There are going to be some updates soon!

Dear Group 2,

The recent stressors of school term are coming to an end. I look forward to putting up more entries into our group blog and I hope many more will contribute their thoughts/feelings about school/life/general.

I had been quite busy in dealing with some recent additional responsibilities. I got appointed to be the official photographer for the Student Activities Club and also unofficial 2nd photographer for group 3 (they got another photo nut, like me!). Also helping out with the President of the SAC to create/design the SAC's blog so that we have a online platform to commemorate our activities.

Then there are school assignments, projects and stuffs to worry about. Politics to avoid, playing Aunt Agony (or Uncle? hmm...) to some, dealing with my sometimes wild mood swings, all added to the humongous load of things to do. My to-do list is like a 5000 words essay.... and that's only for a month... and nope, I'm not kidding! hahaha!

On my family front, there are the usual Big Brother's responsibilities to take care of. Things like advising siblings, mediate between them and parents, playing host to visiting relatives from far-away, etc.. etc....

Well, after all these, I'm still here and still alive. Things can get pretty stressful after awhile but in retrospect, I felt that going through everything that happened, made me become a tougher person. The experiences enriched my perspective and allow me to see the past(good or bad) with fond remembrance. I only hope nursing school can 'rough' me up enough to attempt Uni or even med school. Like my good friend once said, "If you wanna climb Mt. Kinabalu, then you better be able to climb Mt. Faber first!". Well, he got a point, except that this 'nursing mountain' is bloody hard to climb too!

This is a random post about what's going on around me. The updates will come once I consolidated those pictures that we have taken for the past 2 months and upload them here!

All the best to all of you and I hope you will post something here too.

Regards,

Stanley

Wish for exam !!!

Hi ... everybody from Group 2,

Now Yr 2, Sems 2 is nearly finished.
We start studying now for our final exam, don't we?
I wish all the best with our final exam.
I'd like to suggest that not only enjoy your studying week, but also study hard to pass the exam with good grades.

I am very proud of our group 2 as we are very united !!!

With love,
Suzanne.

Being strong

The sudden leaving of Jia Min recently affected some of us. I will not be truthful if I said that I was not affected by it. It was at this point that I really felt like giving up.

What is the purpose of continuing on? This thought kept going through my mind as I sat alone at the quiet corner of the library during that tumultuous period when my heart waged an all-out war against my mind.

Emotions fluctuate. The mind sought to control the flow of feelings. It was an even match between them.

How did I manage to call a truce between my two raging personalities?

I reconciled them to the fact that I didn't join and did all these for my own sake. On a wimp, I posted a 'cry-out' on an online post. The answer came from none other than a sister in faith.

I asked what did I joined nursing for?

She told me that it is to serve God and His people.

How true.

How have I forgotten so much.

How selfish I had become.

It was all 'me me me' for the past few months.

Maybe it is time to change this tune to somebody else's tune.

My dear friends and classmates, if any of you are reading this, I ask for your forgiveness and understanding. I am only human, but that is not an excuse for my actions/behaviours/decisions.

I will do better and be better.

Our group survived as one through so many things. No other groups came even this close to what we had build up for ourselves. The camaraderie that we have will persevere and continue our legacy.

We have learnt how to work with each other and push on through difficulties.

Now we have to learn how to be better nurses.

Ad meliora vertamur, be the best nurses that our future patients need us to be.

Eventful

Good morning Group 2, firstly thank you for your welcoming responses Stanley & Suliha. Suliha, exam tips if given too freely will defeat the purpose of testing the 'know how'. You are doing fine, just keep up the effort.

Secondly, I've heard about Miss Gwee's pass on. Although I have had only limited contacts with her, she striked me as a considerate & responsible person whom alway gave me advance notice if she needed a change in teaching schedule. It may be a comfort for those who loved her to know that it would be a great relieve for Miss Gwee physically at her last moment.

Thirdly, the past few months were very eventful in the office, probably for the students as well as some administrative changes would have an impact on you. While it is taking a toll on most of us, it was amazing how team work and perseverance can narrowed the inadequacy. I can't help but to say my favourite verse again: "Tough time don't last, tough people do".
Are you tough enough?

The Passing of an Inspiring Teacher

It was most unfortunate that recently, a nursing teacher, Ms Gwee succumbed to cancer and passed away. It was a lost felt by many who knew her and those who were inspired by her.

Although she taught us only for 1 class in fundamentals, what she inspired us in that class will be an indelible mark on our time as students and eventually nurses. We were finishing up on the lessons for that day and she was going around asking at random what we aspired to be. She looked in my direction and asked. "Young man, what do you want to be in the future in this profession?" I wanted to say that I am determined to be a doctor in the future but being afraid that others may laugh at me for having such 'high' hopes and when since I am already in training to be a nurse. I know the path to be a doctor from a nurse is uncommon but I really do love medicine and the fact that I felt I will be a better doctor if I am a nurse before. As a professional who takes care of people's health needs, I want to be able to see them as people that need to be treated holistically and not just a bunch of diagnosis and lab results.

So back to that moment on that day, I answered the 'normal' answer and that is to be an APN. I was not answering from my heart. It was not the truthful answer that I should have given. She said to me, "Good, good! That is a very good goal to aspire to!" It was then she went on to the next student, Sweetie, who like me, wanted very much to be a doctor someday too. Some may call it youthful brash-fullness but she gave her most truthful answer and got what she and I needed to hear.

After the laughter died down, Ms Gwee (who didn't laughed at her) said to all present that she knew of nurses who eventually became doctors. And they are truly better doctors as they understand at the core of all those diseases and treatments that there is a human needing care. She told us that it is better to chase after what we want and never give up on our dreams. It is something worth aspiring to be.

The memory of what she said to us on that day came back in a flood of memories as I stood there behind the glass watching at the crematorium. I prayed for the Lord to take good care of her soul in Heaven and said a silent goodbye to her. As the surrounding emotions ran high, I could not help but felt tears welling up in my eyes too. In life, we will meet people who guide and inspire us to be different from what we are. For the most of us aspiring nurses and 2 aspiring doctors to be, she gave the hopes and inspirations to carry on with our dreams. Goodbye and thank you, Ms Gwee and may God bless your soul...

For now and the future, whenever people will ask me what do I want be in the future after becoming a nurse, I will just say that I am going to be a doctor. Let them laugh and jeer at me, it does not bothers me because I knew someone who believed in my dreams and what I can achieve.