US Labor Market Tough for Filipino Nurses until 2020

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Guys, it will be a long ride, so sad.

Nurse Call: US labor market tough for Filipino Nurses until 2020

US labor market tough for Filipino Nurses until 2020

ABS-CBNnews.com

Filipino nurses may have difficulty entering the US labor market until 2020, according to party-list Rep. Arnel Ty.

"Right now, they have ample supply of US-educated nurses," said Ty, the representative in Congress of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers' Association (LPG-MA).

In a statement, Ty cited statistics from America's National Council of State Boards of Nursing which show that the US produced close to a million nurses from 2006 to 2011.

Ty said the US demand for Filipino and other foreign nurses may start to recover in 8 years when thousands of US-based nurses would have retired.

The US first encountered a shortage of nurses in 1998. This created a surge in number of Filipino nursing graduates hoping to get a career in the US.

However, the gap has since been filled by the large increase in the number of American nurses, plus a deluge of foreign-educated practitioners.

Due to the huge oversupply of nurses in the Philippines, both the Commission on Higher Education and the Professional Regulation Commission have been urging high school graduates to shun nursing.

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Late response

Ty blamed regulators for their late response to labor market conditions.

"They should be more aggressive in researching and projecting future labor market conditions, both here and abroad, to help guide young Filipinos as to potential career paths," he said.

"Regulators are just reacting to what is already happening, such as the apparent glut of nursing graduates. Their late advisories would be more valuable once these are predictive and instructive, rather than merely reactive," Ty said.

From 1995 to 2011, Ty said a total of 145,081 Filipino nurses sought to practice their profession in America by taking for the first time (excluding repeaters) the US licensure exam, or NCLEX.

However, Ty said that "from 2006 to 2011 alone, a total of 938,552 US nursing graduates also took the NCLEX for the first time."

Special jobs plan

Ty said he has been pushing for a new law that "would establish a special local jobs plan for idle Filipino nurses, now estimated at more than 300,000."

He has filed House Bill 4582, which seeks an expanded version of the Nurses Assigned in Rural Service or NARS, "the short-lived Philippine government project that enlisted nurses to improve healthcare in poverty-stricken towns."

Ty's said the Special Program for the Employment of Nurses in Urban and Rural Services (NURSE) "would mobilize a total of 10,000 practitioners every year."

steppybay

1,882 Posts

It's getting bad for us PH students and nurses, as in CA and many other states, they are hiring what's called "internals", which is hiring from within, of those that did their clinicals in their hospitals.

Many hospitals are also going into a "Magnet" status and makes it easier for their students to go right into their nursing jobs upon graduation and just need to pass the NCLEX.

While the actual open spots in each hospital is still very limited, not all internals gets hired, but many stand a good chance to get hired into other hospitals.

Kuyafern

247 Posts

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Now this is terrible. Spread the awareness. So much for "demand".

steppybay

1,882 Posts

Now this is terrible. Spread the awareness. So much for "demand".

I'm trying, lol. Telling my other friends and others that are looking to come to the States later on, I mean, who knows, things could change, but I can clearly see this article is right on the outcome.

I give them the information and it's up to them to make their own decisions, knowing that it's not only their time in years and the thousand's of $$$ spend, but to keep a realistic view on the nursing job market, as that is one of the main reasons we're wanting to be nurses.

I liken it to how the job market is in the Phils, it's bad, yes, just as bad in the States with the extreme stiff competition with the thousand's of US educated students and nurses.

Yes, there are still the personal care giver jobs, jobs in LTC, nursing homes, clinics, etc for some PH job seekers, but really the truth is I think most of us newer generation PH grads prefer the medium to larger hospital settings.

For someone like me and several other PH friends, we would like that, plus to be working in the Peds unit versus being with the adults.

Kuyafern

247 Posts

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

dead on. the thing is though, i've tried to warn other friends and they won't listen. I even tried to warn them about the problem the concurrency issue but they won't listen. They have to learn the hard way.

The only way to alleviate the populated nurses in the Philippines is to limit the number nursing enrollees. Now the US is trying to alleviate the over population here by enforcing strict regulations specially in California.

No wonder Vermont started to enforce such regulations. thousands of nurse graduates without SSN have been applying for the NCLEX.

Now our only hope is finding a state that don't have the concurrency issues. What I've come to observe is states with higher population of Nurse applicants are enforcing strict regulations and loads of requirements such as California, Vermont, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Florida. I'm not sure about NY because there are still applicants who were able to get their ATT.

It's a matter of time before all states enforce the requirements just like California.

