State of Nursing Education in the Philippines

[YAJRN]

I could see that in 2 years time nursing will be close in US, those 78,000 plus takers only for June would have a hard way. Some might not make it, will just find another career in different fields. Others who could make but can't take the CGFNS or NCLEX because of economically challenge status. The remaining numbers could pass the NCLEX, but could not immigrate because of visa backlogs. Nurses who had filed their I-140s during 2003-2006 would be lucky enough to cross the other side.

Points to ponder now is that PI is not the only country who could send NCLEX passer nurses to US. There is a handsome number in India,China.and Korea too.

The problem here in the PI is too much marketing on schools who offer nursing are not helping in informing the parents and the whole public about the retrogression issue. The most irrate and damned story is that they made to believe every highschool grads that nursing is the easiest way to economic security. I don't think so, because here, you need to shell out 100,000 pesos just to take the NCLEX and CGFNS exams including books, travel expenses, reviews, and etc. This is the truth, the gainers here are the review centers and nursing schools. I don't want to hurt the feelings of nursing students in this forum. Even the hospitals here were having a boom because of expensive training fees and related learning experience fees among nursing schools. There is nothing to be excited about being into something that you didn't know much info. Lack of knowledge on these issues would put a registered nurse in ignorance. Even the PRC would earn big bucks because of registration fees! It's good to dream whatever circumstance it may seem and the situation you are in, but along the way a our countrymen led us to nothing but fools. One ad says 20,000 nurses needed in the USA by 2010. It's really gross, what these ads really meant is enroll on us and make us rich. We don't mind if you are stuck on immigration and other stuffs. Furthermore, US is not stopping educating their homegrown nurses. One ad says nursing shools in US are closing because few Americans are heeding the call of Nursing. The truth is there is a surge on enrollment and many would be students were on a waiting lists.

My final say here is that along with good propagandas to take nursing as a course, these culprits should have to warn the parents that it's not too easy to be a nurse. Aside from work environment, expensive test exams that you won't know how many takes one would experience ,and the probability of being stuck up on immigration issues. It should be two faces, one negative and the other one positive. I'm really sorry that this school year alone nursing freshmen doubly increase compared to last year. I'm not discouraging but I am here to tell the painful truth.

Like what Suzzanne did, she was to inform us about the CIR and its unrealistic measures. However, others went ballistic about her comments, we have to read the other side then judge according to logic not on emotions. As for me, the CIR is a complicated matter wheter it will be pass or thrown into the pit, as always there are populations that will be hurting. It doesn't help us nurses too. There should be a separate bill for nurses and PTs only. We should not be pitted with the illegals. Gets?

Thanks for reading.

[RNHawaii34]

i honestly have no desire to work in a hospital here because u all know what the working conditions are like. truth be told, some houshelp, security guards, etc. are paid better, eat better, treated better.. not that i have anything against them, but it does feel a might frustrating that we paid a lot to get to this stage.

i went through nursing school where i really studied and honestly gained my passing marks. like most people in our batch (a batch ahead of the sudden boom in students), i did all the required cases, and thankfully there were enough at that time for us. i toiled for and passed the exams, honestly thinking and believing (still) that my sacrifices will pay off. we are not rich, but it was my innocent desire to want to work abroad that let me go on.

and now?

suddenly im part of the desperate group just hungry for the us dollars

suddenly im part of the opportunistic

suddenly im part of the group who lack skills but have the nerve to want to work abroad

i am not a bad person.

but this has done nothing but make feel bad about wanting to work in the us without wanting to work in the pi.

i disagree. you are not hungry for dollar$. you just want to have a better quality of life. and honestly? usa is not the only place for you. there are other places you can go to. be patient and it will be your turn to get out soon.

[RNHawaii34]

the problem is some of the nursing students want quick results to their plans without working their butts off. if you are an employer from the us, would you hire someone with no experience not really knowing their present background education is like? i don't think so.

i totally agree on this one.

[RNHawaii34]

us is not stopping educating their homegrown nurses. one ad says nursing shools in us are closing because few americans are heeding the call of nursing. the truth is there is a surge on enrollment and many would be students were on a waiting lists.

ummm...it's not about the calling..it's because nursing is a stressful job. and yes, many still wants to get into the nursing programs all over the continental u.s., the problem is that there are not enough nurse educators in the u.s., one reason is that, they would rather work in the hospitals, where the money is. in order for you to work as a nurse educator, you need to be a master's degree holder, ( not like in pi, where the clinical instructor is taking his or her masteral and teaching nursing at the same time). another reason why there are not too many nurses in the u.s.? because many nurses are getting old, getting too stressed out, and shying away from hospital work, pls. don't forget those nurses who are retiring every year.

my final say here is that along with good propagandas to take nursing as a course, these culprits should have to warn the parents that it's not too easy to be a nurse. aside from work environment, expensive test exams that you won't know how many takes one would experience ,and the probability of being stuck up on immigration issues.

parents are not the only one to be blame. they don't know anything, they just want their children to have a better life. the problem in the philippines is that, children ( well, people who graduated from high school in this case,) don't have anything to say, they were not given the chance to decide who they want to be in the future. no career counselors from high school whatsoever, so that's why they are stuck with whatever the parents want them too. ( i am one of them for example).

