any FILIPINO members here?

chlyxenne · Jan 3, 2006

Very sad that doctors are finding it hard to provide for their families...

even lawyers, dentists, military men, seamen, and almost everybody else! i just learnt that one friend who is in the US now is coming back to the Philippines only to take up nursing.. (guess office jobs can't sustain the lifestyle they want eh..)

they still say nursing is the best bet.. well i can be a rapper and make money! haha kidding :rotfl:

chlyxenne · Jan 3, 2006

I feel bad about the way you described your training experience in our country. I have been a registered nurse since 1986 and I graduated from one of our college of nursing, however, I would say that when I had my first job as a nurse I feel confident enough to do tha basic nursing tasks expected from a newly graduate nurse. Yes, I do realize that now a days, college of nursing is now turning into business. put up by greedy business people who only thinks of getting big fat money in return. Therefore, I would like to advise the Filipino people to look into the schools who are really have a good board exam result so that we could cripple these sub standard schools in our country.

i entered nursing school in 2002, and that's 16 years after u became an RN. there had been tons of changes in the nursing curriculum. our CI's would tell us their horrifying experiences with their CI's back then. The discipline before is far different. You must have an overview of Pinoy culture today.. totally different from long ago. During my time, students would literally buy a thesis just to have a diploma. I bet those students are on the losing end though... the defeat the purpose of learning and loving the profession. :confused:

however, many students these days are only after a diploma. other than the fact that even hospitals lack modern facilities and "good staff nurses," they just can't cater to the needs of student nurses for clinical experience because of the bulk of the student population. Sometimes, there can be 2 or 3 groups of students, 12 each, in one area per shift. sad to say but true, nursing education today is very different.. i'm talking about median schools... but even if i would prefer a more reputable institution to earn a diploma, it just won't be easy because many of them do not welcome 2nd degree coursers.. again, due to lack of facilities. :sniff:

chlyxenne · Jan 3, 2006

Uh huh! I really do not totally agree that Filipino doctors are forced to take up nursing after getting their medical license just to provide for their family. In the first place, I think they had a very wrong motive in taking up medicine. What they wanted is really to earn big fat MONEY and get rich. So finally, they realized that doctors, especially newly graduate can not be rich overnight, just what they thought before, so they turned their back from their oath and went to nursing because they can see that there is a lot of opportunity for nurses to be rich especially abroad.
What happens when they practice nursing? They thought that they are the boss because they know everything! They question every order of the doctors. I knew that as nurses, we are our client's advocate and have the right to question doctors to protect our clients/patients. But doctors turned nurses sometimes do it arrogantly. Ooops sorry, these are all based from my personal observations (I am not saying that this applies to everyone - doctors turned nurses).

in my case, i grew up leaning to the "idea" that to be a doctor is the ultimate dream... i gave it a try but didn't really fell in love with it. i didn't fall in love with nursing as well, but as time passed i learned to live with it, and now, as an RN, i acknowledge the profession. i know i can make money, but sooner or later, i still wish i can do what i really wanted to do in the first place, without jeopardizing my RN license. :)

bottomline, sometimes, it's not all about the money.. but it can be the sturdiest stepping stone to keep a certain lifestyle and save up for something you really want and reach for your ultimate dream..

amerain · Jan 19, 2006

HI Guy's Im lector a 2nd yr Nursing stud here in the Philippines........Im currently studying at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation-College of Nursing....
Hope to knw you all!
CIAO

hi!! where is your school located??? nway,i'm a filipino,too.. a 2nd yr student-nurse studying in southwestern university...

rpangeles · Jan 19, 2006

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so that explains it...before i came here to the us (i'm on a student visa pursuing nursing as a second career, hopefully), i asked up manila if they accept second degree seekers...yup, they don't...i wanted a school in manila so i ended up getting my credentials assessed in gen. emilio aguinaldo. but then again i never got to attend classes with geac, too. it's waaay cheaper to study in manila and what's great about it is you get a bsn after school. studying here in the states, you pay more than twice the resident's rate even with a community college. in my case, i can only afford an associates' degree. i will have to be an rn then think about getting hold of a bsn later. for all of you taking up nursing in the philippines...God bless! you are in the right track!!

You have to agree that an ADN gotten here is much better than a BSN received in the Philippines as you don't have to go to the whole process of getting CGFNS, TOEFL and IELTS which really delays a nurse's move to the US. When you finish your ADN, all you have to worry about is getting through NCLEX and finding a job. I have observed that hospitals here donot give as much emphasis from where you graduated as much as they do in the Philippines. And with the shortage, an ADN is worth the same as a BSN.

