Breaking News:

I recently heard that my second mentor had quit his job at Del's Pharmacy 1. He went to a better place.... well a better pharmacy in the next city from Ontario :). I am happy he got hired at the other company (UNKNOWN), I bet he is getting paid more as well :D!

Then again, I am once mentor-less again. Of course Mina told me the news after he left, but I wasn't mad or upset. I felt happy for him for moving on in his line of work. I sure am in a rock in a hard place, but I know I can make it through. It is a new year and I am starting the year off in a positive attitude :) So far I have called in this one pharmacist that lives near West Covina in a Open-clinic. He told me he would call me as soon as the end of this month. And I heard there was another pharmacist coming in at Del's Pharmacy 1 soon. So all I have to do is be patient and keep working on what I have started :)

I just wanted to thanked Mina for being such as great help. Even though our time was short, I learned alot and had lots of fun as well :) I bless his line of work will succeed further in the future.

HAPPY 2015!!!!!!!
 

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

Title:  Blog 11: Holiday Project Update
Label: Research
Due Date:   January 6, 2014 by 8AM

Content:

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you do over the break with your senior project?

 
Of course it is important to continue on what I have started in my Senior Project. I have taken advantage of my winter vacation to start on my Independent Component hours by volunteering at Glendora Grand Nursing Home as part of the Activities Program. In this program, I help set up the games or activities that are offer to the elderly in the home. Usually some of these "games" is mostly craft time, movie time, yoga, and especially Bingo. I would describe my job to be helpful and make sure each patient's request is been fulfilled when it comes to asking for a snack to a beverage and to show them a joyful time in the Activity Hall. My work in this facility has given me a chance to have hands on experiences to communicate, interact with actually patients. I was able to ask them question about their experiences when it comes to medication.

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

In the Activity Program, there isn't much to do, fix, clean, or resupplies. Of course I work, but mostly I observe the patients. There are times I go through the entire facility with my Activity Director, to gather a few supplies, and my eyes get a glimpse on certain patients who live in this home. There are some who enjoys the place, but there are some who are certain they really want to leave this so-call "Prison". Maybe that's why the Activity Program do their best to bring in a little light onto these patients. I even heard that some patients don't even leave their room due their depressant stage and some of the activity employees would visit in their rooms to keep them company. In my project, I focus on Patient Compliance that occurs in the Pharmacy, but comparing the idea of "Not-taking-meds" I have been taught by a different story in the Nursing Home. For all patients, they have the right to reject their medications and suffer through the consequences even in the Nursing Home. The place where you pay the company to take care of your elder love ones, will still have the free will to not take the medication and the nurses cannot take in force. Which means, more money is "flushed down the toilet" due to more wasted medications. I asked a Licensed Vocational Nurse about her job when it comes to medication. The LVN told me that Nurses cannot bring force when it comes to a rejection of medication, they do follow the require task to convince the patient 3 times before confirming a final decision. She told me that most problem is not only faced towards the "Noncompliance patients", but occurs to "Compliance patients" as well. I learned from her that some patients who have taken their medication consistently will suddenly have a change of prescription due to early shipment of a brand new supplies, which means the only medication they have been taken and are not expired will be immediately thrown away and start on the new brand of medication. A memento to remember that all patients are different when it comes to taking medication, some want, don't want, think it doesn't work, or just find it useless to take everyday for their unknown illness, but it is the patient's choice on how he or she wants to live their medical life. When it comes to a noncompliant, hiring a medical professional for your elder relative will not help him or her to take their medication correctly, not even by force.

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

If I was going to do a 10 question interview based on my answers of my EQ, I would want to talk to a Pharmacist who works in a Open-Pharmacy Clinic. As you see, I been working with two mentors who only worked in a Closed-Pharmacy which means that they do not interact with patients, "just only calls from angry nurses",  a joke that my mentor once told me. I admit, I haven't had any experiences from a Open-Pharmacy. " Is it stressful?, Time consuming?, Busy?, or Slow?" I would want to know on the idea thoughts that a Open-Pharmacy Pharmacist have about Patient Compliance especially he or she have been working face-to-face with patients everyday except Sundays.

December Extra Blog:

During this entire month of December, I found out that my second mentor, Mina Wassef, quit his job at Del's Pharmacy 1 during winter vacation. I wasn't mad, upset, or even sad, I felt happy for him that he was able to find a better job somewhere more vivid. I know that he will mold his career into a great success in the future as a great pharmacist. Of course, I felt like a rock in a hard place, but I try to bare with it. Even though my time was short with him, he taught me a lot and I am very glad I got to meet Mina.

