CGFNS/ICHP's Official decision on Visa Screening for June 2006 NLE passers

[eivan]

CGFNS Denies VisaScreen® Certificates for Philippine Nurses Who Passed the Compromised June 2006 Philippine Licensure Examination

PHILADELPHIA, PA — FEBRUARY 14, 2007 — After careful consideration, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) has decided that those Philippine nurses who were sworn in as licensed nurses in the Philippines following their passing the compromised licensure exam of June 2006 are not eligible for a VisaScreen Certificate. CGFNS began investigating this issue soon after the first reports of irregularities were received and sent a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September 2006. CGFNS has concluded that the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals.

Therefore, CGFNS is unable to certify that the licensure is comparable to a U.S. license. In this instance, applicable U.S. immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination. CGFNS notes, however, that the June 2006 passers are able to overcome this bar and qualify for a VisaScreen Certificate by taking the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities and obtaining a passing score.

please verify at:

http://www.cgfns.org/sections/about/news/news/2007/02-14-07_philippines.shtml

For those that want to go to US...we need to take the board or certain parts of the board this June.

[rn4ever?]

We all know by now that to protest is not the best way to handle this situation. This case should be handled with an open mind---like an adult. The problem arises when some people try to get exceptions to the rules. The CGFNS has already made their stand. If one wants to become a nurse and a green card holder in the US, then he or she should follow the CGFNS' ruling. In general, the world will not stop and bend according to your whim...there are rules to follow in a civilized society---at the same time there is also such a thing as free will---if you don't want to go and work in the USA, no one will force you. It's a good thing that CGFNS just stated that if you retake it, you can still be eligible for a visa screen. What if they become irked by the protests and suddenly say that those who took the June 2006 exam will not qualify for a visa screen at all? Think about it. Just retake it and get your visa screen quick. I wish you the best.

[Rep]

We all know by now that to protest is not the best way to handle this situation. This case should be handled with an open mind---like an adult. The problem arises when some people try to get exceptions to the rules. The CGFNS has already made their stand. If one wants to become a nurse and a green card holder in the US, then he or she should follow the CGFNS' ruling. In general, the world will not stop and bend according to your whim...there are rules to follow in a civilized society---at the same time there is also such a thing as free will---if you don't want to go and work in the USA, no one will force you. It's a good thing that CGFNS just stated that if you retake it, you can still be eligible for a visa screen. What if they become irked by the protests and suddenly say that those who took the June 2006 exam will not qualify for a visa screen at all? Think about it. Just retake it and get your visa screen quick. I wish you the best.

Agree...

[kathykaye]

Further information on February 14 announcement: CGFNS denies VisaScreen® certificates for Philippine nurses who passed the compromised June 2006 Philippine Licensure Examination

http://www.cgfns.org/sections/about/news/news/2007/02-20-07_philippines.shtml

[pinoy_guy]

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?storyid=67484

anim na kumuha ng nursing board exam re-take pasado

the news article is in tagalog, but the gist is that of the 1,117 passers (june 2006) ordered to retake tests 3 & 5, only 31 did the retake in the december 2007 nle.

(it did not mention the other passers outside the 1,117 who also did a voluntary retake last december 2007--i had come across 2 posters who claim to have retaken the exam. i think it's safe to assume that only 31 out of the 17,000 june 2006 passers did the retake in december 2007--0.18%.)

of the 31, only 6 passed.

that's 19.4% pass rate from the june 2006 passers

analysis:

1.) maybe this is why some people are adamant against a retake.

2.) the dec 06 questions could be so different from the previous nle questions that they flubbed it. it should be noted that the previous bon member/s with the penchant for asking about "where to bury the placenta" or "praying for a solution" did not contribute questions to the dec 07 nle.

(before the "copyright crusaders" speak, i would like to point out that a ust prof had told the newspapers the actual nle questions, and these were published in at least a national broadsheet.)

note: this is for informational purposes only, to spur the june 06 batch to study. i suggest they ask for advice from december 2006 passers.

this is not for the "rns" who had been wishing ill on their fellowmen. for them, there is karma.

[msdreamchaser]

well good luck to all june 2006 passers... :)

we can make it... :)

[suzanne4, RN]

Have been hearing and seeing quesitons that were published in the news about that exam, such as what you do when you see a naked man running down the street.....and the answer that they wanted: to pray for him.

This is why I have said all along and for sometime, do not even take that exam to work if you are going to work in the US, but if you did, and with that one, there is no choice but to retake.

[nxt777]

for the june 2006 passers - no more time to blame... no more hope to appeal... do your stuff... retake and move on... goodluck to you guys!

[cherrycoke]

I hope they just retake tests 3 and 5..

[cherrycoke]

Good luck. Guess it's just the world's way of humbling (this is positive!) the june 2006 passers (esp. protesters). Majority of you cannot call pro-retakes "sourgrapes" now. They were right.

[suzanne4, RN]

Good luck. Guess it's just the world's way of humbling (this is positive!) the june 2006 passers (esp. protesters). Majority of you cannot call pro-retakes "sourgrapes" now. They were right.

Thank you for that.

[lawrence01]

CGFNS CEO ADVICE TO ROSERO: DECISION IS FINAL

No useful purpose would be served by Dr. Rosero's traveling to Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA, 8 PM EST February 23, 2007; 9 AM Manila Time, February 24, 2007-Philippine Regulation Commission Chair Dr. Leonor Rosero and the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) CEO Barbara Nichols spoke with each other by telephone Saturday morning, February 24 Manila time. Dr. Nichols requested the telephone conversation so that she might provide Dr. Rosero with additional information regarding CGFNS's recent decision to deny VisaScreen® certification to nurses licensed following the June 2006 licensure examination. A VisaScreen Certificate is required before any healthcare worker educated outside the U.S. can be issued an occupational visa to work in the United States.

We can read the whole article on this link:

http://www.cgfns.org/sections/about/news/news/2007/02-23-07_philippines.shtml

[suzanne4, RN]

As I said the other day. CGFNS is under contract to the US government and they do not have the capabilities to just be able to change the rules to suit those of another country. US immigration is there to protect those in the US and that wish to work and live in the US. Safety is #1. And with those that have been posting about willing to lie to the US government about the NLE, what were they thinking?