I want to study nursing in the Philippines.

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hi!

i've searched, but haven't come across any threads that fit my situation. please forgive me if i've overlooked something.

i am planning a major career change. specifically, i wish to return to the medical field and study nursing in the philippines. i know it seems simple enough, but here are some particulars to give you a better idea where i'm coming from. i am a us citizen, but i was born in the philippines to filipino parents. i have some college credit, but i do not hold a degree. i am a former army medic. i functioned as a medic, nurse’s aide, & emt for 8 years, but have been working in a totally unrelated field since my honorable discharge from the army several years ago. i am in my mid-thirties.

the list:

1. i would like to stay in the metro manila area. are there any reputable nursing programs that would accept me? the more prestigious the better.

2. would i be considered a foreign student?

3. what is the quickest route to licensure? i wouldn't require a summer vacation. i do not object to a four year course if that is the only way.

4. would i need to start class in 2007, or would i be able to begin right away?

5. are there any others that have gone down this road?

thank you in advance for the help.

That's great... two years experience is a strong foundation before going abroad. But how are they going to do it? It's impossible that they can provide a lot of jobs for nurses in the Philippines. If the schools will going to implement it and give their students a nursing job, that's fine, but how about the salary. Nursing pay here is the same as the construction worker. That's why a lot of nurses (newly grad & those who are not lucky enough to be employed) are hoping to enter in the Call Center jobs because of bigger pay + English trainings too.

Before they implement this 2 years of exerience, they must first resolve the Nursing problems like the leakage, the board, the PRC, and the Government too.

I want to share my experience during my last visit to Puerto Galera, I met a foreigner who told me that the Philippines is country of Cheaters... from the President (who was accused of cheating the election) down to the nursing students who took the board. A country of Leakage... nursing board exam and the oil in Guimaras. These must be the brains to be drained.

I understand what you are trying to do, and if you are already aware of all this, then you need to make your own educated decision on it. And please be aware that are a multitude of issues going on with the second courser programs over there, from selling of diplomas to getting thru a program with never attending any clinical time.........the list could go on and on...I will stop here.

Just go ahead, study nursing. Follow your guts.You will be happy.:blushkiss

hey combat,

if you are a 2nd courser and you want your subjects especially the minor ones be credited, the most prestigious school that i know of that can accept you is trinitycollege. it will take you 3 years to finish your nursing education. you will practice your nursing at st. lukes hospital. this is the only university that i know that is willing to credit your minor or major subjects. the passing rate is also high around 70 to 80%.

if you are willing to study for 4 years, willing to repeat your minor subjects again i guess you can apply in other schools like up, ust, feu, ue and other big universities.

i don't believe that the most prestigious schools are the only ones capable of producing good nurses though. there are a lot of small nursing schools here that can also provide you the best instructors if you just do your research. and most of their students do top the board exams here.

just make sure you apply in a school that is registered and will also provide you expert and skilled professors and instructors. the thing is not everything will depend on the school and the instructors; it will also depend on your ability to learn and your ability to integrate your knowledge to your skills.

training here is different from usa not because the schools or clinical instructors here are not competent, it's because our facilities are not that well equipped compared to usa. what do you expect hehe. we still use mercury thermometers or the glass thermometers.

i just want to inform you that studying here is not as easy at others tell you. a lot of foreign students do find studying here in the philippines hard. they said education back there is more lay back. most of my cousins from usa and canada who tried to study here had a hard time because they thought since philippines is a third world country the education will be easy. but they were wrong. now they are back in canada and usa, studying in universities and still can't believe they had a tough time studying here. just to give you an example, when my cousin was in high school she only had 4 subjects a day, i had 12 everyday: p

anyway, if you want to study nursing here i wish you good luck. make sure you enjoy your studies here with fellow filipinos.

Unless there is a proposal in the US that I haven't heard of, I believe the requirement to get 2 years experience before being able to leave for work abroad is part of a bill pending in the Philippine Congress, particularly in the Lower House, where majority of members don't seem to be intent on acting upon it.

If passed, this requirement only affects regular or first coursers. Second coursers are spared from the 2-year work rule.

Unless there is a proposal in the US that I haven't heard of, I believe the requirement to get 2 years experience before being able to leave for work abroad is part of a bill pending in the Philippine Congress, particularly in the Lower House, where majority of members don't seem to be intent on acting upon it.