[suzanne4, RN]

for those of you that think i am against nurses from your country, think again. if i were, why in the world would i spend so much time trying to help many of you pass the nclex exam, and get thru all of the procedures for working in the us. why?

the thing that i am very against is the way that schools there are turning out "nurses" that have no clinical skills whatsoever, and that it where the issue is, not with the nurses. but the schools, but then when i hear from some of the new grads that have never worked as a nurse for one day, but they tell me that everyone wants them because they are a filipino rn, that is not the case of what is happening in the us right now.

look, there are lpn programs where families have saved all of their money to put their child thru that program only to find out that they cannot get a visa legally to work in the us. strictly marketing of programs only for the owner to make money, and unfortunately officials getting paid to facilitate these schools. they are the ones that you should complain about.

and when i see judges that are now in nursing school, trust me, it is not because they have had a change of heart and truly want to help others, but it is a fast way from them to get to the us with a green card. lets be quite honest with what is going on there. many of you would never have even considered nursing and it was not your first choice to begin with, but strictly for an easier way to get a green card. but then there are more going thru the program in your country right now, that far exceeds the number of all green cards that are issued each year, and that is not including the nurses from any other country.

so no one is picking on you, we are just being very honest about what is going on and what you are up against. most nurses from other countries actually have years of experience as an rn, many have ten or more years in the field.

[rkm]

for those of you that think i am against nurses from your country, think again. if i were, why in the world would i spend so much time trying to help many of you pass the nclex exam, and get thru all of the procedures for working in the us. why?

look, there are lpn programs where families have saved all of their money to put their child thru that program only to find out that they cannot get a visa legally to work in the us. strictly marketing of programs only for the owner to make money, and unfortunately officials getting paid to facilitate these schools. they are the ones that you should complain about.

but then there are more going thru the program in your country right now, that far exceeds the number of all green cards that are issued each year, and that is not including the nurses from any other country.

so no one is picking on you, we are just being very honest about what is going on and what you are up against. most nurses from other countries actually have years of experience as an rn, many have ten or more years in the field.

i agree!!!! this lpn program in the pi is completely absurd!! they are fooling people that they can get the dream job by just two years of study. it's absolutely a rip-off!!!

pi nurses had better get resigned to the fact that many of them will never get to the usa. there are just too many of them. it's better to get on with the tasks at hand and just concentrate on surviving in this country. what everybody needs is a change of attitude.

"god grant pi nurses the serenity to accept things that cannot be changed..."

[gemini_star, BSN, RN]

for those of you that think i am against nurses from your country, think again. if i were, why in the world would i spend so much time trying to help many of you pass the nclex exam, and get thru all of the procedures for working in the us. why?

i've been reading suzanne's post for more than a year now. as far i am concerned, i am very happy that she has the guts to post the real scenario in the philippines even though she is not from the pi. she always post the accurate information. whether good or bad, she has something to say especially the truth. i am grateful that she knows exact details of the present situation over here. now tell me, which of what she said is inaccurate. don't post here when you are only representing less than 10% of what you know and you are going through.

all i know is that the truth hurt sometimes. if you can't accept it, then find it out yourself. she is just trying to explain or spread updated information of what's going on here. there is no reason to get frustated in her when all the while she has answered numerous inquiries day by day when most of these questions are alike. the final decision is still yours.

suzanne, hope you won't stop helping out fellow nurses or future nurses. sometimes, those who are gravely affected by your infos are just protecting theirselves by turning you down in order to carry out their daily lives.

if you really don't care what suzanne has to say, why bother read them?

[Hoss]

The truth of the state of Nursing Education is evident in the scrolling ads on TV that proclaim "MEGACOMPUTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NOW OPEN FOR 1ST YEAR NURSING STUDENTS!! 1000p discount to first 1000 enrollees. Rush down to our office and call center for a free placement evaluation!!!!" (Not a real ad or school, of course, but damned close!!)

So, along with windows XP, Call Center training and dock workers certification, you now can join the ranks of Nursing students incorporated....

Pitiful!!

I suggest that the proliferation of close to 500 nursing schools in the PI will take its toll on the poor and unwitting students who think they can get a good nursing education on the cheap, and with little effort as long as they "attend and pay".

It may be time for THIS to happen;

CGFNS may wish to consider certification of legitimate institutions of higher education for evaluation of Nurse Graduates for employment in the USA. The evaluation criteria should set minimum performance standards of of the College itself, just as the VisaScreen process evaluates the courses taken. If an institution does not consistently produce 1st time NLE and NCLEX passers, or if the clinical training is not consistent with good standards and practices, etc etc...then no certification by CGFNS or Visa will be issued for employment in the USA only. Graduates from non accredited schools could still be employed anywhere else in the world so it does not unduly burden the graduate nurse.

This would take the evaluation process out of the political arena and put it into a professional review organization. Here in the Philippines, the US Govt. provides a list of ACCREDITED schools for Montgomery GI Bill and Chapt 35 VA education benefits. If the school is NOT on the approved list, no tuition is granted.

In addition, accreditation of a school by CGFNS would NOT prevent any Philippine Nurse Graduate from practicing anywhere else in the world. It would be another screening method and accreditation of the University or College itself. Without this accreditation, no visa will be granted to applicants for US employment ONLY.

Out of close to 500 schools in nursing, approximately 60 schools consistently place in the upper 25% of NLE first time passers. That leaves an enormous amount schools that fail to produce a graduate who can pass the NLE exam the first time. That data is available from CHED and shows that year after year only a few schools consistently place first time passers in Nursing, Engineering, Math, Law, etc; such as UP Manila, Univ. St Thos, SLU Baguio, Univ. Of Cordilleras...etc.

I should think that no less than minimum acceptable standards set by CGFNS should be placed on the Schools themselves!!

In my humble opinion