As march has just started (on a Sunday) and a new set of decisions, activities and tasks in managing the Hemodialysis unit is going to roll and unfold pretty soon, I make sure to find time to kick back, chill out and relax first through attending the special screening of Pixar Onward at SM Cinema Downtown. I never really gotten the chance of seeing any part of its trailer but I do remember seeing it as the next picture of one of the cinemas and never really did bother nor enticed to watch it especially that it is an animated movie. Getting the opportunity to watch it for free and ahead of everybody, however, seems like a good idea and a catch so I gave in on the first day of March.

Pixar Onward works as a kid-friendly melodrama anchored by terrific vocal turns from Tom Holland (Spider Man) and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galazy) so undeniably the cinema was packed with groups of families and a bunch of kids. Before this visually clever low-stakes comedy unfolded, we had a taste of fun and entertainment of kids answering the questions who are all up for the prize of Pixar Onward merchandise.

Lost Magic in the Real World

The movie has a different take of portraying magic that has gone null-and-void through the advent of science and technology. A rather weird one of placing fantasy world in the real world where mythical and legendary creatures living in a modern utopia. Funny how centaurs chug around town in cars instead of running free, cyclopes swipe at smart phones, unicorns–the beloved beautiful mythical creatures can be seen rummaging through household bins like aspins or street cats would and the ironic Manicore (mythical creature part lion, scorpion, bat and human) is now running a high themed fast-food restaurant full of her own merchandise, a complete opposite of her once fierce and proud self. But it all draws to a conclusion assuring audiences that there’s still some magic left in the “world.”

The Real Magic Within Nurses

As nurses, with the overwhelming tasks to accomplish, overload of paperwork to complete and a long list of protocols to follow, we sometimes forget what we truly are. The real magic of being a nurse–our magic touch to patients that sometimes is enough to heal a broken soul. This magic, however is overshadowed with tasks piling up, interacting with papers and machines more than the patients themselves. Is the magic still with you?

One scene from Pixar Onward movie I considered my favorite has struck me deep with its meaning and lesson. The Bridge Scene. The scene with all the feels–suspense, thrill, excitement, funny… everything… I cringed and almost cried laughing throughout the whole part.

Bridge Scene, “Believe with every step”

“Believe with every step,”

Barley Lightfoot tells Ian who has to perform a bridge spell that will only work if he believes in every step. A bridge won’t show up once the spell has been casted, rather it’s the courage and belief that act as the bridge for one to be able to reach the other side. Ian, however, was too afraid to fall thus was greatly hesitant to even make the first step. What Barley on the other hand did, looked for a rope to keep him from falling and reached to a point pushing Ian just to be able to do the first step. Ian did fall and manage to climb up again of course with the help of the rope and Barley guiltily responded,

“At least, now you know what will happen.”

As nurses, we all have our own fears in every duty or shift especially when we are put on the spot. There is the procedure that we try to secretly hide from; the ever strict supervisor that we constantly take detours everytime we spot them from afar, the fear of rejection when you feel like suggesting or voicing out because you are a nobody or still a newbie…

The truth is, you never really try. And when are you going to wait for a “Barley” to push you to finally do it and see for yourself what will actually happen right after? Of course, you will always have the “fall” but as soon as you climb your way up again, that’s where you’ll finally learn the situation and get familiar with it.

I used to be afraid making the first move with cannulation of new AVFs not that I don’t have the skill, it’s just that I empathize patients everytime the staffs and the seniors are cannulating more than once, the worst have even gone up to 12 cannulations and I can’t afford to do that. I just don’t feel like committing mistakes and doing recannulation so most of the time, I’m seen doing IJ & PC more. But it was only until “I became a senior HDU nurse” (the Barley of the situation), when finally I took courage to do first cannulations.

Halfway going towards the other side, the rope around Ian loosened up until it gotten loose from his waist. It was the scariest, cringiest and at the same time the funniest due to the fact that Ian was unaware of it. He was so confident walking through courage (the invisible bridge) and even did some exhibitions while his brother on the other side, was totally frozen knowing that with one glance, his brother could easily fall. Before making that one last step, Ian glanced back and saw the rope on Barley’s hands. Expectedly, he fell but was able to quickly grab the edge of the land.

“I needed that rope!,” Ian. “But did you?,” Barley responded.

We always have this thought that it’s the rope that is keeping us from falling but all along it was just us–our courage and faith that we can make it through. In reality, we never really needed the rope.

Now, it is indeed fulfilling and I’m even proud to say that most of my first cannulations are done one shot. It is through experience that I’ve mastered the art of cannulation and not because I was finally a senior HDU nurse. Because if I have done it sooner, I should have mastered it even before becoming a senior nurse. See? I never really needed the rope–to wait for the perfect timing, to finally do it. I just needed the courage to make the bold move.

So, nurses if in your case, you are afraid to do a particular procedure, then how can you actually master it when experiencing it first hand scares you?