Blog # 27: Self Reflection

Self Reflection: 

(1) Positive Statement:  

What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

                   -The activities that I have for my 2hr presentation, I-search/Working Bibliography, and my service learning because the activities that I have on my 2hr help me explain more about my answers and how it relates back to my E.Q. Also, my I-search/Working Bibliography helped me back up all the things that I presented on my 2hr. And lastly, to be able to do service learning on the facility helped me

(2) Questions to Consider

      What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)? Why?

AE            P+/P            AP            CR            NC

                 - I looked at the 2hr presentation and I did all of the requirements for P and I think I did a little bit over than what's on the rubric which is why I will give myself at least P+/P for it. I also ask some of the students that watched my presentation and they said that they had fun and they learned from my presentation helping elderly patients. They never said that it was boring, they actually find it interesting and fun. That's why I feel accomplished.

      What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)? Why?

AE             P            AP            CR            NC

                  - I deserve at least P on my senior project because I did all the components on time and I actually did the work. I've never been late in submission and I did my best to meet all  the P requirements.

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

                  - Service learning, Working Bibliography, and I-search worked a lot. It helped me keep track of all my research and my journey all throughout senior year. On the other hand, service learning help me observe and actually experience what our topic is all about. I got to explore an elderly facility because of it. And it did change my point of view of the elderly patients. Though it took me a long time to understand the purpose of 3 column chart, it did help me organize my answers for my E.Q. Science fair is also helpful because it gives you an science perspective of your topic/issue.

(4) What didn’t work for you in your senior project?

                  - Independent component should only be one. I didn't see the point of having two independent components. The second component wasn't as helpful as service learning or research. The interviews wasn't as effective as its suppose to be. Two hour house only meets few times thus making it useless because you can't get guidance on your project with meeting only once or twice a month to prepare for 2 hour presentation. The exit interview should happen right after the students established their second answers so that in case that the EQ needs to change or answers itself, then students have time to change their answers or E.Q. without procrastinating (which usually affects their presentation); putting exit interview a week before 2hour presentations isn't helpful considering that most flaws weren't seen until the exit itself. Either do that or have at least 2 teachers to check on each students senior project so the flaw can be seen right away.

 

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples. 

                   - I would definitely say that at somehow it will help me in my future. For example, service learning helped me experience working in an rehab facility. In the rehab facility I learned to make connections and to be open minded and understanding to the patients. The 2 hour presentation helped me become a better presenter. Senior project also guided me to which path in the future I can take. For example, working in a rehab facility, I now know how to adapt better on busy medical field environment. I can manage to go with the flow. More research also gives you a better product. For example, my science fair  experiment, after putting a lot of research and experiment, the lab report that I wrote was almost like a college paper which is good because it will be easier for me to write reports once I get into college. (which is something that I'm really thankful for)

 

Blog #26: 2-Hour Presentation Lesson Plan

 2-Hour Presentation Plan:

 here's the link:  2hr draft link
(note: I forgot to copy my new EQ that's why the E.Q. part was not complete.)

Blog # 25: Service Learning

Content:

    Literal

-      Log of specific hours : 50 hrs log

 

-    Description of work: BINGO, serving coffee, doing manicure (to be able to talk casually with patients especially if  they are new to the facility, decorating the activities room, suggesting events, listening to patients and talking to them, planning what kind of activity we should do for next time, talking to other staffs (CNA's, LVN's, RN's) to keep up with the patients condition.

-     Gabriel Olea

     250 W. Artesia Street, Pomona, CA, 91768

     (909)-623-7100  [work number]

     (909)-235-0413  [cellphone number]

    Interpretive

     - I learned to be more social with other people. I get to understand the feelings of elderly more than I used to before. And I realized that elderly care activity coordinator is a fun job (based from my experience) even though there are some point that it gets so busy that you don't know what to do first but then again that's in every job so I believe that it helped me become a little bit competitive too working wise.

 

   Applied

    - Service learning helps me figure out which skills activity coordinator needs to become a successful. Like for my first answer I said effective communication because I need to listen and talk to the patients in able for me to do the job. And for my second answer I said know the patients because if you don't know them, then you won't be able to connect to them and it may affect the way you treat the patients. Even my last answer which is to help senior patients using activities is because of what I always observed from activities. I see that most of the activities we do also helps the patients improve their memory and cope up with the surroundings. 

 

Blog #24: Independent Component 2

Content:

·     Log of hours on a calendar:  february-april (independent component calendar)

 

·     Evidence of the 30 hours of work: mini book summary/opinions  and for the hours of extra volunteer work, its on the calendar as well.

