Inquiry about Inactive Nurses

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Nov 8, 2015

Welcome to allnurses I have moved your thread to this forum as you will get more responses

kimeds · Nov 9, 2015

Thank you very much madwife2002, I'm really interested to get back to nursing and I needed more information how and where to start.

Navy wife · Nov 9, 2015

Hi kim I'm applying for Texas board of nursing and I have to take the refresher course last hospital experience was 2008 in PI

Mishey2 · Nov 10, 2015

Hi kimeds,

If you are a PNLE passer and have been inactive as a Philippine RN BSN for more than 5 consecutive years, you have to take 1 month didactic and 3 months practicum refresher course in an accredited Philippine nursing school. It's in the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.

THE NURSING CORNER: THE PHILIPPINE NURSING ACT OF 2002

kimeds · Nov 10, 2015

Thank you very much for your reply Navy wife & Mishey2. I'm in dire need of someone to assist me with my dilemma.

Yes, I read that I need to undergo 3months practicum and 1-month didactic training but do you know if the Nursing Act of 2002 is referring for the period of inactivity as 5 years from the time one graduated from Nursing college or inactive for 5 years from the time the Licenses was issued?

Also, I need your honest opinion please if it's really worth the risk to continue Nursing.

I am so confused whether to stay in the Middle East and apply to become a flight attendant or go home in the Philippines, take refresher course, garner work experience and apply to become a nurse in USA or somewhere else.

Your reply on this will be very much appreciated. In my heart I still want to become a nurse, I'm just afraid to take risks.

kimeds · Nov 10, 2015

Thank you.

MikeeMikes26 · Nov 13, 2015

I think the period of inactivity refers to the time a nurse has been inactive from the time the nurse got the license.

kimeds · Nov 19, 2015

Hi MikeeMikes26 , thank you for your reply. I hope so too.

Mishey2 · Nov 19, 2015

Hi kimeds,

Sorry for the delayed response. I can't answer your question regarding if you can work after completing the refresher course as I did not stay in the Philippines to work as a nurse after passing the PNLE. The first questions would be 1) Will the nursing school you graduated from offer refresher courses? and completing your refresher courses, 2) Will you be willing to volunteer and pay for about 6 months or more of training just to have experience before you actually get paid? 3) How successful have your former classmates been in finding new grad training/jobs right after getting their licensure? and 4) Are you willing to earn just Php 8,000- 12,000 a month if they do keep you? (In Manila, a wooden up&down unit will cost you Php4,000 or a tiny studio apartment will cost you Php7,000 so either you live with relatives or room-share).

Mishey2 · Nov 19, 2015

Not to discourage you from pursuing your dreams in immigrating to the US but unless you have dual citizenship here or if there a relative that can sponsor you to get a Visa in the US, immigration will be a very long and tedious process. Right now, there are very little new grad opportunities even for US educated nurses so competition is fierce unless you decide to work in the rural areas and the not so desirable areas of some states. As for work opportunities for experienced foreign nurses, I do not know if that is any better.

Mishey2 · Nov 19, 2015

Since you do have the opportunity to be a flight attendant, it sounds like a good option if you do need to save up money first. If after, you do decide to take the refresher courses, then you can. If you do decide to work as a nurse in the Philippines to gain experience before you immigrate, they recommend at least 3-5 years of bedside nursing and the demand for nurses vary by location. A relative of mine (nurse in Manila) went onto become a Utilization Review Nurse after working as a staff nurse for 2 years. He is able to pay his bills with that job as opposed to bedside nursing and does not have plans to immigrate to another country. A former classmate of mine from the US went to nursing school in the Philippines many years ago and stayed and worked in the OR as a scrub/circulating nurse and seems happy there. I, on the other hand, moved back to the state of California in the US, applied to sit for NCLEX-RN for California and was denied on the basis of lecture/clinical not being concurrent since CHED's requirements are obviously different than California's requirements and the curriculum not meeting the requirements of California's business and practice so, since I have relatives in another state, I have applied in that state, applied for the Certification Program-CGFNS exam and have received the Authorization to Test (ATT) early next year before applying for the NCLEX-RN.