A blatant discrimination to all filipino nurses

[boot_unit]

The upsurge of Filipino Nurses has turned heads in New Zealand specifically in the New Zealand Nursing Council. That because the number of graduates has increased in the recents years, they are reluctant to register Filipino nurses.

David Wills (Nursing Council Director) was quoted "It is easier to get a fresh graduate from Kenya registered than someone from the Philippines."

For a nurse to be registered in New Zealand or even in Australia, he/she has to undergo a bridging program for a certain period. This is done under the watchful eye of the council therefore anyone who passes this program is legible to acquire a license to practice. This should be their gauge if the nurse has met their standards or not. It should not be based from increasing number of nurse graduates alone.

Here's the link: http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2009-03-01&sec=1&aid=86631

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

passing the nle and nclex does not guarantee that a student nurse is a comptent one? i worry for myself that i may have the knowledge in nursing theories but the skills are just average.. i graduated from one of the reputable schools in manila who always land a spot in the top performing schools yet i am not super confident with my skills.. :cry::cry:

Don't sell yourself short...I think everyone at one point or another has that fear....I totally believe there are still excellent nursing schools in the Philippines....and as you stated you graduated from one of the reputable schools in Manila...

[judeamaria, RN]

passing the nle and nclex does not guarantee that a student nurse is a comptent one? i worry for myself that i may have the knowledge in nursing theories but the skills are just average.. i graduated from one of the reputable schools in manila who always land a spot in the top performing schools yet i am not super confident with my skills.. :cry::cry:

Hi Spongebob,

I think it's normal to feel insecure at first, especially when you have none or limited nursing experience.

I felt that way too until my training at a hospital. I thought I have forgotten already the theories and skills taught to me in college coz I haven't had any hospital experience for 2 years. But when I was given the chance to train in the hospital, I slowly gained my self-confidence. I realized that I haven't forgotten what I've learned at all, though it was a gradual process for me. I had to ask help from the staff nurses then and also do some reviewing of my college books. I'm sure you'll be an excellent nurse in due time especially when you aspire to be one, which it seems you do.:)

[spongebob6286, BSN, RN]

Hi Spongebob,

I think it's normal to feel insecure at first, especially when you have none or limited nursing experience.

I felt that way too until my training at a hospital. I thought I have forgotten already the theories and skills taught to me in college coz I haven't had any hospital experience for 2 years. But when I was given the chance to train in the hospital, I slowly gained my self-confidence. I realized that I haven't forgotten what I've learned at all, though it was a gradual process for me. I had to ask help from the staff nurses then and also do some reviewing of my college books. I'm sure you'll be an excellent nurse in due time especially when you aspire to be one, which it seems you do.:)

thank you judea for that encouragement! thats the spirit!:up:

[greenjungle]

it is an unfortunate fact that nearly all of nursing students in the philippines become nurses only with the intention of going abroad. with this upward trend, came a boom of nursing schools that popped up almost everywhere in the country. wasn't there also a controversy in 2006 about nursing board examination results in the philippines? with this i would expect credibility issues around the quality of nursing education in the philippines.

That's a fact. That's the main reason why so many Pinoys took up Nursing - to go to the USA.

[Nurse!Nurse!Hello?]

passing the nle and nclex does not guarantee that a student nurse is a comptent one? i worry for myself that i may have the knowledge in nursing theories but the skills are just average.. i graduated from one of the reputable schools in manila who always land a spot in the top performing schools yet i am not super confident with my skills.. :cry::cry:

The fact that you are questioning your skills is a positive thing, not a negative thing! There is nothing more dangerous than a brand new nurse who thinks they already know everything. It's wise to be cautious, and to ask questions of more experienced nurses if you need to. Remember--the most experienced nurse in the world was once in your shoes, and equally uncertain.

Graduating from nursing school is not the end of your nursing education. It marks the end of your book-learning, and the beginning of your practical learning. You now have to learn to apply what you have studied to the real world--to develop sound clinical skills and good nursing judgement.

It sounds like you have made a good start. So, don't :cry::cry:. :) instead!

(And then, of course, after you have been a nurse for awhile, you can start to ...but that's a different story!)

[westawakenings]

Whoever started this thread "Blatant discrimination to all filipino nurses", were obviously misinformed and that he/she just sought to spark a crusade regarding the present agonies of those Filipino nurses who do not meet the Nursing Council of New Zealand's standard requirements. The writer obviously misled other readers in this forum who do not know the REAL ISSUES confronting Filipino nurses in NZ in particular.

First, this particular article was written in NZ Herald, a national daily, in response to the previous "issues" raised by Filipino nurses themselves (let me state these issues later). Second, it is not right to jump into a conclusion without knowing or at least putting a little consideration to the nursing council of new zealand. To say that David Wills is wrong and that Filipino nurses be given all the rights to claim drastic demands is uncalled for. Third, the nursing council of new zealand, as a professional body, can never be questioned as this is a regulated body and deserves all the rights to impose policies to all nurses whether on/off shores.

By the way, the NCNZ made it clear from the start that it is highly recommended that the IELTS be done before immigrating to NZ. But then, why were there thousands of Filipino nurses who flocked to the country without the necessary qualifications including the IELTS?

Some of the issues that most Filipino nurses are unaware of are as follows:

1. There are thousands of Filipino nurses who work as assistant nurses/caregivers in NZ. Until they are registered to the Nursing council of New Zealand, they cannot assume full-time jobs as registered nurses. To do this, they have to meet certain requirements that include, english test (can be the IELTS with a minimum band of 7.0 in all areas achievable in 12 calendar year of first sitting the test or a B pass in the OET.