 

Literal

(a) “I, Rizza Marie Pica, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.” 

(b) I get to read  (a whole book)  and volunteered for  27hrs.

 

Interpretive

- Since I'm not sure if I can manage reading more books, I decided to stick into one book. Becasue I don't want to rush reading books and then after a few days I will forget the whole context of it. I ended up volunteering more on the saturdays (about 6 hrs each saturday). And While I read the book called " Home Care Nursing Practice: Concepts and Appplications" by Robyn Rice, I briefly summarized what I read on google docs. Its almost like a mini journal entries except its about the context of the book and my opinions. It  would total more than 30 hrs. 

Applied

-I get to learn more about taking care of elderly patients when I read the book. I also get to apply it while I volunteer as well which lead me to the skills I need for my E.Q. For example, I said communication in my first answer. As I volunteered longer and reading the chapters, I realized that to be able to clearly explain, listen, and socially adapt to be able to become a successful elderly activity coordinator. It may sound general but based from my 27hrs of extra -volunteer hrs, I find it true because its like what we do 90% of the time.

Blog #23: Interview 5

Who did you interview: Jessica Bustamante
What day and time: April 25 (12:40-1:10pm)

Content:

(1) What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

• their answer: She wants to do her senior project in music industry.
• What feedback did you offer when you heard the topic ideas?: I just told her to get a general senior topic because my topic is a specific job which is activity coordinator. It cost me time to find my first research.

(2) What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting?  Note: They also have to complete the 50 hours during the school year.

• their answer: She said she would be interning/working for his uncle this summer because his uncle works in music industry as well.
• What feedback did you offer them in response?: I suggested that she should get it done as soon as possible because in case she realized that topic doesn't seem to interest her. She can always pick another topic and be able to to complete the 10 hrs in time.

(3) What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

• their answer: I expect to see how the 2hr presentation works. I hope to see confident and interesting senior projects.
• What suggestions did give them regarding how they should approach watching the 2 hour presentations?: Try to observe and see how the powerpoint and the whole presentation is broken down into sections. And base from that, think whether you can present like that with the topic you choose.

(4) What questions do they have about senior project?  What additional recommendations would you give the 2013 student about senior project?  Be specific and note what you told them.

• questions they had:  How does senior project works?
• What additional recommendations did you give them?: I just told her that if she's sure about her topic, she can start doing the research early on. Because even if you do everything on time, at one point you just feels too stressed out with too much stuff due on a friday. So I told her its better to get ahead.

Blog # 22: Answer # 3

EQ:
- What is the most important skill of a successful Elder care Activity coordinator?

3rd answer:
- Know the senior patients

3 Evidence:
- If you know who you're dealing with,then it would be easier to respond/deal with them.
- You should be able to know at least the medical history of the senior patient. Usually, elderly have a lot of complications such as Alzheimer's, dementia, heart disease, etc. You need to act accordingly to what they need. Also, mood swings happens a lot to patients that takes medicine.
- In my service learning, I always approach the patients the same. Then one day, one of the patients started crying and I try to comfort her but she got angry at me. I told my service learner, Gabriel Olea, about it and he started telling me that she always do that when she cries. He told me that if she cries you just let her be on her own. But for other senior patients, it's the other way around. You just need to know the patients so you know how to respond to the situation correctly.

3 Sources:
- Article # 18, The elderly patient (book) explained to me that patient medical history And knowing their attitude will help nurses determine how to act or respond to them.
- Article # 39, seniors and the problems they face, help me understand what makes a patient act the way they do, what problems they go through.
- Service learning, Gabriel Olea, told me that certain patients acts differently. And for you to be able to get on their side you must know how they act to people.

Blog # 20: Room Creativity

(1) How do you plan to address the room creativity expectation?

-I plan to make the room designed into what celebration is being celebrated

on the month of presentations ( so maybe memorial day, cinco de mayo, or mother's day)

then I will try to match the color motif of one of those celebration on tablecloths. The wall would consist

of pictures, symbols that symbolizes that event/celebration.

(2) What activity ideas do you have for answer 1 or 2? 

-For answer 2, I plan to put the chairs in groups and ask the groups

questions of  "what to do" in diff. situations relating to assessing every patient

individually. I can also let them re-enact make them have short dramatization

of a situation I experienced in the facility.

Blog # 19: Answer 2

EQ =
-What is the most important skill in becoming a successful elderly care activity coordinator.

