Admission requirements for nursing programs in the Philippines

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Hi, I'm currently a college student in California. I have many friends who have been on the waiting lists forever for the nursing programs here. I wanted to look into the nursing programs there in the Philippines. Does anyone know what the academic requirements are to get into a decent nursing school in the Philippines are? thanks!

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Policies on Foreign Students A foreign student who seek temporary stay in the Philippines solely for the purpose of taking up a course higher than high school at a university, college, seminary, academy, or school authorized to admit foreign students, who are at least 18 years of age at the time of enrollment and have the means sufficient for their education and support of study shall be governed by the regulations on the admission of foreign students.

The foreign students shall communicate directly with the school and comply with the school’s institutional requirements, which shall include the submission of the required documents: (original and photocopies)

  1. Admission Requirements

    1. Undergraduate Program (Baccalaureate)
      1. High School Records and Diploma
      2. Completion of 11th or 12th Grade (DECS Order No. 26 s. 1994)
      3. Transcript of Records for those who attended college level in other countries.
      4. Transfer Credentials and Transcript of Records for Transferees from Philippine Schools

        5. [*]Other Requirements

        1. For Non-Resident Foreign Students who graduated in Philippine Schools

            [*]For Transferees Non-resident Foreign Students who graduated in Philippine Schools

            1. Transfer credentials/honorable dismissal from the school last attended;
            2. Original copy of the transcript of records or certification of all the subjects taken and the corresponding grades obtained issued by the registrar of the school last attended;
            3. Letter of the registrar of the school last attended addressed to the College stating no objection to the transfer of the student;
            4. Updated Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) or Study Permit issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI);
            5. Two (2) letters of recommendation ( one from the Dean of the College and another from the Dean of Students/Director of Student Affairs of the school last attended;
            6. CET Results
            7. Two (2) pictures 2”x2”
            8. Passport
            9. Acceptance and Processing Fee of $300 or its peso prevailing equivalent exchange rate. Acceptance and Processing Fee is non-refundable

            [*]Other requirements that the foreign student should comply are the following:

            1. Secure study permit and evaluation records from the Dean of the Program where he/she is seeking admission.
            2. Present Student Visa
            3. Pay application fee
            4. Take and pass the English Proficiency Test (EPT)
            5. Fill out the Application form
            6. Obtain schedule for the MDCAT and proceed with the rest of the admission procedures

            [*]Application Procedures

            1. Applicant must personally secure the application form at the Office of the Registrar. Personal appearance is required to determine is applicant can comply with the height and weight requirements set forth by the College.
            2. Pay application/examination fee at the Accounting Office
            3. Secure Application, recommendation and the secondary academic forms from the Office of the Registrar.
            4. Submit the accomplished forms at the Office of the Registrar, together with 2x2 pictures and other legal documents needed from a foreign student.
            5. Entrance and result of examination will be given on the scheduled date.
            6. Interview will be scheduled by the Guidance Office for those who passed the Admission Test.
            7. After passing the interview, the applicant is given a schedule by the Office of the Registrar for Physical Examination (P.E.) at College. An application fee will be collected.
            8. After seven working days, the P.E. will be released. The applicant may call the Office of the Registrar regarding the result of the P.E. If the applicant passed the PE, he may already enroll or he may opt to pay the confirmation fee which will be accounted for as miscellaneous fee credit. This assures the applicant for a freshmen slot.
            9. After the successful applicant has completed his enrollment, the applicant is required to attend Freshmen/Parent Orientation Program (FOP) on a scheduled date arranged by the Office for Student Affairs


        2. College Entrance Test Results (CET)
        3. High School Report Card (Form 138)
        4. Certificate of Good Moral Character
        5. Updated Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) or Study Permit issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI)
        6. Personal History Statement (PHS)
        7. Two (2) pictures 2”x2”
        8. Passport
        9. Acceptance and Processing Fee of $300 or its peso prevailing equivalent exchange rate.

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Websites to know how to get a Philippine Student Visa:

http://www.immigration.gov.ph/

http://www.gov.ph/faqs/visa.asp

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Hi, I'm currently a college student in California. I have many friends who have been on the waiting lists forever for the nursing programs here. I wanted to look into the nursing programs there in the Philippines. Does anyone know what the academic requirements are to get into a decent nursing school in the Philippines are? thanks!

There is already much written on this very topic here, just do a search. Please be aware that even if you hold a US passport, you will be considered a foreign grad for your entire career and will have to meet the requirements for licensure with that. Very different from being a US grad in terms of licensure.

