Tlatelolco

This weekend was the Portland Latin American Film Festival at the Hollywood Theatre in NE Portland. The major feature was Tlatelolco, based on the political upheaval in Mexico around the preparations for the 1968 summer Olympics. The year was a year to remember, particularly because the games were hosted for the first time by a "third world" country. Amidst the societal tension, two students from different classes fall in love and join the student-led rebellion. Sitting in the packed auditorium, I had an overwhelming feeling of being a part of something bigger than myself. Hearing the buzz of the audience, I realized Tlatelolco had built a 120-capacity community in an evening. Tlatelolco ability to move is just as powerful as it its ability to gather people and I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to see it.

After the viewing, there was a question and answer session with the director, Carlos Bolado. He has received numerous awards and nominations internationally including two Emmys. During the session, many of the audience members spoke in Spanish and Bolado responded in English. It was fascinating to hear about his thoughts of the film. Bolado spoke to the concerns for the younger generations losing interest and knowledge about Mexican and Mexican-American history. He advocated for more programs and events that would highlight historical events as well as culture. Bolado said he made the film as a seed to put out in the world that might grow into something bigger, something more useful. I appreciated his response because it is how I came to view the film - my friend invited me to go and I accepted because I had recently taken a class on Latin American revolutions in the 20th century and was interested in how the events surrounding the summer of 1968 were portrayed.

Director Carlos Bolado at the Q&A session.

From Left to Right:
Me, Carlos Bolado, and my friend.

I am still in the process of defining my identity as a Mexican-American. There are so many things that set me apart from many other Mexican-Americans my age, however, my interest in Mexican history and supporting the community helps me make connections. My friend and I had a great conversation following the events which reinforced my feelings of being a part of something larger. I have newfound enthusiasm for my position in the college's Hispanic/Latin@ club and I cannot wait to share it!

FIRST DAY OF CLINICALS!!

Basically all of my morning led up to clinical. Or at least that's how I felt. I was not nervous or anxious until I went searching for my ID badge. For some reason I had slipped it into the front pocket of my backpack and skipped over that pocket until about a minute before I was supposed to leave. My frantic search built up my anxiety for the evening ahead and arriving early definitely made it worse. Fortunately there was a chapel nearby so I took a moment to duck in and say a quick prayer.

Anyway, there was no need to worry. The nurses, CNAs, and staff were more than accommodating and many of the residents we encountered were encouraging and glad to have us there. Clinical proved itself to be an integral part in our education - for instance, I knew the steps to transfer a patient, but in actually doing it I realized sensitivity and forethought must accompany the steps. Thoughts such as adjusting pillows before seating a resident or scooting the resident back in the seat to make the resident more comfortable are simple things that one may not think about when learning from a textbook or practicing on a fully functional partner.

For fear of HIPAA and falling asleep at the keyboard (it has been a very long evening), I will cut myself off here. I hope to share more of my thoughts about and adventures in clinical in the future!

The "Almost Family" Effect

I worked throughout high school primarily as an audio technician and in college as a food service worker and Resident Advisor. I had thought that when I started my job as a professor's assistant I would have a very professional mindset and deal with everything accordingly. Not so! Considering the fact I was given the job so graciously by a friend I met through theatre, I should not have expected such formalities. Instead, I have met and made friends with faculty that care about me as a student as well as a person. For instance, my "boss" sent me an encouraging email after finding out I had my assessment tonight. The professor simply suggested taking a walk or running before the lab to help me relax and wished me well, but in doing so I knew I would become as fond of my boss as I have my other bosses.

I also became fast friends with one of the people I will be relying on and working closely with. She immediately offered her assistance with anything I might need help with and noted that I was a theatre enthusiast. We spent a good half an hour talking about theatre and the struggles of being a nursing student while having so many theatre opportunities in the area. She came up with the idea of getting a group of students together to see a local theatre's season opener and proposed the idea to my friend who is, coincidentally, also on student government. I was so surprised at her resourcefulness and her ability to make me immediately feel comfortable.

Fast forward several hours... I emerged from the elevators thinking that I would have some time to review one last time, but no. My clinical advisor is waiting at the open door with two of my fellow classmates and offers to get me started if I was ready. Not wanting to hold up the procession, I went into the lab and began the assessment. Afterward, my advisor mentioned one of my strengths as my ability to make things "flow" what with my almost constant conversation and demeanor. I know it was only a practice round for the real thing, but I hope I can be like my friend earlier and make the client feel as comfortable as she made me feel.

Obviously it is hard to be fully at ease in the healthcare setting (unless, perhaps, you are a healthcare provider), but I think people appreciate being treated by people that make one feel like they are almost related. I like to think of it as the "almost family" effect. Treating people with familiarity and kindness relaxes them and convinces them that you are as trusting as a family member might be. Not that you want to pretend or trick your client, but allowing them a sort of excuse to divulge information or respond in ways that they might not normally.

As you may be able to tell, I am very much looking forward to our time at the clinical sites. I hope that whatever happens, it will be a learning experience that I can benefit from somehow and share.

An Open Discussion About Beliefs and Nursing, Part One

Today I attended the first meeting for a club called Nursing Students for Reproductive Health and Justice. It is a long title, but it is meant to be all-encompassing. We had a discussion about where we want the club to go and what we want to do. The six of us shared our reason for joining and wanting to participate in the club - mine being to learn and provide the best care for my future patients. Unlike some club members, I had no personal experiences relating to the club but tried to express my (possibly naïve) wish to help the community by connecting people with resources that could help them.

At one point we talked about abortion. Now, as many people are aware, abortion is condoned by the Catholic Church. One person reflected on the experience of having a professor proclaim a personal stance on abortion. It made the person not want to discuss abortion with the professor because their personal stances on abortion differed. I found it terribly unfortunate - not necessarily the fact that the professor stated a personal stance on abortion (I suppose everyone has a right to do that in certain environments), but the fact that dialogue was seemingly stunted because of the assumption that the professor would not be able to converse openly about a popular and controversial topic.

Cannot one discuss a topic with another without devolving into an argument or debate? Unfortunately nowadays it seems as if it is an impossible endeavor. Maybe that is why many refuse to talk about politics or politely defer in contentious discourse. Referring to my previous blog post about a particularly heartfelt conversation with my friend, maybe war is taboo because communication is stunted in so many levels of society by the impression (or dare I say assumption?) that personal beliefs are limiting to a holistic view, particularly religious beliefs.

I once argued in a high school paper about the death penalty (interestingly enough, part of a religion class curriculum) that my personal beliefs are validated by my own thoughts and feelings, not by an organization. I based my written argument on data, logic, and reason and my points were justifiable. I vaguely remember writing that if I had simply founded my thoughts and feelings only by the teachings of the Catholic Church and not by my own analysis and contemplation, I would consider myself a cult member.

The point of this post/rant is to encourage everyone to become comfortable with open dialogue. Communication is truly fundamental in every kind of relationship, whether it be societal, political, religious, or otherwise.