The Fabula Rasa

Forget the nighttime tales of your youth. This... is Origin


Hello Bloggy,

It sure has been a while since we last spoke. Things have certainly changed in a short amount of time. I guess tonight I am writing to you to let my emotions free. Let's keep you up to speed on what has happened so far. 

It's the new school semester, my last one in nursing school before I take the state exams around June or July. Currently taking advanced med-surg, leadership and management, and policy and politics classes. Mom is still in Jersey with my little sister working two jobs and completely stressed out over the IRS while overexercising. Dad working late to make extra cash while I deal with his OCD issues (he had a stroke about 3 years ago by the way). Grandma still going to church and praising God at every chance she gets. Johnathan in the army and Eric now in PR with his father studying. 



Now for the real juicy parts: 

Grandma had an accident 2 1/2 weeks ago. She was walking down the sidewalk when suddenly she tripped. Banged up her face and broke her right arm. By the kindness of a passing stranger, she arrived at the hospital safely. What gets me upset, she did not call ANYONE to tell us what happened. I found out when she finally caved in from a her friend call my mother. Gramma did not have anyone to cook, clean and help her until the visiting nurse services were arranged. So naturally I had to be the one to take up the responsibilities. Very difficult when she has Alzheimer's Disease, extremely stubborn, and misinformed about a  lot of information. Add that on top of college. Eventually, her care began and I moved back to dad's place. 

One week ago my mother had a heart attack at the age of 40. I was called on Wed at 1:30am by her complaining of chest pain and her left arm in pain with difficulty breathing. She flat out refused to call the ambulance when I told her it sounds like a heart attack. On Friday midnight she was dragged to the hospital by a friend when her symptoms got worse. I was called at, ironically, 1:30am saying she has been admitted to the hospital telemetry unit. Hit the road at 2:30am that same morning. During this chaotic time I had to take care of mommy, keep up with her care, try to handle a lazy "emo" little sister going through her teenage phase, take massive medications to hold down my allergies (very allergic to dogs and pollen), while studying for the exams I have for the next two weeks.

Thankfully my fiance was there next to me to take things a little easier. During this time it was very difficult to sleep, probably had about 4 hours of sleep each night. There doctors at St Peter's Hospital could not give my mother a clear diagnosis of what happened to her. My opinion dropped even more when the cardiologist told my mother to take 3 doses of Prednisone 40mg each 8 hours apart than head to the ER for a CAT Scan of her chest to check for a pulmonary clot. Here's a major problem: The cardiologist did not give her extra medication to wean her off such a high dose. Mom could DIE from adrenal insufficiency if she does not wean off. Naturally, mommy dearest ignores me and refuses to follow my directions.

Hopefully she is following the diet change. Has to after I threw out everything in her kitchen. Could you believe it was all processed food high in salt, fat, and cholesterol? Imagine her shock when she came home to an empty kitchen. 

Currently, my nerves feel shot. I can barely sleep fearing another event will occur to my family. The exams are coming up in a couple of days and it doesn't help. How do I feel?  Anxious, confused, emotional, angry, and sad. Not once has anyone seen my cry. The brave face has had to stay on to keep everyone together. I want to break down and let everything out but the barrier won't fall. It's so hard to relax. My diet has been shot in trying to keep the stress down. Forcing myself to eat healthy again instead of gluten free cookies constantly. 

Maybe now that I put something I can finally sleep and let some stress flow away.

PLEASE! Anyone that reads this blog, read the picture below on the signs and symptoms of a heart attack in women. It is different between men and women the signs. During the time where the number one killer is heart disease, everyone should know the signs of a heart attack, stroke and DVT. 


The American Nurses Association defines nursing as "the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations."   While this is nursing at its basic, the scope of nursing practice is much more than following policy and procedures to promote health.  Nursing involves your knowledge of medical practices, time management, being an advocate, compassion and caring, respect, honor, honesty, patient privacy and the ability to provide safe patient centered care.  Using what a nurse represents and my own personal value system, following a nursing career was a logical choice for me.  To follow this path, a person must choose, without coercion, to care and help others.  Others who chose to follow nursing share similar beliefs and values.

