Filipino Nurses

World Philippines

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I'm new to this bulletin board and I hope I can post some interesting thoughts for our nursing discussions. Something I've been thinking about recently is Filipino nurses. I've recently been the only non-Filipino on staff on the floor, NA's and ward clerks included. Growing up I did not know any Filipino's and sometimes I feel I missed alot in my cultural education. I never even saw much about them in the media. My preceptors, nurse managers and past collegues have always been predominantly this culture. I must say it has advantages and difficulties associated with it. Any input?

I work with nurses imported from many foreign countries ...Nigeria, Ghana, Philipines, China, Japan, Ireland, Germany. The only problem here is when their English is NOT adequate, or they speak with too heavy an accent. Docs, other nurses, and patients cannot understand them (and vice versa) and misinterpretations can occur easily. I have encountered this with Philipino nurses too.

Sometimes colloqialisms/cultural differences will confuse a situation.....as a charge nurse I must frequently intervene with these kinds of misunderstandings....patients and docs get upset and complain, foreign nurses miss subtle verbalized symptoms because of language barriers...etc. This is risky business, IMHO, in our litigious society.

Not to mention just one more stressor for the nurse in charge of a hectic, understaffed unit... as we end up dealing with the problems that develop but what can we do? Importation of foreign nurses seem to be the 'fix' of choice for the AHA and TPTB in many areas of our country and we are left to deal with the repercussions....just one more reason TPTB won't ever be able to pay me enough to be in charge again in my area. It's just gotten too dangerous....IME.

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THANKS mattsmom81...you sound like a very intelligent compassionate nurse

as individuals the nurses are very nice but together their rudeness makes me want to quit.

We try to speak Spanish to most of our patients as the population down here is at least 85% spanish...

so at the end of the day I actually believe I may have spoken only a few paragraphs of English our native countries tongue...I guess that just puts an added strain on the overstressed brain.

As for Bush...I am an LVN attending night classes toward my RN and am about to complete them a

and I am trying to figure out a way to take my clinicals which the nursing program only offers during the day hours and I need to work to support my family...single mom etc. I wish Bush would give more money to the colleges to provide staff for night nursing school or more decent size grants to promote the LVN-to RN education..I have been a nurse for 26 years and can't afford to take off work to go to a year of clinicals and I am afraid it is all for naught the two years of night classes I have paid for and had many sleepless nights studying for I am really afraid there is no help.

Bush should invest more in the nurses we have in this country..I know of so very many LVN who are very well trained and have been attending classes who also may never get to go to the RN portion clinicals due to timing and family commitments...why doesn't he look into that??? We need a minimum of $2,ooo a month to pay our bills while we atend school and that doesn't include tuition books labs etc. Do you have any suggestions? thanks for your time

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Darlene, have you looked into distance education? There are many good programs now for LVN-to-RN...lots of my LVN coworkers rave about the Excelsior program in particular...totally distance ed except for a one time weekend clinical in your area. Hospitals/facilities will usually help with some tuition reimbursement, and home study makes it possible to work around your employment and family schedule.

I agree, I wish there were more tuition assistance programs for those of us who want to go on to school...most of the new funds Bush's administration has established are only for brand new medical and nursing students, not for those of us who wish to advance in our profession. Best wishes to you and good luck in your endeavors!!

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Thanks ...I have looked into Excellsior but was afraid the studies would not be sufficient to help me pass the NCLEX..also I heard it about $6,000....but at least on a payment schedule...maybe I better give it

a second look... thanks for your time;)

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Interesting

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For the most part I don't have a problem with Fillipino nurses. My unit is now mostly Fillipino and some Americans are married to Fillipino. I'm sorry but I find it offensive to be sitting at the nurses station and have most of the nurses there speaking 'their' language. What does this look like to the many visitors who walk by?? Most of our patients are older and most of our older males are veterans and have bad memories of the war. We usually have some that ask to have an 'American' nurse who can speak english. That is their right and I understand. I just don't like having to go to all other nurses rooms and 'translate' to the patients what they are trying to tell the patients.