The Philippines requires the BSN for licensure in their country, you need to complete a program that is acceptable for licensure in their country for it to be accepted in the US, and please be aware that they are adding a year onto their programs, so the BSN is going to be 5 years in length, and not four. Not sure if you hold a US passport, or green card; but if a green card, be aware that you will have to complete their requirements as well and that means sitting for the NLE in most cases.

Just becasue something may be thought faster, often it is not. And there are also many schools that are not up to the quality of the training in the US.

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I was also a college student in California and the wait lists for nursing programs are ridiculous! I got accepted into a BSN nursing program in the Philippines and I studied for a year there. I'm currently on my vacation and I never want to go back there! Schooling is so much different. You have to take nonsense classes for 4 semesters and they have nothing to do with your nursing major. Hospitals are disgusting and if you don't understand or speak Tagalog, you're going to have a really hard time.

I'm looking into applying for LVN school, then getting my BSN at a private school. The school I'm looking into is pricey, but I think it's worth it.

Personally, I wish I knew about LVN to RN/BSN bridge programs before I did a full year there because I hated every minute being in the Philippines.

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To: lindseyanne

Re:

Schooling is so much different. You have to take nonsense classes for 4 semesters and they have nothing to do with your nursing major. Hospitals are disgusting and if you don't understand or speak Tagalog, you're going to have a really hard time.

Ahm, the schooling, is quite different, as the BSN programs in the Philippines are geared actually for Nurses to practice in the Philippines in general, although Global Nursing is supposed to be included in program. It should not have surprised you, and that the "nonsense" classes you are referring to are most likely part of the curriculum and most probably fall under the General Education courses/classes required for all college students in the Philippines to take, regardless of your major, and nationality, i presume. Some Filipino students also dislike those classes, so you are not alone there. :)

To: girleegirl

I suggest also to search for the top nursing schools in the Phils.; most of them have their own websites anyway, and they may have additional requirements for foreign students. i would also suggest that you take the time to learn the Filipino language, or at least understand it, if you get accepted and are determined to study in the Phils. Tagalog is just one of many languages and dialects in the Phils, but it is the most often used and understood, just about anywhere in the Phils.

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To: lindseyanne

Re:

Ahm, the schooling, is quite different, as the BSN programs in the Philippines are geared actually for Nurses to practice in the Philippines in general, although Global Nursing is supposed to be included in program. It should not have surprised you, and that the "nonsense" classes you are referring to are most likely part of the curriculum and most probably fall under the General Education courses/classes required for all college students in the Philippines to take, regardless of your major, and nationality, i presume. Some Filipino students also dislike those classes, so you are not alone there. :)

To: girleegirl

I suggest also to search for the top nursing schools in the Phils.; most of them have their own websites anyway, and they may have additional requirements for foreign students. i would also suggest that you take the time to learn the Filipino language, or at least understand it, if you get accepted and are determined to study in the Phils. Tagalog is just one of many languages and dialects in the Phils, but it is the most often used and understood, just about anywhere in the Phils.

Sorry but do not agree with you at all. First, why are programs geared towards working in the Philippines, or so you think, when there are no jobs available there and your government expects everyone to leave to get a job? Does not matter where in the world that one gets nurses training, it should be the same or quite similar. Procedures and documentation are pretty much the same all over the world no matter what language that they are written in.

But do be aware that many of the programs there now are what would be termed as being sub-standard and do not even have any students that have passed the NLE. And if training there is different as you call it, then why should someone who is already in another country wish to go back there to train when they can get much better training someplace else?

Just because one can get into school possibly faster there, does not make it better by any means at all.

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Hi, I'm currently a college student in California. I have many friends who have been on the waiting lists forever for the nursing programs here. I wanted to look into the nursing programs there in the Philippines. Does anyone know what the academic requirements are to get into a decent nursing school in the Philippines are? thanks!

I don't think you would like it or enjoy it over there.

I think the way things are done over there would be way too much of a culture shock.

My Fiance went to school for 4 years straight, including summers. In her last 2 years she had to travel 1 hour and stay in a boarding house 3 days per week that was about the size of a shed with 4 other girl and bath out of a pail and bucket, and sleep on wood bed with no matress and no Air Con and only cold water. Her duty was 3 days of 8 hour shifts working in hospital followed up by homework.

Then she returned home to go to school for three more days that week and spend up to 10 hours per day in school. It's a different world in the PI.

