Position Statement: Concurrency of Clinical Experience of Philippine Nursing Schools

[cavitenurse1990]

By: PNAA | Several nurses who graduated from Colleges of Nursing in the Philippines applying for licensure in the state of California (CA) are now required to complete additional course work, in both theory and clinical practice to be done concurrently, in an accredited or CA Board of Registered Nursing (CA BRN) approved school of professional nursing.

BACKGROUND:

The Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) Human Rights Committee received numerous letters from Filipino-American graduates of several Colleges of Nursing in the Philippines applying for licensure in the state of California (CA). They expressed concern in having to be required to complete additional course work, in both theory and clinical practice to be done concurrently, in an accredited or CA BRN- approved school of professional nursing. The courses identified were medical-surgical and obstetric nursing courses. In addition to having difficulty in finding nursing schools in the state that will allow them to take only those courses in their program, these requirements are causing financial burden to the applicants.

The California Code of Regulations (CCR) Section 1426(d) states that theory and clinical practice shall be concurrent in the following areas: geriatrics, medical-surgical, mental health/psychiatric nursing, obstetrics and pediatrics. This means that all clinical components must be completed concurrently with the theoretical instruction.

A joint meeting by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the California Board of Registered Nursing (CA BRN) was arranged by PNAA Human Rights Committee on December 13, 2012. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues and concerns relating to documentation on concurrency of clinical experiences and theory courses of applicants for CA RN licensure.

The CA BRN shared that (1) required documents from schools on behalf of the applicants for licensure does not reflect concurrency of clinical experiences with theory courses; (2) some transcripts did not follow the required contents specified on the CHED Curriculum for Bachelor of Science in Nursing; and (3) the concurrency issue is a global concern for nursing schools and not limited to graduates of schools in the Philippines.

The Philippine delegation of CHED explained that the Philippine BSN curriculum requires concurrency of theory and related/enhancement learning experiences (RLEs), however, are not well documented in the transcripts. To help resolve the issues, the delegates will (1) arrange for an urgent meeting with all the Deans of College of Nursing to discuss and develop a template for transcripts and related documents that will reflect accurate documentation of students' educational experience; (2) CHED will monitor concurrency of theory and related experiences in

existing programs in the Philippines; (3) CHED will work closely with Philippine Department of Health (DOH) in monitoring health facilities used for the Related Learning Experiences (RLE) of nursing students; and (4) CHED Executive Director will communicate closely with the Executive Officer of the CA BRN.

STATEMENT OF POSITION:

The Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) supports the California Code of Regulations and other State Board of Registered Nursing where concurrency of clinical experience and theoretical instruction are required.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION:

That the Philippine Nurses Association of America will:

1. Assign the Office of International Affairs (OIA) to raise awareness and support graduates of Philippine Nursing schools in their compliance with the requirements needed to practice nursing in the United States.

2. Provide subject matter experts for proper case referral and follow-up.

3. Disseminate information through the PNAA website and provide link to colleges where students can apply to take the courses being required by the CA BRN.

4. Collaborate with CHED and the Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing (ADPCN) in facilitating meetings with the CA BRN or other state Board of Nursing.

Prepared by:

Nancy Hoff

President, PNA Central California

Member, PNAA Human Rights Committee

Marife Sevilla

Chairperson, PNAA Human Rights Committee

Collaborated by:

Victoria B. Navarro, President, PNAA

Remedios Solarte, PNAA Director of International Affairs

Dr. Germina Risos-Rio, Chairperson PNAA Legislative Committee

Reviewed by:

Arnedo Valera, ESQ, Legal Counsel, PNAA

Dr. Clarita Miraflor, First President and Founder, PNAA

Legislative Committee:

Dr. Marife C. Aczon-Armstrong, PNA Hawaii - Western Region

Linda Gonzales, PNA Ohio - North Central Region

Nelson Tuazon, PNA San Antonio, Texas - South Central Region

Marissa Usman, PNA MDC - Eastern Region

http://pnasc.org/position-statement-concurrency-of-clinical-experience-of-philippine-nursing-schools-graduates

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

This is a Position Statement, a letter stating an organization's viewpoints on an issue. As an organization representing nurses of Filipino heritage in the US, the Philippine Nurses Association of America is bound to release a statement in support of their constituents. It's very similar to the American Nurses Association's support of making the baccalaureate degree the requirement for entry to nursing. Has this view been widely accepted? no, and it may never get to that point. California's Board of Registered Nursing will continue to do what they deem as fit to protect nursing practice in the state. They are well aware of the sheer numbers of RN's trained in the state's schools of nursing who are still looking for jobs...I think their priorities are certainly not going to focus on Filipino nurses plight.

