American Nurses Association Urges New Tests for Philippine Nurses

lawrence01 · Mar 10, 2007

What are the implications of ANA's decision with regards to the june 2006 passers? Will this affect the CGFNS stand for test 3&5 retake only? Just wondering if ANA has the authority not to allow june 2006 to work in the US, just in case they will eventually have the visascreen on hand?:uhoh21:

It may affect CGFNS' earlier stand for just the test 3 and 5 re-take, esp. now that CGFNS has the official ANA Statement w/ them already as evidenced by their posting of the same statement on their website yesterday.

In addition, they still have the bad taste on their taste buds from the appeal group last March 5 and CGFNS do monitor closely the Philippine media and I'm pretty sure they know what a certain politician has been saying about their organization via the local media. Everything is in the Internet nowadays and CGFNS do have representatives here in the Philippines, so they are fully aware.

Also, if we would analyze ANA's official statement we can read there that they reminded CGFNS/ICHP of their role as one of the advocates, if not the main advocate, of a pre-screening program for foreign nurses. This is subtly saying that they have a say regarding this issue as well.

Put all the above together, and we can safely deduce that CGFNS would be greatly considering the proposal.

*All of the above are just base on my personal analysis and deductions as requested by a member.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 10, 2007

And no one here has been crucifying anyone. If you take the time to do a search here, back at the time when all of this came out, we were telling everyone to go for the retest. It could have been done in December and then life would continue on as usual.

You have your licenses for the Philippines, and that is fine. But if your goal has been to work in the US, then you need to meet their requirements. And they have been talking of a retake since last August, this is nothing new at all. And it was discussed in all of the papers there since that time.

But your wonderful politicians that just came over here when they were told not to visit CGFNS, more than likely have made things worse for all of you. They are the ones that need to be crucified as you call it, and definitely not re-elected. And for that one to tell Americans to be very careful if they come to the Philippines has a screw loose and needs medication.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 10, 2007

And as I have said all along, if you prepared properly for that exam, then a retest should not be an issue at all. You do not forget information that quick, and if you did, then you did not learn the material but only memorized it.

There are many facilities in the US that will not even consider a nurse that took that exam if they do not retest. Simple as that.

nrswnabee · Mar 10, 2007

What can we say? Of course we are very "thankful" that we still have our local license even if it will not feed our families. We are not ingrate, only autistic. Do we have any say in the matter? of course, none. Who are we, anyway, just some poor victims of dirty politics, of some influencial people who did not attain their aspirations of landing their protegees to the top ten list but instead these ace-students failed in the exams. Of course, we have to pay for that, too. I know you all mean well, but we cannot help but be bitter about all this. I know a lot of my batch are crying bucket of tears with the latest news from ANA. All I can do is just laugh at our miseries. We get numbed each day and become zombies with whatever comes our way. "Do what the master tell you or else." I wonder if there will be more worse news than this to come. We just have one question in our mind right now. How come the ANA and the CGFNS did not coordinate with the matter of retake and come up with one solution so that the june batch will only get slap in one cheek and not both cheeks? Please do not tell us because they are both different agency and have their own rules to lay down. If that will be the case, then how many more agencies should we expect to crucify us? We need to be prepared. After all, we might be expected to carry a heavy cross in order to reach our "dream" destination. :chair:

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i quite understand why you're feeling frustrated and all but after the smoke settles, i hope you'd realize that cgfns/ana are actually providing all june 2006 nle batch a way out of the whole mess. i don't want to sound like a toad but i'd think that allowing the batch to retake, whether parts of the test or whole, is a solution to the problem. i'd be more miserable if they had decided to keep mum, look the other way (like china or india?) or issue free anti-depressants...:trout:

vent if you have to however, keep your head where it belongs (above your shoulders, over your heart).

msdreamchaser · Mar 10, 2007

i am also a june passer myself and it's really been a painful journey... and there are just so many like me with a lot of sentiments about this struggle we are having right now... i guess this is a call to have our own personal discerment and judgment about what we will do to our lives... these are the circumstances... they have been dictating us back and forth of what to do and have only gottent things worst... for those who wants to have the retake of 3&5, same with the entire exam... i just wish you all the best... and to those who won't... i just also wish you the same...