Since I am mentor-less this month, the only thing I was able to do was head out and start on my Independent Component. I volunteered at a Glendora Grand Nursing Home as a member of the Activities Program. There, I help set up games, snacks, and assist the elderly within this events to enjoy themselves in the Nursing home. I would describe it as bringing in a bit of Brightness within these residents. I was only able to come in on every other day of the week, starting around 10am-3pm or 5pm.

So far, I have experience Bingo in the program and have created a new elderly man. His name is, Donny, I assist him during Bingo and chat with him about random stuff and he is a very humorous type of person. Sometimes he can be such a flatter when it comes to Bingo because he would often win. Lot of the seniors are very entertaining to watch and to observe their way of their behavior and interaction with other employee, some act as if they were still like children. At the end, I learn a something to keep my mind high about that I think it is a great meaning in my topic:
"Every patient is different." It is so obvious...but why..? My mind wonders about...

Unexpected News:

Recently I heard this week, my mentor, Andrew Kest, had earned a full time job at Kaiser. Congratulations to Andrew Kest! I wish for all joy and hope that he enjoys his new profound working environment :)

YET... I did faced a brief moment during this weekend, being MENTOR-LESS! BUT I am A-OK! Thank you to my wonderful MOM, Nhory Galdo, who is an RN, she has found another pharmacist I can look up as a mentor. His name is Mina Wassef. Mina is actually one of Andrew's co-workers at Del's Pharmacy 1. He agreed to take me in for mentorship for anytime of the week when ever I have an opportunity to come in. I really appreciated for his help and offer of letting me able to still come in and to continue my mentorship.

Mina Wassef
Del's Pharmacy: 1-909-477-6300

Andrew Kest is one of a kind and was one of my first mentor I have ever encountered with in the field of pharmacy. He taught me a lot about the field and given me ideas for my topic and senior project. I am grateful that I was able to work with him for a very short time during these couple of sessions and I really learned a lot than I expected. Hopefully I would see him soon in the future and tell him on how my project went. For now, thank you for all the help, Andrew Kest :)

Ana Eyes Amen (I'm Sleepy)

November Extra Blog:

This month, I have been struggling to find volunteer work for my Independent Component. The only source of volunteer work is at my mom's local facility at Vermont. But the problems: on what days I am able to go (weekend or weekdays), how many hours I am able to stay, the driving takes only an hour, and some of the faculty members are having a trust issue due to my age (thoughts of having no high school students working in THEIR facility). My mom is doing all she can to help me find any volunteer work for my project from every clinic and nursing home she has been working in (she works in about 3-4 clinics as a RN). She has been such a great help so far, from setting me up with my mentor and great medical advice from her experiences that relates to my topic. Recently my mom offered another volunteer idea at her (other) local facility at Eastland, which is close by to Ipoly and my home. She told me that if I get admitted to do volunteer work, I am able to go with my mom on weekends and stay in the facility until the night shift (when my mom finish). The only flaw is that I will be speaking with doctors on the phone, but I will be able to interact with patients physically such as helping them with minor issues or problems. As I wait for the facility to call me, I have bought a new book this pass week, its called "New Girl" by Amy Silverstein. It is a autobiography about a woman (Amy Silverstein) who goes through a heart transplant. She tells about her perspective view as a patient, the challenges on what she, the patient, faces. I found this book in one of my articles ʺThe Choices Patients Make.ʺ by  Pauline W. Chen. It intrigued me to find this book because in the article it tells about a PASS patient who have read the book herself. This patient understood the book both mind and soul, she states out that all patients can relate to this story. The story of what goes on in a patient's head.

Blog 10: EQ

Blog 10: EQ

Title: EQ
Label: Research
Due Date: Thursday, 11/13 by 8AM

Content

1.   Review this.  Confirm by stating "I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ."

I, Adrienne Alba, reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

Essential Question 
Once a topic is chosen, the student will develop a working essential question.  The purpose of the working essential question is to help the student build a strong foundation of research which will allow him or her to create an essential question that encourages depth and rigor in the chosen topic.  An essential question must:

• Provide a framework for studies (It calls for breadth and depth of research, Is not a yes/no question)
• Take a stance (It allows you to argue some point, Cannot be a recitation of facts or a list)
•  Format (It is specific, The wording makes sense)

2.  Review the following EQs and

• Tell us if each meets the rule of three.
• Tell why they do or don't.

 a.  What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

This does not follow by the rule of three.

It states out "healthy weight loss" in general, it must be specific in what field or career that this situation occurs in.

 b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?\

This follows by the rule of three.
It has a following statement of what the situation it is focusing in and what field it is taken place able to indicate the genre of the problem.

c.  What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
This follows by the rule of three.
It has a statement that follows through a curiosity of the problem within the career or field and directs towards the effect it will occur to and that would be "hairstyle that best satisfies a customer."

 d.  How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
This does not follow by the rule of three.
It does not follow by a 'one' solution question, but a varies types of solutions that others will offer their opinion toward to the question. This had lack their stance to support their main idea solution, which is no indicated within this EQ.

