- Angelou France Popen Alvaran
Editor’s Note: The writer graduates Cum Laude from the College of Nursing of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City.
Getting through college with a Nursing degree in the time of the pandemic was the toughest. But my mother and I also learned the best lessons in life during those times.
Two years of house isolation, glued on the internet for most of the time, managing stress on a daily basis while absorbing clinical lectures from the instructor on the computer monitor. My lone childhood teddy bear had been my unresponsive and yielding “patient” throughout the online classes. It portrayed multiple roles, from a new born, to a birthing mother, to an elderly, and more.
Watching the video demonstrations, I simultaneously assisted birth deliveries using my teddy bear and a straw substituting for umbilical cord. The same stuffed toy has undergone CPR several times and was force-fed with diluted Milo using the canulae for NGT patients. Zoom fatigue took its toll on me.
When we were finally back in the school’s Nursing arts laboratory, surprisingly, I experienced minimal adjustments. It must be the repetitive practice of clinical procedures using online platforms.
I started my first clinical duty in March 2022 in the general ward of The Doctors’ Hospital and I never experienced fear or insecurity, despite the limitations of remote learning. But towards the latter part of our senior year, where I had to juggle time between classroom lectures, quizzes, hospital duties, and Nursing Board review, the fatigue I endured was as real as it gets. Add to that the multiple deadlines of classroom requirements to catch up with missed schedules during the pandemic.
Days before graduation, I had to alternate nursing duties in three public hospitals outside the city to complete the minimum requirements for clinical cases as a prerequisite for the board exam.
Being confined at home for two years saved us money for transportation and food allowance, but the household expenses were all the same pre-pandemic. As a salaried worker, my mother’s monthly take-home pay is not enough for our daily needs and my school matriculation.
My mother and I went through a lot of financial struggles in order to support my educational and clinical expenses, hence, we ventured into online selling. We sold an array of products, including plant pots, garden clothing, fragrances, skin care products, chocolates, and jewelry.
Giving up is not in my mom’s vocabulary. Being a single parent, she embodies the strong, independent woman, who has been my constant source of strength. As I see her struggle for the two of us, I made sure that I do my share, too.
I started as an entrepreneur as early as high school, selling homemade food products, like pastillas, polvoron, and chorizo. When I earned a senior high slot at the University of St. La Salle Liceo, I promised myself to graduate with honors.
Determined to enroll in Nursing, I have applied to several scholarships since not all study grants cater to a Nursing course. I am grateful and blessed to be awarded an academic scholarship by the University of St. La Salle and PESO Bacolod for four consecutive years, and a CHED scholarship under Congressman Greg Gasataya for a year.
Engaging myself in leadership and volunteerism program helped me strengthen my capabilities and allowed me to unlock my potentials and hone my skills. I’ve been in the University Student Government since my first year. I was a Lasallian ambassador, former undersecretary of the Department of Budget and Finance Executive Branch, former fundraising manager of the College of Nursing, former assistant treasurer of the USLS-Red Cross Youth, and chairperson of the Committee of Budget and Finance Legislative Branch.
I also volunteered in the Resbakuna program of the Bacolod City government during the pandemic, in the “Operation Tuli” of Doc Sorongon, and joined several community outreaches. As a student, I am proud that I am a Lasallian because, even though we are challenged in our midst, we still prioritize rendering services to the people in the community, especially the last, the lost, and the least.
Despite these challenges, I chose to remain steadfast on my avidity to continue learning academically and personally. I have continued to persevere and adapt to the new normal.
Nursing is, indeed, a crazy ride for me.
As I finally graduate, I am now ready to embark on the next chapter of my journey. Perhaps, as an OR nurse, or pursuing a much higher profession in the medical field. ||
