Filipino pride has been rekindled after Ms. Mylene Freires, a native of Panabo, Davao del Norte and a Siliman University alumna, became the very first Filipina to receive the 2010-2011 Mary Seacole Development Award. Ms. Freires is an advanced nurse practitioner for venous access at Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London and her project on the development of nurse-led Port-a-Cath insertion service for patients with sickle cell disease was picked amongst the proposals from various candidates working under the NHS in the entire UK.
In a ceremony held at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) headquarters in London, she was recognized in the presence of Anne Milton, MP, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Public Health. The awards were created in honor of the nurse, Mary Seacole, who made a significant contribution to nursing in the 19th century, including nursing wounded British soldiers during the Crimean War. They are funded jointly by the UK Department of Health and NHS Employers who work in partnership with the RCN and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM)
“I felt honored that I was selected amongst many nurses and midwives in this country because the award is both for nurses and midwives and to be given that prestigious award, I feel that I actually done something to make us all Filipinos proud,”said Freires during her interview with Rose Eclarinal of ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Hers is just a simple story about the courage to embrace Nursing wholeheartedly and the essence of finding one’s niche to move forward. During one of her interviews, Ms. Freires admitted that she did not envision to be in the nursing profession but when prodded by her relatives to study nursing for her university degree, she almost immediately liked her chosen field. Her overseas work in the UK started in 1999 when her friend asked her to tag along and apply with her for a job in the UK. She did and never looked back.
“When I started doing it, I realized it was actually my personality and my character fit within the characteristics of what a good nurse should be. Since then, I always wanted to do my best in everything I do. I always give my 100%. If I start strong, I’d end strong,” she explained.
Freires is not new in receiving awards and recognition. She was a Cancer Research UK grant awardee in 2008 and received a 3-year funding for a master’s program in advanced practice. She was also awarded a grant worth £12,000 by Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Foundation Trust to develop an information DVD on Central Venous Access. It is now being used by the NHS.
“I guess in everything you do you have to aim high. It’s very difficult to work outside the country. Of course it is competitive in the Philippines but it is more competitive here because you are not just competing with Filipinos but you are competing with other races,” she explained.
--------------------------------------------
Follow us on Facebook
www.thefilipinonurse.net
The filipinonurse.net is always on the lookout for interesting stories about Filipino Nurses worldwide. If you know of a Filipino nurse who should be featured here, please feel free to send us a message via our Facebook Page.
1 Comments
In accordance with blueprints generated by the engineer, the sheet steel product specifications shall be specified. Rough drawings shall be made to know the scope of the fabrication process. All sheet steel components are built on-demand and with decrease setup costs CNC machining compared to with} CNC Machining. Depending in your needs, order as little as a single prototype as much as} 10,000 production components. The sample brass sheets for jewelry-making are simple to work with.
ReplyDelete