3.  Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.  The senior team will be meeting with students shortly for EQ revision and approval; you are expected to bring your research notebook to that meeting with your EQ draft written inside in pencil.

EQ: What is the key way to enforce patient compliance to prevent noncompliance related health problems to occur in the pharmacy?

Blog 9: Lesson 1 Reflection

Title: Lesson 1 Reflection

Label: Presentation

Due Date: Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Content:

1. Positive Statement
What are you most proud of in your Lesson 1 Presentation and why?

The one act I truly felt proud about during my presentation is how I spoke to the audience about all the necessary information of patient compliance by giving a loud and confident voice when I explained my lesson. I would say that the main key in having a good presentation is to have a compelling tone of voice to speak about your topic in a more certainty attitude to prove your point. My style of speech is to be loud, strong, and well-informed about my main subject and to show my own personal side. When it comes to presentations, I want to grab the audience's attention by my voice to get them to listen and to understand why I have chosen this topic.

2. Questions to Consider:

      a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 1 Presentation (self-assessment)?

 AE       P          AP       CR       NC =======> P-




  b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 1 component contract.

I gave myself a P- because I, myself felt really confident as I did my presentation, even though deep inside I was extremely nervous. After class, I had asked a few people about what was their view about my presentation. Some people said I was really good on how aggressive I was about my main topic and how I had a strong personality within the basic information I have given. But they also state out that I speak way a little too fast and I need to slow down. I admit that I do get nervous when I am up on stage which I tend to speak fast without notice, this usually occurs when I am being time for a presentation. Since it was a ten minute presentation, I knew that I had a lot of information to say about my topic, but due to the fact that ten minutes can go by fast. Another negative factor I have thought was that I have forgotten to cite the other sources for the  my research information for my topic because I mostly focused on the main information I wanted to give and mentioning about the sources had slipped out from my mind. I did cited one article on where I found one of my solution of Patient Portal it was from “Using Patient Portal to Achieve HIPAA Compliance and Drive Patients Satisfaction”. On the other hand I did had other sources on where I got a more in depth understanding of the definition about patient compliance issue which is from the mentorship, Del’s Pharmacy 1, and my mentor, Andrew Kest. Overall, the only main issue I have is about taking my time when presenting. I need to learn to slow down when speaking and to remember the main information that needs to be added within my lecture time able to keep a balance between ‘what I need to say’ and ‘time limit’. At the end, I felt well-prepared in the beginning of my presentation and I gave the class all the necessary information that I planned to say. More importantly, I gained this feeling that I have grabbed many of the audience's attention during my hook activity which had given me the confidence to continue throughout my presentation, knowing there is nothing in my way to stop me.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 1?

I would say that my introduction was an exciting way to intrigue the audience to make them curious about my topic by giving all of them a part of the small skit. When it comes to presenting, you have to make it interesting for both the audience and yourself, to make the audience part of your act. In my case, I wanted everyone to play a part in the scene able to imagine themselves being part of a patient compliance issue which was I, the pharmacist, telling this person, the patient, that he is taking the medication incorrectly. My hook activity helped my audience to visualize an idea on what is patient compliance. Another idea that helped during my lecture was having small, written phrases to memorize my speech. The night before the presentation, I spend hours on end trying to memorize the necessary information I plan to say. Whenever I time myself, I end up being over ten minutes. Then I planned to delete some certain information I found unimportant to say and left the ones that are I considered major towards to my topic. Yet I had trouble on remembering the basic orders of what I planned to say still, so I written myself note cards that have small phrases to know the specific order of my lecture. The notes actually did helped every time I glanced at them able to know what to say throughout my presentation. This act can be in some use of what and how I should write phrases in the Powerpoint and possible for any small poster boards or notecards I am able to bring along when I have another presentation.

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 1?

There are many ways I wish I could improve my lesson one if I had a time machine. First, I would help myself to take some breathing exercises to keep my nervousness low or just try to keep myself calm in general. This act can help with my stress relief and I wouldn't stutter often throughout my speech. Another improvement is to practice the speed of my speech to learn to slow down and take my time slowly. It is best I learn the steps on how I can talk calm and slowly able to say all my information when presenting as I try to beat the time limit. Next time I will have someone show me the time of how many minutes I have left during my presentation able to have an ‘up-to-date’ notice of what I am able to do with the remainder of that certain time. Lastly, I would want to write up my cited sources on the poster or my notecards, possible for future Power Point, so I wouldn't be able to forget to mention about them throughout my lecture. But if possible, I would just travel in a week before the presentation to give myself a head start on my practices. It would have been a major use to improve myself through ways of speech, memorization, and knowing what to prevent from my basic knowledge from my previous presentation.