Is there a nursing shortage in the Philippines?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2004

The Phillipines is a nurse factory. More and more schools are opening up. They are being taught in English and geared towards the tests they need to take to get out of the country.

I'm not sure there's a shortage. If there is, they are enbabling it themselves and it's not the host countries fault for stealing their nurses. They mass produce them and they volunteer their services for pay.

FutureNurse2005 · Dec 8, 2004

as long as they can speak english....and I mean effectively communicate, I have no problem with them coming to work with us. I do have a problem with them bringing up people who we are unable to understand. I work with a girl like that right now. She's a hard worker, but no one can understand a word she says! How is that helpful to the residents/patients?

I doubt there is a shortage down there though.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2004

http://www.indypressny.org/article.php3?ArticleID=1753

"McAllen Medical Center chief nurse executive Linda Daum said in an article by Heather Stringer in NurseWeek that she would rather hire an American nurse; however, when she had more than 100 openings, she could not wait for years to get new faculty hired or for new nurses to graduate."

Funny, I applied at the above hospital, was offered $17.00/hr as an RN, and was told I would have to float ER/ICU/medsurg/L&D with no experience in any of these areas at all. Of course I turned it down. When I had my interview, 2 American nurses were there to resign. What a load of bull.

The nurses at McAllen Med are almost all filipino, and they chase Americans away by letting us know in no uncertain terms that we are unwanted outsiders there.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2004

"Okaya said in an interview in Tokyo that the JNA is also concerned about the impact that acceptance of Filipino nurses in Japan will have on the nursing supply in the Philippines, where an estimated 85 percent of the 178,000 nurses are already working abroad."

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?section=Headlines&oid=63794

May 15, 2003 -- Today the Inter Press Service News Agency ran a substantial piece by Patricia Adversario, "Nurses' Exodus Making Health System Sick," about the departure of many of the Philippines' most experienced nurses for jobs in wealthier nations which are struggling with the global nursing shortage, such as Britain, Ireland, the United States and Saudi Arabia. The article paints a distressing picture of the future of health care in the Philippines. Many nurses leave when they get enough experience to work in nations with better financial and professional opportunities, the annual flow of nurses out of the country is reportedly several times greater than the number who are produced annually, and the nurse-to-patient ratios even in government-funded settings reportedly already range from 1-to-30 to 1-to-60. The article notes that more and more developed nations are opening their borders to nursing immigration in response to the shortage, including Austria, Norway and Japan.

http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/2003may15_philippines.html

Larry · Dec 8, 2004

"Okaya said in an interview in Tokyo that the JNA is also concerned about the impact that acceptance of Filipino nurses in Japan will have on the nursing supply in the Philippines, where an estimated 85 percent of the 178,000 nurses are already working abroad."
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?section=Headlines&oid=63794
May 15, 2003 -- Today the Inter Press Service News Agency ran a substantial piece by Patricia Adversario, "Nurses' Exodus Making Health System Sick," about the departure of many of the Philippines' most experienced nurses for jobs in wealthier nations which are struggling with the global nursing shortage, such as Britain, Ireland, the United States and Saudi Arabia. The article paints a distressing picture of the future of health care in the Philippines. Many nurses leave when they get enough experience to work in nations with better financial and professional opportunities, the annual flow of nurses out of the country is reportedly several times greater than the number who are produced annually, and the nurse-to-patient ratios even in government-funded settings reportedly already range from 1-to-30 to 1-to-60. The article notes that more and more developed nations are opening their borders to nursing immigration in response to the shortage, including Austria, Norway and Japan.
http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/2003may15_philippines.html

This news is interesting.

Are you just importing Filipino nurses? Do you import from the Philippines other care workers?

My409 · Dec 9, 2004

Anyone who wants to embrace the American way and Americanize themselves is welcome here as far as I'm concerned. I just feel resentful when people come and try to turn their environment into what they are used to back home.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2004

I have worked with Filipina CNAs, as well as nurses. The nurses far outnumber the CNAs, though.

mattsmom81 · Dec 9, 2004

Anyone who wants to embrace the American way and Americanize themselves is welcome here as far as I'm concerned. I just feel resentful when people come and try to turn their environment into what they are used to back home.

I can relate. We used to be a melting pot but no more it seems. Unfortunate IMHO.

NurseGuy_in_06 · Dec 9, 2004

Anyone who wants to embrace the American way and Americanize themselves is welcome here as far as I'm concerned. I just feel resentful when people come and try to turn their environment into what they are used to back home.

Well said and I wholeheartily agree.