Don't get me wrong though, Filipinos are treasured in hospitals here due to the quality of care that they give. I have been through a nursing home and a medical center as part of my clinicals and in both sites Filipino nurses are holding positions of resposibility.

purplefly · Jan 20, 2006

:roll hi to all my kababayans in this thread...:roll

nrswnabee · Jan 20, 2006

You have to agree that an ADN gotten here is much better than a BSN received in the Philippines as you don't have to go to the whole process of getting CGFNS, TOEFL and IELTS which really delays a nurse's move to the US. When you finish your ADN, all you have to worry about is getting through NCLEX and finding a job. I have observed that hospitals here donot give as much emphasis from where you graduated as much as they do in the Philippines. And with the shortage, an ADN is worth the same as a BSN.
Don't get me wrong though, Filipinos are treasured in hospitals here due to the quality of care that they give. I have been through a nursing home and a medical center as part of my clinicals and in both sites Filipino nurses are holding positions of resposibility.

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hello, rpangeles.

yes, that's one way of looking at it. but if i want to move up the ladder, i'd still have to get a bsn after this adn sometime soon. so while i'm exempt from cgfns and ielts/toefl, i don't think i'll be offered a wider range of opportunities given to bsn holders. i may be able to save on the cgfns and english language tests but i'll definitely need to spend for tuition/fees to secure that "bs" to my nursing degree. on financial terms, i find that going back to school costs more here than going through cgfns/language tests in the phils. other things considered, i agree, it's debatable....

:)

ketones · Jan 20, 2006

Hello! Im a filipina nurse just recently passed the local nursing board here in the philippines and waiting for my license to be released. Im planning to take the exam of cgfns this year. Please sends some tips for the subject areas to be reviewed.

rpangeles · Jan 20, 2006

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hello, rpangeles.
yes, that's one way of looking at it. but if i want to move up the ladder, i'd still have to get a bsn after this adn sometime soon. so while i'm exempt from cgfns and ielts/toefl, i don't think i'll be offered a wider range of opportunities given to bsn holders. i may be able to save on the cgfns and english language tests but i'll definitely need to spend for tuition/fees to secure that "bs" to my nursing degree. on financial terms, i find that going back to school costs more here than going through cgfns/language tests in the phils. other things considered, i agree, it's debatable....
:)

You also have to factor in the time that it will take you to get an immigrant visa. If you finish from a school in the Philippines, you will be treated as a foreign school graduate and subject to the cgfns, toefl, etc., but also and most important of all you will have to wait for visa clearance, embassy interviews and all the bummer stuff that you undergo just to get here. This adds up to a couple of years after you have graduated. Of course, you can come here after school and try to get a hospital to sponsor you. You should be aware though that at present you can cannot change status in country but you'll have to go back to the Philippines to get your immigrant visa. If you are already here nrswnabee stay here and get your degree here. Start off with an ADN which will cost you about $1300/sem. If you are on a student visa, talk to the school if there is any way you can get financial aid (even if it's in term of a college loan or a work program). After getting your ADN, work (and believe me there's plenty of work to be had). After a year, go for your BSN nad your MSN if you so feel inclined. You will then have the funds to pursue your education.

I'm telling you all these from 1st hand experience. It took my wife several years just to get us all here (to think she already had a US license as far back as 1987). I'm now in my 2nd term in the nursing program with a year more to go to get an ADN (knock on wood!). The hospital and nursing home that I had done my clinical in are already arranging for summer internships for my batch. In these facilitiies, except for the Filipino nurses, most (about 50%) of nurses are ADN holder, not BSN. Unfair as it may be, they earn the same rate as the Filipino BSN holders (Pinay nurses just work more OT which is why they earn more). It's all about the shortage.

nrswnabee · Jan 21, 2006

You also have to factor in the time that it will take you to get an immigrant visa. If you finish from a school in the Philippines, you will be treated as a foreign school graduate and subject to the cgfns, toefl, etc., but also and most important of all you will have to wait for visa clearance, embassy interviews and all the bummer stuff that you undergo just to get here. This adds up to a couple of years after you have graduated. Of course, you can come here after school and try to get a hospital to sponsor you. You should be aware though that at present you can cannot change status in country but you'll have to go back to the Philippines to get your immigrant visa. If you are already here nrswnabee stay here and get your degree here. Start off with an ADN which will cost you about $1300/sem. If you are on a student visa, talk to the school if there is any way you can get financial aid (even if it's in term of a college loan or a work program). After getting your ADN, work (and believe me there's plenty of work to be had). After a year, go for your BSN nad your MSN if you so feel inclined. You will then have the funds to pursue your education.
I'm telling you all these from 1st hand experience. It took my wife several years just to get us all here (to think she already had a US license as far back as 1987). I'm now in my 2nd term in the nursing program with a year more to go to get an ADN (knock on wood!). The hospital and nursing home that I had done my clinical in are already arranging for summer internships for my batch. In these facilitiies, except for the Filipino nurses, most (about 50%) of nurses are ADN holder, not BSN. Unfair as it may be, they earn the same rate as the Filipino BSN holders (Pinay nurses just work more OT which is why they earn more). It's all about the shortage.