The World Health Organization defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."  There are two spheres of health, the physical and mental.  Physical health means the body operating at optimum level whether with or without disease condition.  People seek physical well being through lifestyle changes, fitness, proper nutrition, weight management, abstaining from substance abuse including alcohol, proper sexual health, hygiene, and getting restful sleep.  Mental health appertains to a person's cognitive and emotional well being.  It also includes a person's  ability to take pleasure in life and have balance, able to recover from adversity, to adapt and be flexible, feel safe and secure, and fulfill your potential.

Nurses not only need to have the ability to adapt to situations,  the knowledge of diseases and disease process is vital in helping the patient travel along the path toward their best health.  Application of classroom knowledge, skills, and experience in the clinical setting is an important part of being a nurse.  Being able to pass an exam is the first step, being successful in implementing safe patient centered care is the ultimate goal.  People have a variety of personalities, thus, proper bedside manners and communication skills are a must.  A nurse will have multiple patients, being able to prioritize and have effective time management skills will smooth the road to providing care.

Compassion, empathy and caring are aspects of humanity that nurses use with patients and their families, caring for the patient's health and both parties' emotional needs.  All humans, regardless of age, sex, gender, race, or ethnicity deserve respect, honesty, privacy and advocacy.  All health care professionals must work together to maintain a patient's needs and rights.  If these professionals such as doctors, nurses, therapists, dieticians, social workers and so forth do not work in harmony, the patient will not receive the best care they need and deserve.

Nurses must understand the current health care system and organization.  Currently, health care is expensive, making insurance necessary but it is not available to everyone.  Health care trends change over time, reflecting the changing needs of society.  We must concentrate on population wellness while providing acute care.  There must be an encouragement of health screenings and early interventions, such as education, to lessen the number of patients exhibiting these conditions and illnesses.  Nurses must perform health promotion but there is a vast shortage of nurses needed to provide care.  This shortage will continue to grow as the baby boomer generation of nurses approach retirement.  Nurses must pool together values, idealism, and knowledge into our vocation and above all, apply them until the next generation of nurses arrive.

As the next graduating class of nurses, we must all gather our knowledge, beliefs, and values  into our clinical sites and apply them.  We must all incorporate the essence of a nurse and characteristics to be well respected by our patients, colleagues, healthcare providers, and be successful in our careers.  Each nurse must hold on to their personal philosophy throughout their careers and never lose sight of it.


        
             The story of Little Red Riding Hood conceals several symbolisms that explain the sexual ethics of its time.  As Catherine Orenstein stated, "the red cape [is viewed] as menstrual blood marking the change from childhood into womanhood; the relationship between the wolf and the girl as that between man and woman, a seduction by a temptress (Red Riding Hood), the rape of a virgin, and in Freudian terms as the battle of the ego over the id" (1).  Charles Perrault created his version in 1697, and the Brothers Grimm's version came about in 1812.
            Perrault's version contains Little Red Riding Hood  invited into Grandma's house by the wolf.  The girl disrobed but the wolf only asked her to put down the basket and climb into bed with him.  Once voicing her perplexion over the wolf's physical appearance, she was promptly gobbled up.  The moral of the tale warns young girls, though they must be "pretty, well-bred, and genteel," (Tatar 12) that a man can be a wolf.  A wolf is the symbolism of a seducer. While wolves come in many forms, "tame wolves are the most dangerous of all" (Tatar 13).  In this time era, women that were not chaste were condemned from society and given a social death.  The Brothers Grimm gave Little Red Riding Hood redemption by adding a huntsman to rescue both women.  The huntsman saves both by cutting open the wolf with a pair of scissors.  The moral of this story is that a husband or a father can give the girl a second chance to redeem herself and forgiver her for her actions. 
            As the time changed, society had begun to give women more societal freedom and rights.  In today's time, women do not follow the rules spoken of by Perrault and Brothers Grimm.  Women have the right to have pre-marital relations without fearing extreme consequences or to form and leave several relationships.  Of course, pre-marital relations consequences depend on culture, age, and acceptance of said action. The woman can play with the wolf than leave him if she so wishes. Advertisement today actually encourages men to be wolves by posing women in alluring positions in order to sell their products. 
Works Cited
Orenstein, Catherine. Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, And The Evolution Of A Fairy Tale. Jackson: Basic Books, 2003. Print.
Tatar, Maria. "Little Red Riding Hood." The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc, 1999. ix - 22. Print.



