Exploring New Horizons With A Grateful Heart Posted on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 |

It was a rainy Monday afternoon and I was going through my usual Twitter and Facebook routines when my phone rang. The next thing I knew? I was panicky seeing Mr. Kayam's name blinking with the lights on my phone display. He's the guy from HR, as in Human Resources Department of Makati Medical Center (MMC). So I hurriedly went out of the house to take the call thinking that if I'd take the call inside, some extraterrestrial life will intercept my phone's network signal.

"Hi Sir!" the tone of my voice was very confident. I knew it, they'd call me.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Euraoba. We are happy to inform you that this coming Monday will be your first day at the Nuclear Medicine Department of Makati Medical Center."

If you saw how I reacted on such happy news? You'd smile on the deep emotion caused by the sight of something extraordinary. I screamed and laughed my heart out. Linda, my cousin's Personal Assistant, was shocked. She wanted to put masking tape on my mouth. I was acting that way for almost two hours and I got dressed in my I-don't-care-what-other-people-think-about-me-because-I'm-just-friggin-happy-today attitude.

The moment my euphoria subsided, I was back in the arms of this loving world and it brought me to a dreamy state again. I wanted to poke myself but I never dared burst my own bubble until anxiety seeped in.

Why should I be anxious anyway? WHY? The fact that it is an unfamiliar area and I have never worked in that part of the hospital is making me anxious. Indeed I was anxious but there was this strong feeling that I am so gonna conquer this area and like the first man on the moon - I brought my flag with my name in it and I am going to nail it on the job description.

The moment I announced that I was going to become the FIRST and ONLY Nuclear Medicine Nurse of Makati Medical Center, a lot of my friends expressed their happiness and delight by posting well-wishes on the shout-out that I wrote on Facebook. I was ecstatic again and I felt blissful but the feeling of being in the "unknown" kept coming back.

Now, I have a big question written on my forehead and it says, "What are the roles of a nuclear medicine nurse?"

Good thing Google has it all!!! Pooof!!! And allow me to warn you, it can be very complex.

According to ISPUB The Internet Journal of Nuclear Medicine, the responsibilities of the nurses in nuclear medicine are highly variable, ranging from administering intravenous radioisotopes to non radioactive medications.

It is also the responsibility of the nuclear medicine nurse to monitor the patients for any adverse reactions during or immediately after the administration of radioactive and non radioactive materials to the patients. Nurses can answer the patient's questions regarding the medications. The nurses can also assist the technologists to asses the mental and physical status of the patients before the administration of the radiopharmaceutical.

Nurses with proper radiation safety training can also counsel patients, staff members and families with children regarding radiation effects on pregnancy and breast feeding.

Nurses are essential during daily nuclear medicine procedures. Not only do they help in multiple tasks, they are critical in taking care especially of oncology, pediatric, cardiac and neurology patients. Nurses with experience in oncological problems can better explain the new technological advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of patients including PET scanning and Radio immunotherapy and help patients to make the proper decisions. Nurses who deal with children make them more comfortable to undergo difficult nuclear medicine procedures without the need for sedation in most cases. During the complicated ictal Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of the Seizure patients, nurses contribute enormously to prevent the patient from hurting himself and at the same time help to have a good quality images without motion occurring during imaging. Knowledge of various nuclear medicine procedures including Dual- energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan can help the nurses to aid the patients with osteoporosis to undergo the procedure smoothly.

During PET/CT imaging, the tasks of nurses include monitoring blood glucose and adverse reactions to iodine contrast.

See? Who said being a Nuclear Medicine Nurse is an easy job. I know it takes quite some time before I become too familiar with my new role. Dale Carnegie, an American writer and lecturer, once said, "Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves."

I will forever be thankful to God for being such a gracious provider. He has given me endless opportunities albeit all the other chances that I blew. I may not have prayed hard but God wrote his gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars and even on opportunities.

And thus, I'm grateful - a grateful first and only Nuclear Medicine Nurse of Makati Medical Center.



♥--> I was laughing at myself while writing this post. Thanks to everyone who congratulated me. I am so excited. Wohoooo!!! <--♥