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thanks again, rpangeles for sharing your experiences. i believe it is not necessarily better or wiser for anyone to take a nursing course and be a nurse in the us either in the philippines or the us WITHOUT thoroughly considering his situtation--- e.g. immigrant status (is a us citizen/lpr immediate relative currently petitioning him), educational background (is he pursuing nursing in the phils. now or engaged in an entirely different field?), etc.

i understand you came here as an immigrant hence studying for you isn't as costly. as an f1 student i had to shell out $3800 (good thing by installment!) to cover my fall tuition (yes, i'm now in the us as a student, registered for spring term and just waiting for my admittance to clinicals by fall).

an int'l student does get his own "bummer stuff" like how the h*** you're going to stretch your budget (i paid $3800 last fall. rates for int'l students are more than twice the resident's rate!) given that it's illegal to work and there's rumors that tution/fees are going to increase. you may be able to work in school but hello... for a measly $8/ hour! yes it helps but definitely not to pay for tuition...financial aid is obviously open only to lprs (legal permanent residents) and citizens. try scholarships but most (if not all), will ask for one-year residence in the same school and others want you to have residence in a given town or city for many years. there is also the possibility to get an employment authorization via "economic hardship" but the processing is painfully slow (90 days but actually 5-6 months), restrictive (you're asked document after document) and not guaranteed. after 9/11, most applications are denied than approved.

i've read from suzanne that an f1 student is exempt from english language proficiency tests (toefl,ielts) but visa screening is a must even if you received your nursing degree in the us. if i understand right, there should be no problem shifting to immigrant visa while here in the us so long as one maintains his status (no record of falling out of status--ever!) and isn't involved in any crime (hmmm...unless not using the crosswalk sometimes is something i should worry about...). in my case, i believe i need to think essentially of 3 things--- Get my adn done, Pass the nclex, Work for a facility or hospital willing to sponsor during my optional practical training (who will at least turn in AOS papers for me before my opt expires. i believe i don't need to go back home to the phils. just to get my immigrant visa this way.

the reason why i came to the us is really personal and beyond this forum. however, i felt that if i had another choice, i would have chosen to study nursing in the phils. despite the wait. i don't want my kababayans to think that it's completely BETTER to study nursing in the us than in the phils. because financially, it could be a major STRAIN. BE PREPARED--financially first then others....unless of course you come here on an immigrant visa, that's a different story altogether....or you're darn rich!

but if anyone does have a family-based petition coming up and absolutely desiring to work as a nurse in the us but not having the right degree, i wouldn't hesitate for you to get your nursing studies DONE in the phils. while waiting. it's productive use of time.

i welcome anymore inputs, correction, etc.....i'm no lawyer and i just figured these things out based on experience and reading...

elkaye · Jan 26, 2006

hi.. im a filipino too.. im new here.. hope we could get along... im a 3rd yr nursing student..

God Bless you all.

IseeU_rn · Jan 27, 2006

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hello, rpangeles.
yes, that's one way of looking at it. but if i want to move up the ladder, i'd still have to get a bsn after this adn sometime soon. so while i'm exempt from cgfns and ielts/toefl, i don't think i'll be offered a wider range of opportunities given to bsn holders. i may be able to save on the cgfns and english language tests but i'll definitely need to spend for tuition/fees to secure that "bs" to my nursing degree. on financial terms, i find that going back to school costs more here than going through cgfns/language tests in the phils. other things considered, i agree, it's debatable....
:)

Hi nrswnabee! It's nice to see you again :) I just wanted to let you know that don't worry about opportunities for adn vs bsn. There are tons of open jobs that you can literally decline or choose offers. As long as you pass the NCLEX, jobs will be swarming! You will have the same chances as BSNs do. Because of the shortage hospitals/employers will not decline as long as you've showed great potential. I worked mostly in critical care and I've seen both ADNs and BSNs in the setting. The BSN is there just in case yo u wanted to get your masters or further your education. You can always get that later (some choose to do it online, i haven't quite accepted how that works, but it's easy i guess is my point...). I do understand, too, that you will have TONS of paying up to do after grad, but know that with your job security and the pay rates we get, you'll get by. Loans are going to be there no matter what, it's like buying a house-- it's an investment. Plus, there are hospitals that can pay back some percentage of your loan-- you just have to keep your eyes open for these opportunities. I suggest looking around now before you graduate so you can have those choices.

I agree that it might've been cheaper for you to attend a school in Pinas, but I guess if you count how much leg work and effort you'll exert to get your visa and all other tests after-- i think they just cancel each other out. cost vs comfort, i guess...

PS: though i really wouldn't mind going to school in Pinas-- Life here in the US is very busy and fast paced hehe. I guess given the opportunity to go back and just enjoy life with family and friends while getting inexpensive education, I'd take it :)