2. Those Filipino nurses who keep on complaining are the ones who cannot pass the English Test. Some of them even accused the NCNZ of money-making because of this particular requirement. Others opt for a petition to abolish the IELTS. Something to reflect on. Hello, are you aware that before an overseas trained nurse can work to NZ, he/she must provide an evidence of Nursing Exam such as the CGFNS? Hmm, a nursing exam plus an english exam! Quite more difficult right? That was before, but I guess due to the increasing shortage of nurses in the country, they removed the CGFNS and replaced it with an english testi instead. AMAZING GRACE!Yet, despite the complaints, protests, misinformation, held by Filipino nurses, the nursing council remained considerate. But haven't we thought that the Nursing council has the right to impose new policies for all overseas trained nurses including the Philippines? What if they require Filipino nurses and nurses from around the world that the entry requirements would be: CGFNS certificate and 7.0 band score in all areas of the IELTS? Joey De Leon once said, "Explain before you complain" and I guess that goes out to all of us Filipino nurses.

3. It is not the responsibility of the NCNZ to aid in the crisis experiencing by most nurses who do not meet the council's requirement. So to blame the authorities and demand for the impossible just adds up another problem. As if we're saying United states please remove the NCLEX and Toefl, Tse, IELTS, etc and we want to aid in the shortage of nurses accross the United states.But hey, who can be blamed for this chaos? Isn't it the Filipino nurses themselves who, by their ignorance, flocked to the country (NZ), paid hundreds of thousands of pesos, knowing that they cannot work as registered nurses without meeting the standard requirements of the NCNZ. As if to say, I came to the United states and landed a job as caregiver in homes, then suddenly I will raise my banner and demand drastically in front of the BON California "REMOVE THE NCLEX AND ENGLISH TEST, THESE ARE NOT THE GUAGE FOR REGISTERING FOREIGN NURSES" Ewww, lmao!

4. Now comes the real issue: nursing education in the Philippines, has it got any better? Well, these yesteryears, if you're not a graduate of reputable nursing schools, I would say, better think twice. I do believe in the saying that goes, "It is not the school that matters but the student itself' but to greater extent I also believe that "the school and the student matter" 5. Finally, there is no discrimination at all in this issue. I could not blame David Wills for saying that, among all other overseas trained nurses in NZ, why us Filipinos who keep on complaining? Why don't we open our eyes, nurses of other nationals, instead of joining our protests, go to their room, use their brains, take the test, and eventually register to the NCNZ. Isn't it a reflection of our very culture?

[brigz]

i think it's the reality that the quality of nursing education in our country is very poor. there are so many schools that just came from wonderland and offers nursing course. even the computer and technology schools have nursing course. what do you expect?

[pilgrim]

I can't agree with you more, westawakenings.

One major problem, I think, is the false sense of entitlement of some of our colleagues. Paying hundreds of thousands of pesos to some unscrupulous agency does not mean that the requirements of the nursing boards will be waived. Stop being victims and research extensively before you part with your money. The internet has practically all the information you'll need to make informed decisions. All these whining and complaining will only succeed in antagonizing the very people who make the policies, and give the Filipino Nurse a negative image. If one can't comply with the requirements of the host country, then one can't practice in that country. That's the long and short of it.

[westawakenings]

pilgrim, hope ur message will echo to those Filipino nurses especially the newly breed ones! FYI, I'm a veteran and not a rookie! I'm not a part of the bandwagon infestng New Zealand with lack of skills, knowledge and attitude. My entry including those who have established the Filipino nurse identity goes long way back in the early 90's when the NZ society would acclaim excellence and credibility with the Filipino nurse and nursing in the Philippines. Those days when we have to show CGFNS certificate, rigid hospital exerperience and very strict screening of our credentials.

With respect to those reputable nursing schools in the Philippines, the nursing education with its produce, as pointed out by international community, 2004 onwards, has gone so badly:cry:. Something that the philippine government should watch closely. A feedback, criticism to one Filipino nurse affects the reputation of the whole community of filipino nurses. Especially now, when we have hundreds of thousands of nurses who graduate from nursing schools in the Philippines:uhoh3:. If i were a host country, why would I choose a candidate where the training and educational background are held questionnable?

The main issue...blatant discrimination...there is no such thing as discrimination, we were known and to this date, as nurses of the excellent quality. Should we allow this to come to extinction because of our ignorance?

[pilgrim]

Thank you for the insight and the honesty, westawakenings. I, myself, am not a rookie. I completed my training many moons ago from the school that's considered as the training ground for future leaders of our profession. Having said that, I hope that the younger ones will not dismiss our views as simply arcaic and irrelevant.

I've been regularly visiting this forum and have been rather dimayed at the immaturity and churlishness exhibited by some. The constant whining and complaining with regard to documentary and testing requirements, the poor grasp of the English language, and, last but not the least, the use of text language in writing their blogs. One wonders how these nurses will be able to chart! If common expressions are not within the realm of their vocabulary, what more with the more exacting jargon that's required in the work place?

Let me be clear that this posting is not meant to merely criticize. When all is said and done, I still believe in the Filipino's indomitable spirit. I really do.

But, we first have to stop the endless complaining, and screaming discrimination. Let's take a long hard look at ourselves. Let's recognize what's wrong with us and resolve to correct them. Only then can we take a step in the right direction.

[westawakenings]

Wow pilgrim, it's good to know you came from the premier uni in our country, the only uni in the Phil that my PHd Bro-in-law had accepted saying the "curriculum is tantamount with those uni's in the west!"

n e way, this thread has gone a long way already, time to get motivated to new sensible theme:coollook:

[pilgrim]

Agreed, westawakenings. I just hope that the younger ones would somehow take heed and not simply be defensive.

I know very little about the practice of nursing in your part of the world. However, it's comforting to know that there are pioneering people among our ranks, such as yourself, who love the profession and continue to give a positive image to the Filipino nurse.

Cheers!