Positive Developments for Filipino Nurses
In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the demand for Filipino nurses in first-world countries. In the U.S. alone, it is reported that there is a need for at least 2 million full-time registered nurses.
Two articles highlight some positive developments for Filipino nurses seeking to take advantage of these opportunities.
Alfredo G. Rosario of ABS-CBN News mentions the possibility of the Philippines becoming a testing site for the U.S. National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which is required of licensed registered nurses (in the U.S.).
On the 26th anniversary of the Commission on Filipino Overseas, Secretary Dante A. Ang, CFO chairman, cited the commission’s efforts to have the Philippines as a testing site for the US National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for nurses.
“I am pleased to inform you that our efforts are now bearing fruit. On the prospect of conducting NCLEX in the Philippines, I am reliably informed that there is better than even chance that our bid will be successful. Soon, very soon, we should know about the outcome of our campaign,” Secretary Ang said.
Being able to take the NCLEX in the Philipines will ease the entire process. And why shouldn’t it be available in the Philippines, seeing that scores of Filipino nurses leave their families behind in order to fill the need in U.S. hospitals for well-trained health professionals?
Another development in the nursing field is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between an Australian university and three Philippine schools. From the Philippine Daily Inquirer:
Consul General to Sydney Theresa Lazaro said the De La Salle-Health Sciences Campus, the University of San Carlos in Cebu, and the Manila Doctors College signed the MOU with the Australian Catholic University to provide a framework for nursing education cooperation for students, faculty, and management staff through a range of exchange and immersion programs.
The MOU also includes the development of cross-cultural awareness programs for students, faculty, and staff who move into a new working and teaming environment; collaboration in research projects; and nursing education cooperation exchanges and visits.
This MOU will benefit not only the current crop of nursing students in these schools, but also those who will come after them. Such interactions between educational institutions are always a positive thing.
3 Comments
Let us not keep our hopes too high on the NCSBN’s decision to hold the NCLEX in the Philippines with the HongKong test site doing remarkably well in scheduling the Southeast and Pacific area nurses. The longest wait if you schedule today is 6 weeks.
As to the statement that holding the NCLEX in the Philippines will “ease the process”, i now find that absurd. The monetary savings is $150 scheduling fee and the max roundtrip fare and hotel expenses of $300. No process will be alleviated. We will have ill prepared Filipina nurses who will have the temerity to spend $200 application fee to take the exams over and over again with no compunction if they will ever pass it.
If our nurses cannot breeze through the exams like other nationalities do, the effort to relocate (?) the testing center in Manila will be a futile exercise. If not, bleed the anxious parents dry with applicaton fees and review classes expenses.
In 2005, only 43.7% passed out of the 9,181 first time Filipino test takers. And thats not including the repeat takers which historically is lower.
http://www.ncsbn.org/pdfs/NCLEX_Stats_Fact_Sheet.pdf
http://www.ncsbn.org/pdfs/Table_of_Pass_Rates_2005.pdf
Dismal performance……
Charges of cheating hound PRC nursing exam
http://www.malaya.com.ph/jul01/news7.htm
i rest my case.
Hi Ann, Thanks for sharing your thoughts. When I wrote that relocating the NCLEX will “ease the process”, I was thinking about the qualified Filipino nurses who find going elsewhere for the exam to be an added burden.
The passing rate does need improvement. The MOU with the Australian Catholic University will hopefully help with that.
As for the cheating, my view is that it’s a separate issue from having the NCLEX in Manila.