 Once upon a time, Little Red Riding Hood was a story told between peasants to pass the time while working the fields.  As the seasons changed, so did she.  Multiple versions of her story sprouted, each giving her a different character, thus, a different face. 

Charles Perrault created his version 1697, in a time of nobles and peasants, which would make sense that the moral of his story would involve chastity and obedience.  This child quickly became a victim of the Wolf, falling easily for its deception. Perrault used Wolf as a metaphor, "a stand in for male seducers who lure young women into their beds" (Tatar 5).  He made her responsible for the Wolf eating her because she spoke to a stranger.  The ending was a moral note for women to be "pretty, well-bred, and genteel" (Tatar 13) and to be careful of men since the tame wolves "are the most dangerous of all."

As the years go by, the later versions become more risqué and violent. Roald Dahl created his version in 1995.  This was a time were women were firmly entrenched as equals due to the Women's Rights Movement 70 years prior.  This version was the more refined tale of James Thurber's 1940 edition of Little Red Riding Hood.  Dahl empowered Red Riding Hood by giving her the power of observation and deductive reasoning.  By using rhyming, he created a fast paced tale with Red Riding Hood using her quick wit to retaliate against the wolf by shooting him with a pistol and eventually wearing his skin as a cloak.  This  shows how society's view on what is accepted is changing in regards to women's rights.  Women now rights to defend themselves instead of relying on men and expecting a metaphorical knight in shining armor to save them.
Work Cited
Tatar, Maria. "Little Red Riding Hood." The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc, 1999. ix - 22. Print.

An interesting category exists of women in fairy tales... those that refuse to marry.  These women are shown as spoiled, vain and willful.  By refusing to marry, these women suffer some form of punishment.  It is inferred that they refuse marriage to preserve their freedom and identity. Any refusal to wed is denied or disallowed.  When a stubborn princess succumbs to marriage, and consequently, her husband, it is a cause for celebration. While marriage occurs in “The Blue Fairy Book,” few go into detail of the married life.  A child may learn that a woman who disobeys her husband’s command may be subjected to her husband’s expression of fury.  While punishment from the wife’s husband is allowed, a domineering wife is viewed as abominable while a “helpless, threatened, passive wife” (Lieberman 394) is approved.  

 In tales that show marriage, one or both parents of the main character are deceased.  This is seen in several stories such as “The Sleeping Beauty, Little Thumb, and Hansel and Gretel.”   Marriage is integral to the reward system in fairy tales and few lives are shown beyond the act.  It can be said that stories which contain marriage are more concerned with the courtship process.  Courtship is the most important part of a woman’s life.  It is a time where she can be briefly viewed as a person, instead of as a means to an end.  When the deed has been done, she ceases to be a human, a person with thoughts, dreams and an identity.  Children who see this courtship process and its abrupt end may develop the thought that courtship keeps the excitement going so it must never end “since marriage is literally the end of the story” (Lieberman 394).


Lieberman, Marcia R. "Some Day My Prince Will Come: Female Acculturation through the Fairy Tale."
College English 34.3 (1972): 383-395. Print.

Fabula?

Yes, yes, Its a play on an overused cliche but I think it works. Tabula Rasa is latin for blank slate and in writing this blog I hope to highlight just how little modern fairytales and folklore actually represent their original tellings, in essence, losing most of its meaning and context creating a blank tale or ... a Fabula Rasa

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