Answer 2 =
-To provide emotional/physical help in elderly patients, activity coordinator must assess the patients individually.

Evidence =
-Whenever senior patients go inside the activities room we put them in certain groups/tables so we can keep track of who are diabetic, have Alzheimer's, normal, can't stand on their own, got stroke, etc. Then one day, The group that always stand a lot, one of them actually acted as if he was trying to stand up because his holding the arm of the wheel chair. So we all thought it was normal, then one of the volunteers noticed that his other hand was actually holding his chest. Later on, we found out he was having mild stroke. After that incident, we learned our lesson "Always assess each patient and not assume as if they are all the same" because even if they have same conditions, it could always change in any second.
-I also noticed that talking to senior patients as a whole or just by observing them, you won't be able to figure out their needs because most of them looks just fine. Typical senior citizen in wheel chairs. Unless you get to actually talk to them (asking questions) and looking at their medical history. Because they may look fine on the outside but if you get to assess them individually you will realize they're dealing with more serious problem.
-It says on the book " Nursing Skills and Concepts" 9th Ed. by Barbara K. Timby, having one on one assessment with the patient will help nurses to relate on the patient's emotional/physical condition and the nurse will gain trust from the patient. By doing this, it will be easier for the nurse to help the patient get cured or cope up with their illness because the patent will most likely cooperate.

Source = 
- My service learning ( Inland Valley care and rehab facility ). Just by working there every weekends helped me understand and experience what it takes to become a activity coordinator.
- My service learner (Gabriel Olea) and my interview 3 (Maria Navarro). Both of them told me that its very important to get to know more of the patient's case so we can  improve our way of helping them as an individual.
- Book called " Nursing Skills and Concepts" 9th Ed. by Barbara K. Timby. I read on chapter 7 that client-nurse relationship, one on one assessment, helps the nurse keep track of the patient and decide what health related activities can be done to help the patient get cure or if its not curable, help them cope up and accept there new situation.

Blog # 18: The Product

"Being able to treat the senior parents the same manner that I treat my family and friends" is my product. It's because in my service learning, I get to volunteer at an elderly facility (about 4 months ago). At first, I was really distant to the senior patients. I never really cared to them as much as I cared for them now. The way I joked with them and them telling stories to me made me become closer to them. Now, every weekend, I always look forward to going to the facility as if I'm hanging out with my friends.

I can't really take any video or picture showing senior patients because of the privacy issue. T^T"
In that case, I'll just tell a story that happened last weekend as my evidence:

Last weekend, one of the senior patients named "Elena" gave me apple pie as a thank you. She told me helping them with activities such as BINGO, word games, puzzles, and by talking to them lessen her loneliness. I think she misses her family. She told me that they are so busy that they only visits her once or twice a month despite the fact that her relatives also lives in Pomona. I become her friend/companion she said. She was glad that people like me choose to volunteer to the facility because she said most teens won't even care volunteering at all. Those small talks and companionship with them got me moved.  It changed me because now I care for them as if they are my grandma/grandpa. I always try to cheer them when they feel down and listens to their problems/stories.

Blog # 17: Fourth Interview Questions

20 Interview Questions:

1. What made you pick this job? 
2. What makes your job different from any other jobs in medical field? 
3. What  training does the job require at the start? 
4. What training do you take as you go along?
5. What do you think is the most important skill used in the activities?
6. How do you conduct a successful group activity? 
7. Why are group activities important?
8. Can you give me some example of group activities?
9. How to deal with the patients/elderly (especially when they throw tantrums)?
10. Can you tell me some of your experiences as activity coordinator?
11. What is your daily routine as an activity coordinator?
12. How do you organize and plan an activity?
13. How do you become successful in this career?
14. What technique do you use to remember the patients name/ their condition?
15. How do you decide for the patients?
16. What books or articles helped you in this job?
17. Why do activity coordinators make the monthly plan of activities in patterns?
18. How do you evaluate the patient?
19. What kind of personality do you think an activity coordinator needs to have?
20. What resources (books or video) can you recommend me to help me understand this field better?

Blog # 16: Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

CONTENT:

 (1) I plan to continue on working on extra hours volunteering in the facility while reading books that relates to senior patients and hopefully apply that skills in the facility. 

