidents, or work without fatigue, or relationships without disappointments. Being happy is finding strength in forgiveness, hope in one’s battles, security at the stage of fear, love in disagreements. Being happy is not only to treasure the smile, but that you also reflect on the sadness. It is not just commemorating the event, but also learning lessons in failures. It is not just having joy with the applause, but also having joy in anonymity. Being happy is to recognize that it is worthwhile to live, despite all the challenges, misunderstandings and times of crises. Being happy is not inevitable fate, but a victory for those who can travel towards it with your own being. Being happy is to stop being a victim of problems but become an actor in history itself. It is not only to cross the deserts outside of ourselves, but still more, to be able to find an oasis in the recesses of our soul. It is to thank God every morning for the miracle of life. Being happy is not being afraid of one's feelings. It is to know how to talk about ourselves. It is to bear with courage when hearing a "no". It is to have the security to receive criticism, even if it is unfair. It is to kiss the children, pamper the parents, have poetic moments with friends, even if they have hurt us. Being happy means allowing the free, happy and simple child inside each of us to live; having the maturity to say, "I was wrong"; having the audacity to say, "forgive me". It is to have sensitivity in expressing, "I need you"; to have the ability of saying, "I love you." So that your life becomes a garden full of opportunities for being happy... In your spring-time, may you become a lover of joy. In your winter, may you become a friend of wisdom. And when you go wrong along the way, you start all over again. Thus you will be more passionate about life. And you will find that happiness is not about having a perfect life but about using tears to water tolerance, losses to refine patience, failures to carve serenity, pain to lapidate pleasure, obstacles to open the windows of intelligence. Never give up .... Never give up on the people you love. Never give up from being happy because life is an incredible show. And you are a special human being!" - Pope Francis -

A Big Nursing Celebration

Tue 4/12/2016 12:46 PM

Hello Christine and Prime Care Clinic Family,

 I am excited and inviting the whole VA nurses to celebrate with you all.

Please let me know if you can come, so I can arrange a reservation for you.

Here is the link: http://www.pnamh.com/

Thanks,
Alberta

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Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2016 8:19 PM

Subject: [EXTERNAL] RE: OFN

CONGRATULATIONS, Alberta !!!!!

It is time to celebrate...so let's invite the whole VA nurses to join us to witness your award.

Please let us know how many guests you are inviting so we can arrange 1-3 tables for your friends and family!!!!

Thanks,
Pam

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Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2016 5:00 PM

Subject: OFN

Thank you for your application.

Sincerely, 
Arlita

Excellence in Nursing Awardee - LVN

              Department of Veteran Affairs                                                                                             
                                         Memorandum

Date: From:  Subject: To:

January 10, 2016 Alberta E. Gudes RN, MSN - Staff Nurse Brandi Shoals, LVN - LVN Nomination Through Channels Excellence in Nursing Award Nursing Awards Committee Office of Nursing Services Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC) 2002 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, Texas 77030 Expressing nomination of Brandi Shoals, License Vocational Nurse (LVN) for Award for Excellence in Nursing for her visibly outstanding admirable sole effective delivery of veterans care especially during emergent code blue and code green situations and work strongly with Registered Nurses (RNs), all interdisciplinary heath care team at Prime Care clinic, MEDVAMC superior leadership’s vision and mission. Ms. Shoals easily help stocking supplies at treatment room, to running to the emergency room to get a stretcher while other staff taking care of the ongoing sick patient who fall to the floor.  In another time, she removed from the Clinic 3 patient waiting area and isolated allergy clinic veteran/s who indulge in quarreling in escalating loud voices for unknown reason. In the midst of the struggle/s to serve veterans to attain their utmost health possible, she is a figure in an indirect nursing to break down silos that treat veteran/s’ health, peace, security and human rights as a separate tasks. From this grassroots of nursing functions she represents a true integral of human negotiations and development for all. We must work diligently to avoid fight between diverse people of nation. At the very start, affirmation, peace, security and human rights are well related and equally reinforcing to be plentiful. In appreciation of Ms. Shoals, this co-worker is so proud of her remarkable provision of care that increases strength of nursing care, silently inspiring others to try to be like, and generally many happy veterans thus write this big wish for her. Thank you for believing in her and thank you.