Nurses have 5 fundamental responsibilities: -to promote health -to prevent illness -to restore health -to alleviate suffering -to assist towards a peaceful death Inherent in nursing is our duty to perform these responsibilities especially in the context of a pandemic. It is hard for many of us to turn our backs on our patients simply … Continue reading Nurses’ professional and moral duty
Health
Foster collaborative relationships
Immediately after the news broke that three doctors died due to COVID-19, people took their frustration to Twitter and were quick to blame patients for their failure to divulge accurate health and travel history. For many, this alleged ’lie’ caused the life of an unsung hero who was at the frontline battling the pandemic. A … Continue reading Foster collaborative relationships
Nudging in health care
We saw a dramatic change in people’s behavior brought about by information (and misinformation) regarding the worldwide spread of COVID-19. People began clamoring for more health information and others started wearing surgical face masks to protect themselves. Following advice from the Department of Health, several organizations cancelled their scheduled conferences and conventions this year. What … Continue reading Nudging in health care
Foreign ownership in the health care market
The proposed measure to allow foreign ownership of transportation and telecommunication services clearly sets a precedent for other public services in the Philippines, such as health care. Opening the Philippine health care market to foreign ownership, obviously, has potential benefits including employment opportunities, better provision of health services, and health technology exchange. Foreign ownership of … Continue reading Foreign ownership in the health care market
Call for fair and adequate hazard pay
How much is the price of upholding the rights of nurses in the country? For some, it costs nothing. Nurses are at the frontline of the health care delivery system. They become the first and last health workers in contact with patients and their families. As such, nurses are exposed to low- and high-risk hazards … Continue reading Call for fair and adequate hazard pay
Pen Point 39
The procurement policies and procedures of the government are not flexible which makes them economically inefficient. Sometimes, this inflexibility becomes a barrier given the varied choices now made available to the market, difficulty in standardizing the specifications of materials to be procured, and the fragmented nature of the market. These guidelines are set to standardize … Continue reading Pen Point 39
Sugar taxation: revenue or health?
We have a heavy problem with obesity and taxation isn’t the answer. Obesity is one of the major risk factors for a number of chronic, non-communicable diseases including the top leading causes or morbidity and mortality in the Philippines (i.e. diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases)1,2. In 2016, 22.3% of Filipino adults above the age of … Continue reading Sugar taxation: revenue or health?
The Global Burden of Disease and Some Implications to Health Policy in the Philippines
The Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBD) is a collaborative project of about 500 researchers in 50 countries led by the University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). It is the world’s largest systematic, scientific inquiry that quantifies the levels and trends of health loss by determining the prevalence, morbidity and mortality … Continue reading The Global Burden of Disease and Some Implications to Health Policy in the Philippines
Pen Point 36
Given adequate information, the market theory assumes that consumers know what is best for themselves; hence, they make choices that maximize their total satisfaction. If this assumption is wrong, markets may not efficiently produce. We call this satisfaction consumers gain from consuming a good or service as “utility”. The satisfaction (or utility) depends on the … Continue reading Pen Point 36
A Day in the Life of a Neuroscience Nurse
There is no typical day for a nurse, especially a neurology nurse. No matter what a nurse does, or where he/she does it, there is always the unpredictability of how a day will start and end. It is an incredibly demanding field, but it can be a rewarding and fulfilling one.
Pens & Needles 