If passed, this requirement only affects regular or first coursers. Second coursers are spared from the 2-year work rule.

Not what I have heard, it is going to focus more on the second coursers because so many of them are doctors and dentists. And with so many that are leaving that is causing issues on healthcare there.

Two years ago in Manila, when the first group of second coursers were completing their program, 200 graduated. Out of that 200, 150 were physicians and dentists. That is why they are attmpting a freeze for two years.

You're right Suzanne, the current bills do not distinguish between second coursers and regular students. I got my information from one of the nursing leaders/lobbyists here. I suppose it is their group's position to leave out second coursers from the 2-year requirement.

There are two pending bills in the Lower House that specifically seek an eligibility qualification before a prospective nurse can apply abroad: HB 2700 and HB 2926. HB 2926 even seeks a 3-year local service requirement.

These are all pending bills. As such, they're no reasons to worry about at this time. Considering the track record of the local Congress, the "obsession" of the current session (clue: it's namesake is a form of dance), and the upcoming elections (2007), I seriously doubt we'll ever see a bill like this being passed in 3 years, if ever.

The bill should be Titled "Nurses Slavery Legalized In the Philippines".

Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.

I am a new grad from the Philippines too. I graduated in Oct.2005. I just passed my NCLEXRN in June of O6. I'm currently working in telemetry dept. My advise to you if you want to study in the Philippines? check out some good schools there, I am sure they have a website. you have to plan ahead, because if you are a not a Filipino citizen, you will need a student visa, or you have to be a dual citizen. I suggest go visit the Philippines first before you make a decision to study there or not. It was a shock for me to see how slow things are done in PI. You have to have a good stomach and a lot of patience to be there. You are actually going to deal with totally new culture in which you may not understand. No offense, I am a Filipino American too. I didn't know how I survived there, it was fun and exciting, but yet irritating. I can write a book about it if I want, lol. but have you consider checking your local community college? they have good Associate Degree in nursing as well, I am sure there are a lot in your area.and pls. don't say it's cheap to study in the Philippines, it cost money too! anyways, goodluck in whatever decision you will make :-)

Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.
i have a question. is it required to take the local board exam for those foreigners who finished their bsn in the philippines? like a us citizen who'll going to study in the philippines.

no, if you are a foreign student who got your bsn from the philippines, you are not allowed to take the nle in the first place. i am a filipino american too. i hope this answers your question.

You will definitely be considered a foreign grad coming back into the US to work. And right now there are issues with that, they are talking of making it compulsary to complete two years of work before being permitted to come to the US, and that would affect you as well. So things are not as easy as you thought that they would be.

I seriously hope that you will also investigate things more over here.

And remember, even as a foreign student there, you you were born there, and so were your parents, you could be called up for military duty. I suggest that you take the time to speak with an immigration attorney over here as well. You may be opening a bigger can of worms.

And if you train in the US, it is only two years to get the degree to work as an RN, over there it is 4 years, plus a possilbe two year commitment before being able to return here to work..............

hello suzanne, i came accross this email of yours and i'm wondering if what you're saying about the talks about the 2 years work requirement after you graduate will be/has been implemented.

will it be applicable to me? i am a US immigrant currently studying nursing here in the philippnes? or it's entirely different when one is a US citizen.

Thanks

Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.

hello there, doalds, the work requirements are only for filipino graduates, who do not have an immigrant status. they need to have at least 2 years experience in the philippines before be allowed to get out of the country if they wish to work abroad ( don't qoute me on this, i am even sure if these law is already passed). in your case, since you are already a us immigrant ( who actually been to usa, come back to pi to study nursing), i don't think you are required to do the 2 year work in the pi because you can actually leave the country as soon after your graduation, and you don't even have to take the nle, you can proceed to nclex-rn. most of immigrant classmates did the same thing.

Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
hello suzanne, i came accross this email of yours and i'm wondering if what you're saying about the talks about the 2 years work requirement after you graduate will be/has been implemented.

will it be applicable to me? i am a US immigrant currently studying nursing here in the philippnes? or it's entirely different when one is a US citizen.

Thanks

The two years work requirement is only imposed by agencies/recruiters. Most US hospitals do not require working experiences from foreign graduates.

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