i call on to my batchmates, june 06... to make a stand and decide not on what PRC says, what ANA says, what CGFNS, but of something that will free us totally from this mess... what our heart says...

i just hope that we will decide on our own... if we want to hold on to our licenses, give it up or not... this is not the moment for sourgraping because we have been sourgraping and been bitter for the nth time...

i've decided to finally retake everything, not because PRC said so, nor the ANA, nor the CGFNS, i am at stake here and it's my life they are messing with so just wish all the luck in my upcoming june board... god bless! :)

to those i will please and not... peace :) god bless!

Rep · Mar 10, 2007

What are the implications of ANA's decision with regards to the june 2006 passers? Will this affect the CGFNS stand for test 3&5 retake only? Just wondering if ANA has the authority not to allow june 2006 to work in the US, just in case they will eventually have the visascreen on hand?:uhoh21:

ANa does not have the authority not to allow the June 2006 nurses. It is a nursing organization similar to our PNA.

In case you did not know, ANA is against foreign nurses immigration and is against increasing immigrant visas for foreign nurses.

A LOT of American nurses believe that foreign nurses migration contribute to a decline of nurses salaries. Their belief as long as foreign nurses willing to work at a minimum wage for nurses then salaries for nurses won't be increasing. If you do some research you will find there are thousands of American nurses who quit their jobs because of salary issues.

Nursing is a very demanding job and a lot of American nurses thinks that they are not being paid equally on that.

There are several threads in other forums where you can read that alot of Americans are against our coming here and they will believe anything that is being posted in the news. This June 2006 controversy is fueling up their belief that foreing nurses are incompetent. This is my opinion.

In another note, there are American nurses who are happy that we are here working as nurses.

brita_mylove · Mar 11, 2007

Well, I'm done with sourgraping. Thanks ^same^, I and my group have decided to take the whole exam in december. Whether rep is right in saying ANA has no authority over cgfns, we will just take the whole damn exam again. I have read recently an interview with this famous celebrity doctor and I admire her convictions that to attain happiness, one should have a short memory. It is an eye opening and we will follow her motto in life. She have been attack so many times in the media, trying to put her down because of her success. And she rose about it all. And ^same^ is right, we should not be dictated upon what to do anymore, we must do what we have to do for the sake of our family. No use in ranting and raving for this too shall pass. It's been a merrygoround journey and it is quite tiring. I have vented my anger, hope I have offended no one. It is just so frustrating. Almost a year have gone by, it's such a waste of time. Thanks guys for bearing with me (lawrence, suzanne, rep, nrswnabee and the rest). Do not worry, when the storm of anger has pass, peace and right reasoning comes back. It is just so frustrating to do the whole process of preparation again for the exam. I took 7-9 transfer of rides everyday in a rough road and daredevil drivers just to reach my destination of review center. Depends where the location is, I wake up early morning just so, I could be on time (8am) before the lecture start. Then I have to pray that no earlybirds of holdappers :uhoh21: will be encountered and also at night. I skip breakfast and have lunch only and just soda for snacks to prevent hypoglycemia. When I got home, I couldn't study anymore because I'm so dead tired. 17,000 of us underwent this agony, only to start all over again. So, do not blame us if we are so vent on not taking the exam again. It is not really the exam we are dreading but the preparation itself. But we will just have to shrug our shoulders and memorize "NO PAIN NO GAIN". Thanks.

lawrence01 · Mar 11, 2007

Yeah it is very frustrating for the batch, esp. since the ones responsible for the leak are still allowed to operate and the two members of the BON implicated of leaking it to them were only very recently charged by the Ombudsman.

