Herald Heroes!

It was mid-day when I went to the Almendras Gym to get my second Covid-19 inoculation. Amid the sweltering heat and expecting a line of vaccinees, I prepared myself for a long, tedious day and kept my patience in check. Surprisingly, the entire vaccination process took less than 30 minutes! The experience was pleasant as the volunteers were cordial, informative and efficient. Here is a group of student-nurses who, unknown to the general public, have been volunteering in various vaccination sites, putting themselves and their families at risk of exposure yet soldiering on as they find meaning and fulfillment in the call of volunteerism. They are our Herald Heroes!

My Community service work as a student-nurse volunteer was a journey! My Goal was to provide professional care to the patients/vaccines. It was an experience full of knowledge and perseverance. I am thankful to my seniors and clinical instructors who guided us in every step we took. The most exciting part was when we were permitted to experience vaccinating patients on site because we weren’t able to experience it in the face-to-face class due to the pandemic. But this responsibility that was given to us came with hardships and problems. Due to the lack of manpower we needed to learn other roles and responsibilities. Nag patuloy parin kaming mag volunteer sa ka dahilanang gusto din naming makatulong sa aming mga frontliners/doctors/nurses na kailangan din ang aming mga kamay para maisagawa ng maayos ang pagbabakuna sa mga tao. Nakaranas din ako ng mahirap na trabaho nung naging assistant coldchain kami sa Sputnik Gamaleya Vaccine dahil kailangan i regulate ang temperatura ng vaccine dahil ito ay may shelf-life lamang ng 2hrs kapag nailabas na sa freezer at kailangan itong patunawin ng mano-mano.

Minsan napapaisip din ako sa mga risk na I had to take knowing fully well na nakaexpose ako sa aking pamilyang inuuwian at mga kaibigang nakakasalamuha ko sa araw-araw.

NICO CASTILLO

Being one of the volunteers of the Covid vaccination was an excellent opportunity for me to improve holistically. We had area rotations every week to maximize our skills and potentials. With this, we had the opportunity to usher/help people with the directions, assist the registered nurses in preparing and administering the vaccine, and check and monitor patients’ vital signs. I can honestly say that it was a challenging journey initially, especially since we come from a sedentary lifestyle of learning after online classes were implemented in our country. Nevertheless, as time went by, it reached a point where every action and time we spent volunteering became a great memory and experience that I will always cherish for a lifetime. I have learned a lot in various ways from the people I encountered and worked with, making me realize and ponder certain points of view. In terms of safety protocols, it was already expected for a nursing student to practice them. However, amidst the pandemic, many practices had to be improved over time to protect us against the virus. Volunteering for a significant cause can be an excellent opportunity for people, especially our peers, to encourage them to be a helping hand in this pandemic.

NICOLE ANNE M. ALCOBER

Being a volunteer covid frontliner was not an easy task but surely a memorable one! Before volunteering, I was just stuck at home making myself busy with unproductive things. But then one day, I met a friend at the mall who invited me to volunteer as a frontliner. As a nursing student who has not yet experienced any hospital duty, I was longing for a duty experience and this volunteering was an opportunity so I quickly agreed to it!

It was not an easy task as we had to do everything that was asked of us. We were asked to work here and there and we had to learn the different parts of the whole vaccination process. There were times when we couldn’t rest because of some work that needed to be done. There were also people that would crush our self-esteem as they were always finding faults in our work and depreciate our efforts. It was really tiring but thinking that we were doing something impactful kept us going. Being exposed to the several people also made us worry for our own health because we could never know the chances of us contracting COVID. This made us also worry for our families whenever we returned home because we could be carriers of the virus and we could infect them. That is why we made sure to disinfect ourselves to protect our own families from contracting COVID. It helped that my family is very supportive of me being a frontliner and encouraged me to continue doing a great and essential job. Even though the volunteer work was not easy and was very tiring, it was still memorable. I learned how to do an intramuscular injection, under the supervision of several registered nurses and licensed physicians, which I missed back in school because of the pandemic. I also met friends who soon became special to me because of the memories and experiences that we shared together during the volunteer work. As volunteers, we were really tested to the best of our capabilities; but I think we still did a great job. Will I do it again? Absolutely!

DOMINIC JASPER L. SANGADI

My being a volunteer Covid-19 frontliner was not an easy task yet it was one of the best and an unexplainable journeys. First of all, the reason why I volunteered was that I really needed to get vaccinated, so walay halong atik mao jud akong sadya at first. However, after my first duty gi ask ko sa isa ka RN sa field: “Unya mo usab paka?” And I answered, “yes ma’am oy lingaw man diay bahalag kapoy basta naka serve and nakahelp bahalag ginagmay.” So after that, gicontinue and gifeel na jud nako akong pagkavolunteer student nurse and naabot sa point na ako na ang gi assign as their team leader. And being the leader of the group, I had my own responsibilities, like ako magsend sa mga site supervisors sa mga names na magduty on that day, and also ako din nagadisseminate ng mga announcements and mga assigned tasks and kung asan sila maassign na area. Same sa iba, I also had the opportunity to experience being an usher, assist the registered nurse to prepare and administer vaccines, also check and monitor the patient’s vital signs.

I can really say that this experience kay very ka helpful for us student-nurses especially karon na naga asa na lang mi sa online class. Also, I learned a lot from this experience and from the people I encountered in the field. In terms of safety protocols, expected na sa amin mga student-nurse to perform or practice it. But then again need pa rin na mag extra careful kasi exposed masyado kami.

ANDREA ISABELLE B. RAMOS

To be a part of the volunteers for the Covid vaccination was truly fulfilling. It was fulfilling in the sense that it made me realize that I have been able to contribute something in this crisis we are currently facing – the Covid-19 pandemic – and this is something I would really cherish for a long time. Initially, I just volunteered in order to be occupied and have something to do rather than being stuck at home without really considering the things I would get from it. But later on, I was able to appreciate being there since it allowed me to improve my communication skills by conversing with the clients; and, at the same time, I was able to meet new people and eventually create new bonds and friendship with them. But most importantly, I was able to help a lot of people who were trying to get vaccinated; and this alone was truly the reason why it was fulfilling.

MARI ANGELA SUZARA