Kuya fern and Steppybay it's sad:(I'm on my 1st year now this is actually my second degree I've learned my lesson from joinin the bandwagon before of getting a Compurterscience degree too bad it wasn't for me I just applied in a call center biz after I graduated I worked as customer service agent for 5 yrs and moved to Florida to study CNA and got my license there and work in a hospital. Sad because I coudnt find a job at that time due to bad economy recession is still on and this is the longest ever!Now I'm pursuing BSN coz I liked the CNA job and I was working in a pediatric ward. Lucky me now my boss wants to rehire me if ever I plan to come back due to this concurrency issue here in PH.Now I'm not so sure if stil leant to continue my studies here in PH.From all the stories I've have read I just want to quit and forget about nursing or BSN just end up working as CNA.Or wait till I save up money to study in a private school for LPN instead.And Kuya fern u stated thatNo wonder Vermont started to enforce such regulations. thousands of nurse graduates without SSN have been applying for the NCLEX. Now our only hope is finding a state that don't have the concurrency issues. What I've come to observe is states with higher population of Nurse applicants are enforcing strict regulations and loads of requirements such as California, Vermont, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Florida. I'm not sure about NY because there are still applicants who were able to get their ATT.It's a matter of time before all states enforce the requirements just like California.So how about for student whose immigrants or US citizen meaning we already have SSN # jut like me I'm immigrant.Is there a bigger chance to get approve if I already have SSN?And all I need to do is process all my documents for CES and NCLEX?Just wonderin!Thanks

RhanSantiago84

17 Posts

It's utterly frustrating finding a Nursing School if any at all.

Kuyafern

247 Posts

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Hey there Riena,so does this mean you are in the Phils right now currently in a nursing program? I would encourage you to continue with your education. It's pretty tough for now and the economy is slowly trying to go back up. It's pretty hard for the economy to directly boom back up. Most schools in the philippines are trying to revise their curriculum to meet the US standards. I wouldn't give up if I were you.

Most states now require an SSN and if you do have one that's one major advantage you have from non SSN holders. I would also suggest get a license from the Philippines as well. Just keep moving forward, and trust your struggles.

Kuya fern and Steppybay it's sad:(I'm on my 1st year now this is actually my second degree I've learned my lesson from joinin the bandwagon before of getting a Compurterscience degree too bad it wasn't for me I just applied in a call center biz after I graduated I worked as customer service agent for 5 yrs and moved to Florida to study CNA and got my license there and work in a hospital. Sad because I coudnt find a job at that time due to bad economy recession is still on and this is the longest ever!Now I'm pursuing BSN coz I liked the CNA job and I was working in a pediatric ward. Lucky me now my boss wants to rehire me if ever I plan to come back due to this concurrency issue here in PH.Now I'm not so sure if stil leant to continue my studies here in PH.From all the stories I've have read I just want to quit and forget about nursing or BSN just end up working as CNA.Or wait till I save up money to study in a private school for LPN instead.And Kuya fern u stated thatNo wonder Vermont started to enforce such regulations. thousands of nurse graduates without SSN have been applying for the NCLEX. Now our only hope is finding a state that don't have the concurrency issues. What I've come to observe is states with higher population of Nurse applicants are enforcing strict regulations and loads of requirements such as California, Vermont, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Florida. I'm not sure about NY because there are still applicants who were able to get their ATT.It's a matter of time before all states enforce the requirements just like California.So how about for student whose immigrants or US citizen meaning we already have SSN # jut like me I'm immigrant.Is there a bigger chance to get approve if I already have SSN?And all I need to do is process all my documents for CES and NCLEX?Just wonderin!Thanks

L.A

307 Posts

@ riena_pie...You still can never be sure even if our universities in the Phil.take action with the concurrency issue and besides BON in any state mightcome up with something new that will cause denial for foreign grad.so if I were you just finish your education here in the US it's like being safe from any problem in the future...I have cousins taking up nursing in the Phils. and even if their school is trying to change the curriculum to meet with CABON requirements still they are not really sure what will the outcome would be once they apply to sit for the Nclex exam..

Kuyafern

247 Posts

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

if you do continue on going back to school here you would need to meet prerequisites that may take up to a year and then also deal with the waiting list 1-2 years for most schools. It's true that if you go to college here and graduate you won't have the problems a majority of international graduates are facing. The hard part is getting into a program. If finance is a problem, there's always aide's. It's really your decision.

1. you continue the education there but i would advise you to coordinate with your clinical coordinators and dean to complete your cases concurrently and have the right amount of hours. after graduating you may have to deal with this issue.

2. you can go back here in the US continue your education complete the prerequisites, and take your chances in getting into a program. it may take a year or two before you get in one. but in the end you won't have trouble applying for the exam.

it's all about taking risks.

steppybay

1,882 Posts

The one main concern that seems to be mentioned by a couple of PH friends enrolled now is that they seem to be adjusting the clinicals and theory parts together, BUT they are much worried in doing that, the schools may now be "shortening" (or reducing) the hours that's required by the CA BON. They are lessening the hours to make sure the students can get in their clinicals.

So guess what? PH grads you now are 110% in compliance with the concurrency rule, but you're lacking 1-2-3 hours in this or that course. FAIL

Again, as I have said before, does the CHED know what's going on or does the PRC and PNA not know what the heck to do? These agencies really need to get their act together, hire someone who is an USA expert in CA BON rules and regulations.

Someone commented here that why should the PH schools and colleges and government bother trying to meet the US standards? I say, well, because it's known that 33% of PH grads will want to or come to CA, with who knows what other smaller percentage wants to go into other States, maybe another 17% spread out over 35 States? That's 50%, that's why.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN

4,530 Posts

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Not to rain on your parade, but the over supply is so bad now that often every new grad position in Cali gets 200 applicants. And most other states are just as bad. I have head North Dakota is looking for nurses though so you might try that.

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