Importing nurses from the Phillipines

SJSU_Mami · Sep 13, 2004

Spell check time.. haha

Country: PHILIPPINES.

People: two choices: filipino (english spelling) or pilipino (tagalog spelling)

The Philippines is the third largest english speaking country after the US and UK. Don't believe it? Search in google or yahoo. My cousins' classes are all taught in english from the get go. I've been to the Philippines twice and never had trouble talking to anybody.

Everyone needs to put themselves in other's shoes before complaining. If you lived in a third world country and were offered a opportunity to make good money and send it back to your family, you would grab it, wouldn't you? Priorities in life are different for all people. America is supposed to be where opportunities knock, right? If you don't like the fact that hospitals hire foreigners over Americans, don't hate on the nurses. It's not their fault. They want to feed and put clothes on their families.. not worry about YOU and your worries about competition. Suck it up. At some point in time you or one of your ancestors came to America on a plane or boat or whatever and had to work or else they didn't eat.

The U.S. bought the Philippines for a measly 20 million. That's all it was worth to them. Then they didn't see the Filipinos "fit" to run their own country. Then they took like 45 years to finally give them independence. Don't even get me started on all the Filipino soldiers that are to this day denied the benefits they were promised for fighting the U.S's wars. I've taken Asian American history classes and Filipinos have been thru a lot of messed up situations just like anybody else trying to make it in this country.

Bottom line, lots of people have been thru tough things in their lives. Jobs are always about competition. It's not something to cry over. We all compete for jobs. That's life. I choose to enjoy mine.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2004

I have worked with nurses from the Philipines, some were very good and others were not, pretty much the same situation with nurses from other countries that I have worked with: UK, Ireland, Australia, US, Canada and Hong Kong.

I agree. One thing I have noticed, however, is that Phillipine nurses tend to accept whatever a mgmt says or demands, however unreasonable.

Whereas, American nurses tend to question and disagree w/ mgmt more.

Perhaps it is a cultural thing

Rep · Sep 13, 2004

I agree. One thing I have noticed, however, is that Phillipine nurses tend to accept whatever a mgmt says or demands, however unreasonable.
Whereas, American nurses tend to question and disagree w/ mgmt more.
Perhaps it is a cultural thing

Yes, its a cultural thing. Our society is a hierachial one. That's why some Filipinos have this attititude of not questioning one in authority. But I personally believe if a Filipino is placed in a society where one can speak about his/her rights then it won't be a problem anymore. He/she will stand for his/her rights.

But consider a Filipino nurse working under a contract of two or three years, then she would at her best do what her superiors will tell her to do even if you think its unreasonable. But i don't think this attitude will last long. Its just temporary. That is my opinion.

Rep · Sep 13, 2004

Spell check time.. haha
Country: PHILIPPINES.
People: two choices: filipino (english spelling) or pilipino (tagalog spelling)
The Philippines is the third largest english speaking country after the US and UK. Don't believe it? Search in google or yahoo. My cousins' classes are all taught in english from the get go. I've been to the Philippines twice and never had trouble talking to anybody.
Everyone needs to put themselves in other's shoes before complaining. If you lived in a third world country and were offered a opportunity to make good money and send it back to your family, you would grab it, wouldn't you? Priorities in life are different for all people. America is supposed to be where opportunities knock, right? If you don't like the fact that hospitals hire foreigners over Americans, don't hate on the nurses. It's not their fault. They want to feed and put clothes on their families.. not worry about YOU and your worries about competition. Suck it up. At some point in time you or one of your ancestors came to America on a plane or boat or whatever and had to work or else they didn't eat.
The U.S. bought the Philippines for a measly 20 million. That's all it was worth to them. Then they didn't see the Filipinos "fit" to run their own country. Then they took like 45 years to finally give them independence. Don't even get me started on all the Filipino soldiers that are to this day denied the benefits they were promised for fighting the U.S's wars. I've taken Asian American history classes and Filipinos have been thru a lot of messed up situations just like anybody else trying to make it in this country.
Bottom line, lots of people have been thru tough things in their lives. Jobs are always about competition. It's not something to cry over. We all compete for jobs. That's life. I choose to enjoy mine.

BRAVO AND WELL SAID!

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2004

BRAVO AND WELL SAID!