I suggest you go spend 21 days in PI and then consider if you can make it or take it over there.

As for me I love the Philippines. But no way would I try to go to school over there.

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Hi suzanne4

I agree with you that Nursing education/training, no matter where taken, should be the same or similar. :bow:

However, my point is that actual training/education in the Phils is for passing the nursing license exam in the Phils first, which in my view/opinion assumes that the new nurses will practice in the Phils first. The whole program/curriculum in each individual school may or may not be focused on making nurses globally competitive, but I would assume that the first focus of each Nursing program (regardless of country) would have its graduates pass the local licensure exam, then have those nurses qualify abroad also.

Another point: A student from another country may experience different things when studying in an another country, thus he/she should expect that. That is what i was getting at with lindseyanne.

I also assumed that the original poster was only inquiring about academic requirements for nursing programs in the Phils, not for a job, thus i was only addressing about some things to expect when she does get accepted and only if she is determined to study in the Phils.:D

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The training that is beng offered in the Philippines now does not even prepare someone for working over there properly let alone in another country. With over 950,000 currently enrolled in RN programs there, there are not even enoough patients to go around and when you have 15 to 18 students to 1 patient in many of the programs, you tell me how one is to get any training at all.

Sorry, but I still do not agree with what you have posted and that is my right. I work or have worked with nurses from all over the world and seeing the decrease in skill level coming from nurses recently trained in the Philippines is absurd to me, but that is what is going on. When a new BSN has come out of a program there and cannot spike an IV bag, has never placed a foley catheter or NG tube, or remove staples or sutures, or anything else like that, that is not nursing and that the school can be called a school of nursing is very upsetting to me.

I understand that you are fairly new to this forum, but would highly recommend that you take the time to do some reading on the International Forum as wel. Over others concerns and they are verbal with them and not just my opinion on it.

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Maybe we should give them these new nurses/ nursing students the benefit of the doubt before assuming that they are improperly trained or lack the skill. Granted, there are more diploma mills sprouting but a lot of these so-called substandard students are weeded out by the time they graduate and pass the licensure exam.

Recounting anecdotal accounts on seeing this so-called decrease in skill is hardly evidence to conclusively say that that the Philippine BSN program doesn't prepare its students to work as nurses. It is far too easy for someone outside the Philippines to read about the nursing situation in the Philippines through articles, to look at the stats on the number of Nursing students and the passing rate on the board exams etc and spout irresponsible and baseless assumptions but unless they are in the Philippines and dealing with nurses and nursing students here every single day then they don't have the authority to comment on the situation.

The Nursing program in our country might need a lot of work in order to improve. Improvement takes time and we've already seen a lot of schools becoming stricter on student selectivity and striving to enhance their curriculum and faculty pool among other things. These efforts are being done through the blood, sweat and tears of the nurses, clinical instructors and deans in our country. Not with the help of armchair experts.

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I am entitled to my opinion, and I have stated it. It makes no sense at all for an American to go over there to go to school when they can readily do it in the US. The better programs in the Philippines are also very hard to get into, so chances are that they would be attending a school that is not up to the standards in the US and wishing to return here to work will only make it much harder to do. That is my point of it, and nothing more.

But if you look at many of the other threads on this forum, this is not anything new and has been discussed multiple times before.

And sorry, but I am in contact every single day with students as well as nurses from the Philippines and very aware of what is going on there. And when you can honestly tell me that when the number of students has increased from 632,000 to over 950,000 in one year that things are not suffering. There are no jobs available in your country, yet people as continuing to sign up for these programs. And the fact that the NLE as well as experience is needed for most other countries, the majority there are working in non-nursing jobs which doesn't help either. If your own country does not have jobs, there is no reason to expect that any other country is required to accept the nurses from there and as long as your country continues to sign agreements to place four year trained university grads as care-givers, or essentially maids, it means that they do not think much of the grads that they are putting out either.

And yes, change needs to come first in your country to get things back to where they once were, that is definitely not the case now and that is a very well known fact all over the world whether you wish to know about it or not.

And another note: you are still there and have not been in any other country to see how things are done. Perhaps you should open your eyes to what is actually happening and what is being said about the training in your country now, which was once held in high esteem, but that is no longer the case.

And when I still see schools approved to continue to teach but have not had one nurse pass the NLE, and more of other programs opening that will not get anyone a visa to work out of your country nor licensure there, then there are problems but they are only getting worse not getting better.

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