Everyone is wondering if these two members of the BON and the review center/s implicated will actually be punished.

bfly_khryss · Mar 11, 2007

it is frustrating! this site have been very much helpful. just reading the thoughts that they posted here makes me feel like i am not alone.. i am not against the retake. I am just frustrated because we are going to spend time and effort when we could have been preparing for another test.. :sniff: i have been reading here ever since the leak issue came out and i should have listened to you guys but i was blinded with empty promises when i shouldn't have been. sad to say Filipinos are not mainly govern by Laws but by comradeship that is being abused. they thought that if they are friends with one they can bend rules. crazy but true.. especially those politicians!! urrgghh!they are hopeless!

but my main dilemma is this... i belong to those 1600+ examinees the PRC said did not truly pass. i am from the province when i found out about the news it was too late for me to for the whole test (even i was advised to do it :banghead: ) so i just took the test 3 and 5 and passed it.. and now i thought i am safe because the cgfns only wants the june06 passer to take those. but the ANA is suggesting (is it a just a suggestion or a finality that the cgfns will have to follow?) us to retake it all. i tried to call the PRC and to enlighten me on this because now i would take the whole test if needed. the PRC 1st told us that our record will be on dec06 but i doubt if its really true and they are not answering my question regarding this. i hope you could help me.. some advice please? i havent file for nclex. you think if i would now they will give me a permission to sit on the test? i am planning to file and study for both..

thank you.. :thankya:

lawrence01 · Mar 11, 2007

Yes, they are suggesting or proposing but CGFNS may indeed consider their proposal and I'm sure they are studying the possibilities as I have earlier explained as well to another member who had the same question.

We will just have to see what happens this week. CGFNS may post another announcement in the coming days or weeks.

ANA did mentioned on their official announcement that they were the main advocate of the pre-screening program for foreign nurses so that is roughly saying that they have a say as well and there's no reason CGFNS would not consider their proposal. If the Philippine appeal team were ultimately permitted for a dialog even though they were several times declined to even come to the US then their certainly no reason why CGFNS won't consider ANA's proposal.

lawrence01 · Mar 11, 2007

it is frustrating! this site have been very much helpful. just reading the thoughts that they posted here makes me feel like i am not alone.. i am not against the retake. I am just frustrated because we are going to spend time and effort when we could have been preparing for another test.. i have been reading here ever since the leak issue came out and i should have listened to you guys but i was blinded with empty promises when i shouldn't have been. sad to say Filipinos are not mainly govern by Laws but by comradeship that is being abused. they thought that if they are friends with one they can bend rules. crazy but true.. especially those politicians!! urrgghh!they are hopeless!
but my main dilemma is this... i belong to those 1600+ examinees the PRC said did not truly pass. i am from the province when i found out about the news it was too late for me to for the whole test (even i was advised to do it ) so i just took the test 3 and 5 and passed it.. and now i thought i am safe because the cgfns only wants the june06 passer to take those. but the ANA is suggesting (is it a just a suggestion or a finality that the cgfns will have to follow?) us to retake it all. i tried to call the PRC and to enlighten me on this because now i would take the whole test if needed. the PRC 1st told us that our record will be on dec06 but i doubt if its really true and they are not answering my question regarding this. i hope you could help me.. some advice please? i havent file for nclex. you think if i would now they will give me a permission to sit on the test? i am planning to file and study for both..
thank you.. :thankya:

Right now, you should wait for any announcement from CGFNS if they will change their earlier original stand or would heed to the proposal of ANA.

Also, any re-take whether just test 3 and 5 or the whole exam will be announced by the Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and not the PRC. In fact, the DOLE is already in the process of finalizing the re-take for test 3 and 5 to be held in June and Dec '07. If you are unable to get answers from PRC then you may want to call up DOLE instead and explain your case but the DOLE is waiting for any announcements as well if the re-take will just be test 3 and 5 as originally planned or the whole exam. The answer will depend on that and we will have to wait for further announcements from CGFNS for this.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 11, 2007

But remember that the hiring practices are done by the facilities and not the US Government. And since all of this has come out, especially in hospitals in CA, they want to see the entire exam rewritten before they will offer jobs. And this is information that I got directly from many HR directors from a conference that I was at last September. And they have not changed their requirements.

This is something that I have stated all along.