And I choose to golf

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2004

If as you have shown that the phillipines is the 3rd largest english speaking country, why do we have so much problem understanding what they say.

I know its because I dont speak english, I speak American and Texan

Rock, LPN, RN · Sep 14, 2004

Instead of importing foreign nurses from other countries, preparations should be made to upgrade those people who have already shown an interest in health care. Nurses' assistants can be trained to upgrade to LPN, LPNs can be trained to RN, RNs can be trained to receive a bacaclaureate degree.

RJS

If as you have shown that the phillipines is the 3rd largest english speaking country, why do we have so much problem understanding what they say.
I know its because I dont speak english, I speak American and Texan

UCLARN · Sep 14, 2004

The reason why it may be hard to understand them is due to their accent. They are speaking English for goodness sakes. It's amazing that you understand what is being written here since you don't speak English. Oh and by the way, there is no such thing as speaking "American." Where were you born?

If as you have shown that the phillipines is the 3rd largest english speaking country, why do we have so much problem understanding what they say.
I know its because I dont speak english, I speak American and Texan

Euskadi1946 · Sep 14, 2004

i have had very limited oportunity to work with nurses originating from outside the US...BUT!!!!!!!!
where did you obtain this statistic, jed?

I'm an RN and I didn't orignate from the Phillipines. Have worked with some very good Fillipino nurses, but have worked with some awful ones too...All nationalities have their good and bad.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2004

The reason why it may be hard to understand them is due to their accent. They are speaking English for goodness sakes. It's amazing that you understand what is being written here since you don't speak English. Oh and by the way, there is no such thing as speaking "American." Where were you born?

So you cant admit that speaking American is an offshoot of English, as we have different colloquialisms and accents within our own country.

Try visiting Jersy, them people speak wierd

try visiting Bodton, they really speak wierd

try talking to then real Cajuns outside New Orleans. OMG. my comprehension of what they were saaying was negligible,

Try talking to Bushie, does what he say really make sense to you, now thats scary.

try talking to us Texas rednecks, We dont even speak American, we speak Texan, then you go over to west Texas,,,,,Where the only speak whats called,,"West by God Texan"

So if you say there is no such thing as speaking American, then where were you born.

Ask any Englishman what they think of our language here, and they will politely its cute, or its unique in its richness of colloquialisms, which is just their way of letting us know that we are idiots as compared to them

Like being on the Golf Course and saying politely "GOOD SHOT" when it actually means that was a normal boring uninteresting shot.

UCLARN · Sep 15, 2004

Then I guess you just answered your own question of "If as you have shown that the phillipines is the 3rd largest english speaking country, why do we have so much problem understanding what they say." You acknowledge that even Americans have problems trying to understand other Americans from different parts of the country. Hopefully there wasn't any hidden messages in there.

So you cant admit that speaking American is an offshoot of English, as we have different colloquialisms and accents within our own country.
Try visiting Jersy, them people speak wierd
try visiting Bodton, they really speak wierd
try talking to then real Cajuns outside New Orleans. OMG. my comprehension of what they were saaying was negligible,
Try talking to Bushie, does what he say really make sense to you, now thats scary.
try talking to us Texas rednecks, We dont even speak American, we speak Texan, then you go over to west Texas,,,,,Where the only speak whats called,,"West by God Texan"
So if you say there is no such thing as speaking American, then where were you born.
Ask any Englishman what they think of our language here, and they will politely its cute, or its unique in its richness of colloquialisms, which is just their way of letting us know that we are idiots as compared to them
Like being on the Golf Course and saying politely "GOOD SHOT" when it actually means that was a normal boring uninteresting shot.

pickledpepperRN · Sep 24, 2004

Yes, its a cultural thing. Our society is a hierachial one. That's why some Filipinos have this attititude of not questioning one in authority. But I personally believe if a Filipino is placed in a society where one can speak about his/her rights then it won't be a problem anymore. He/she will stand for his/her rights.
But consider a Filipino nurse working under a contract of two or three years, then she would at her best do what her superiors will tell her to do even if you think its unreasonable. But i don't think this attitude will last long. Its just temporary. That is my opinion.

That is my experience. Click this link to see and read about some of my heros in nursing. Seven of the eleven nurses pictured are from the Philippines.

They are polite andassertive without being aggressive.

http://cna.igc.org/cna101/nursingpractice.htm