Someone else stated that they can be bossy.........I agree. They are afforded benefits that other nurses are not given....why??

Instead of spending so much money on importing nurses and paying their way once here, invest in more schools here. I know I will be 'blasted' for my views, but you asked the question and this is how I feel. I'll not apologize for my feelings.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
YES, THEY HATE TO BE WRONG--THEY'D RATHER DO IT WRONG THAN ASK THIS WHITE MAN-I'M NOT PREJUDICE--I JUST CAN'T UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE MIND WORKINGS--THEN THEY GET USED TO ME & IT'S CAN YOU DO THIS? PT REFUSES MY HELP--OTHERWISE THEY'RE OK--SPEAK ENGLISH,THOUGH--

(NOW I'M GOING TO GET CASTRATED)I SPEAK MY MIND

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Yikes! I recommend anger managment for you (j/k) :chuckle

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I am not a nurse but I work in a healthcare facility. Almost all of the nurses are Philipino. I had never seen so many Philipinos in one place in my life before I started here. Many of them are great (Im actually sad right now because the 3-11 supervisor is going to Manilla in two weeks when she retires :crying2: ), then there are the few that I wish I never met. All three supervisors (7-3, 3-11 and 11-7) are Philipino and all three have tried to teach me thier native language, Tagalong. Ive been able to taste some of their Philipino meals at parties. Its been a great experience learning and working with a culture I have never been around. :rolleyes:

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Yikes! I recommend anger managment for you (j/k) :chuckle

Great recommendation!! :yelclap: :chuckle

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Someone else stated that they can be bossy.........

I do agree with this statement. Im the secretary for the nursing supervisors of a psychiatric institution, and all three shift supervisors are Philipino. The 7-3 supervisor is not only bossy but an extreme control freak.

Just wanted to add alittle of my opinion to your opinion. :)

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In Hawaii, I have not been extremely impressed by Philipinos. We had an entire unit of Philipinos and they tried to exclude everyone else. Then they would ***** and moan because they didn't have staff. Eventually, no one from the agencies would even work there. The main problem I've had with nurses from 3rd world training is their education. Recently, I was sent an agency nurse from Thailand who required my entire attention during a shift. She was not familar with IV pumps, PICC lines (they still used cutdowns...haven't seen those since the 70's), feeding pumps, etc.. But her biggest problem was how to write her assessment in English. I think the best way to integrate yourself into another culture is to relax and join in and not try to impose "your way" onto the new culture. As such, I guess my time in Hawaii has been good training for one of the poorest 3rd world countries I'll be in soon. :chuckle

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
For the most part I don't have a problem with Fillipino nurses. My unit is now mostly Fillipino and some Americans are married to Fillipino. I'm sorry but I find it offensive to be sitting at the nurses station and have most of the nurses there speaking 'their' language. What does this look like to the many visitors who walk by?? Most of our patients are older and most of our older males are veterans and have bad memories of the war. We usually have some that ask to have an 'American' nurse who can speak english. That is their right and I understand. I just don't like having to go to all other nurses rooms and 'translate' to the patients what they are trying to tell the patients.

Someone else stated that they can be bossy.........I agree. They are afforded benefits that other nurses are not given....why??

Instead of spending so much money on importing nurses and paying their way once here, invest in more schools here. I know I will be 'blasted' for my views, but you asked the question and this is how I feel. I'll not apologize for my feelings.

You shouldn't be blasted because there are a lot of people who share the same opinion. It would be nice if there were enough Americans who were able to be educated (look at the long waiting lists) to take these jobs, but unfortunately there aren't.

For the record, the Phillipines was in American possession during the war, they were our allies we died and fought for the liberation of the Phillipines and liberated them from Japan (after Japan drove us out, we made it a priority to liberate them). Veterans should not have a problem with Filipino nurses. When they ask for an American nurse you should educate them and remind them of this. The Phillipines and America were very close back then.

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