3 Level IV students represented the UST College of Nursing at the Battle of the Nightingales last August 23, 2023, at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center.
Karl Abunda of 4NUR-1, John Edward Cruz of 4NUR-2, and Aaliyah Dimalanta of 4NUR-3 competed with students from 6 other nursing schools. Among the participants were students from Siena College of Taytay, Saint Michael's College of Laguna, Far Eastern University, Dr. Yanga's Colleges, Inc., Philippine Women's University, and St. Dominic College of Asia.
Asst Prof. Dennis Cuadra, the Level IV Chair, selected the three seniors because of their excellent academic performances from first to third year.
The competition consisted of two rounds, with 25 questions in the preliminary round and 30 in the final round. They were categorized according to level of difficulty and chosen from a pool prepared by the Philippine Nurses Association. The "easy" questions were worth 1 point each, the "moderate" questions were 3 points each, and the "difficult" questions were 5 points each.
The topics covered theories, concepts, principles, and processes of the nursing practice. The coverage included medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology, and mental health.
The Preparation Process
Abunda, Cruz, and Dimalanta had only a month of preparation for the competition, which coincided with the beginning of classes for the academic year.
"With the lack of time to prepare, I only did [a] self-review using my notes from previous semesters and answered some practice tests during my free time," Dimalanta stated in an interview with the Nursing Journal.
Abunda also expressed how watching videos of the past BOTN quiz bees helped "give them an idea" of what kind of questions would be presented to them.
Cruz said that he "did not pressure himself too much." He also shared that he skimmed lecture notes from past year levels to get ready for the competition.
"What I prioritized during the preparation process was to be stable holistically and to always be ready for what's to come," Cruz stated.
Pre-competition Phase
The trio focused on simply doing their best with the knowledge and resources they had while acknowledging the privilege of representing the UST College of Nursing in the competition.
"There were moments of clarity and brief flashes of doubt... I liked how we all tried our hardest and respected each other's efforts," Dimalanta said.
"[I felt] pressured and happy at the same time, since we [carried] the name of the UST College of Nursing," Abunda added.
"When the competition was about to start, I prayed hard and owed everything to Him. I also told myself that 'I got this, we got this' and said the same to my teammates throughout the competition," Cruz said.
Takeaways as a Student Nurse
The UST CON participants were able to pass the preliminary round as the third-highest scorers with 36 points; however, they were outlasted by FEU during a tiebreaker round and eventually finished as the 4th highest scorers overall.
Cruz felt "better equipped" with the knowledge needed to advance further in his nursing journey. He would have been satisfied with any outcome as he much more valued the opportunity to experience the competition with his fellow student nurses.
Dimalanta expressed how the experience simulated the pressure from "high-stress medical situations," and it helped her develop strategies to better perform nursing responsibilities, even under pressure.
Abunda was thankful for the chance to join the competition, for he was able to gain new knowledge and build upon the friendships he was able to make throughout their journey.
The BOTN competition's primary purpose was to promote public awareness of and appreciation for nurses and their vital roles in the healthcare industry.
This is the first year that UST CON has participated in the BOTN Quiz Bowl and undoubtedly our college’s representatives were able to demonstrate competence, compassion, and commitment.
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