(2) I will be reading books that relates to senior patients. I'll probably spent more time on reading than applying skills so I can get a deeper understanding of my topic.  Also, by reading books, It will help me get a more specific skills an activity coordinator will use everyday.  While I read books, hopefully it would help me understand more specific skills that I can apply to the seniors in the facility. In the facility, I can apply the skills and if it does works then it would help me 

(3) This time it would help me change the general skills i got from independent component 1 to be more specific.  Also, by doing this independent component,  I can back up the answers for my E.Q. based from experience and from the books. 

Blog # 15: Independent Component 1

 Log:

- JOURNAL LOG (LINK) -

Evidence:
-Even though I'm not allowed to take pictures or patient's name I got some charts to prove that I did the 30hrs independent component. I also put the links of sources that I used.

- observation chart -

  - evaluation chart - day 1 -

 - evaluation chart - day 2 -

source links:


http://www.carehome-magazine.co.uk/NVQ_Activity_Co_ordinator_Training-a-144.html

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TED.htm

http://www.onetonline.org/skills/

http://www.quintcareers.com/job_skills_values.html


http://www.myinterpersonal.com/list-of-skills.html

Literal  

A. “I, Rizza Marie Pica, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.” 

B. I get to explore some possible answers to my E.Q. and not just the common answers. I also get to apply some skills to see if that certain skill is needed for me to apply to become an activity coordinator.

Interpretive

I think my log explained all the work that I've spent on my independent component. But just to explain it, having mini-experiment, observations, research, and applying skills does take take time. But applying the skills did really helped me and I'm happy to actually have this independent component to help me.

Applied

 - Well, without having this independent component I don't think I'll be able to explore more about the other possible answers for my E.Q. For example when I presented my 1st E.Q. answer all that I came up with is "good communication" now, I can be more specific like evaluation skills, time-management and I can actually back up my answers using the logs and articles.

Blog # 14: Presentation 2 rough draft

20 min. presentation plan

Blog # 13: Answer 1

Answer 1

EQ: What are the most important skilles needed in becoming an activity coordinator at an elderly facility?

Answer: Building good communication skills to senior patients and staffs  is needed in becoming an activity coordinator.

Evidence #1: Communication skills is used by the activity coordinators all the time. When I was observing on my service learning, I noticed that the senior patients tend to be more approachable to the staffs that tends to talk them. Then when I started to help out, I realized that I do need to communicate to them as if they were my grandparents, so they can open up with me and be more cooperative.

Evidence #2: Without good communication, you may not be able to help the senior patients. The whole purpose of activities is to help the senior patients physically and emotionally. Not having good communication with the seniors will only mean that activity coordinator isn't doing its job right.

Evidence #3: Communicating with the staffs (LVN, CNA, RN) is a very important for the activity coordinator. Knowing the cases of the senior patients that goes to the activities will help the activity coordinator how to approach and help  them. Like when one of the senior patients tried to stand up and a loud beeping noise was heard. Those are called "fall prevention alarm" for senior patients that tries to walk or stand up but doesn't have the capability of balancing/controlling their body. One of the CNA's that I talked to told me whose senior patients to watch out for falling.

Sources:

• "Improving Communication With Older Patients: Tips From the Literature - Sep 2006 - Family Practice Management." Home Page -- American Academy of Family Physicians. Web. 06 Oct. 2011. <http://www.aafp.org/fpm/2006/0900/p73.html>.
• "Activity Coordinator- Job and Career Information, Median Salary, and Schools." What Should I Major In? How to Choose a Career? Web. 08 Sept. 2011. <http://www.mymajors.com/careers-and-jobs/Activity-Coordinator>.
• As for the examples I gave, its based from my personal observations, experience, and information I got from some CNA's and LVN's that I get to talk too from the facility.

Blog # 12: Service Learning

• My service Learning that I work for is at a facility ( Inland Valley and Rehab Center)
• My contact is Gabriel 
• I have done manicure (so i can get into the senior patients to become more open to me), help in giving mini snacks and coffee in the morning, helping seniors while they play bingo or when they go back to there rooms, and i get to chit chat with the seniors.
• I have about 26-32 hrs.

Blog # 11: Third Interview Questions

10 Interview questions:

1. How do you deal with seniors?
2. What skills do activity coordinator needs to use?
3. How do you plan the activities?
4. How do you keep track of what activities are good and bad for certain patients?
5. Do you make special activities with seniors with special case? Why or Why not?
6. What kind of personality do you think an activity coordinator needs to have?
7. How do you make seniors communicate to you?
8. How do you gain trust from patients?
9. Why do some activity coordinators needs to have a supervisor (CNA) while they work?
10. Did the skills you learned from the book or class helped you in this job?