[steppybay]

what r u doing right now? did u try to apply on other states? or you r still looking for a school that will accept foreign grads with deficiencies?

I'm taking a different direction, slightly off course.

I have not applied into other states, I was planning on going to travel the states with a couple of others also denied in CA and to check out them out. But those plans got more and more delayed with scheduling conflicts.

I had been studying and using the few review books that my US educated nursing friends gave me (all employed months after getting the RN license as new grads). They grilled and fried me and in all honestly, they said I did well.

I always had an interest in law and one of my friends, has a dad who's a trial attorney. I did some work for him and was impressed with my case presentation (considering that I have a zero law background, but I love research). The other partners liked my knowledge of using my English writing skills almost like one of them, lol, but I truly have no desire to be one, I like being in the background and even attending some of the court hearings.

What impressed all of them was my one finding on a subtle evidence procedure that the other more experienced paralegals either didn't use or left out and we won the case!

Make the long story short, I'm getting a paralegal degree and her dad (without any obligation) gave me the funds (but I had promised him that I will pay back with interest). His law firm does pay me very well and that's my story for now.

While my plans to become a nurse has been put on hold, I may try later, no hurry, I'm only 23, soon 24. One of the law partners says I should combine nursing and the law to represent nurses.

We'll see, I'm very happy where I'm at now. Life is good!

[steppybay]

Let's just hope that these various organizations from the PNAA, PNAA Human Rights Committee, CHED, ADPCN, add in the PRC and PNA to start this new "awareness" with the high school students in the Phillipines, not AFTER they are enrolled in nursing school. Too little, too late.

This is where the majority of decided and undecided high school students are all still under the impression that this nursing profession is the ticket to financial success (quick hiring upon graduation), the probability to work overseas (many without the needed SS#, valid work permits, paid hospital working experiences (of at least two years), no more demand for PH nurses, etc. It's more than just getting thru nursing school, then to hit the brick wall upon graduation.

By the time, they get into any PH nursing school, they will be headed down the wrong river and into the stagnant pool of unemployment (possibly for years, partly thanks to the backer system, the other just not enough jobs to meet the demand) and the thoughts of making it overseas (with little to no sponsorships, years of retrogression), other countries putting higher priority for their own local educated grads and nurses. Other countries educating more and more of their own local students, which has already produced more than the demand that's needed, as evident with some countries either requiring years of hospital work, one has closed the door, some are enforcing stricter educational requirements.

Yes, they will still be some jobs open to those willing to work in outer areas (rural), some in not so desired areas, some under difficult patient loads, other non-hospital jobs and many times, they get stuck in those positions for years and sometimes it opens to another position, but not all the time.

It's not impossible, just takes longer and more sacrifices to not only themselves, but for their families, especially those that start out new, have kids and decide not to uproot them and move, but if they are happy, then so be it, it's all good then.

While it's okay to still think (dream) of beating the high odds and there's nothing wrong with that, but give the high schoolers more of an option to think about their life-long careers and not have so many busted up dreams of just being a nurse. The country does need more accountants, lawyers, scientist, doctors, financial experts, etc.

Nurses should not be the PH government's commodity.

[ilovelian]

Does the CaBRN accept 3-3-3 or they still prefer 5-5-5? So it's just major, minor, cord and delivery?

[steppybay]

A recent conversation from a batchmate told me that the PNAA (CA) in regards to the work behind the scenes with the CHED, PRC and PNA have all been for nothing as the three PH agencies still have not changed their ways despite the uproar and frustrations by the parents and students alike which numbers in the ten's of 1,000's.

The PNAA still concur with the CA BRN decision on the enforcement policies.

For the three PH agencies it's all about the cash flow, keep the schools impacted etc.

It's the individual schools for the more recent grads that have taken it upon themselves to try to correct the deficiencies ahead of time but very few.

[twinkleglitters3]

I know 8 people who graduated BSN in 1990 and 1992 they are all RNs in CA and some of them applied for reciprocity in CA few years ago. They have no concurrency issues.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

I know 8 people who graduated BSN in 1990 and 1992 they are all RNs in CA and some of them applied for reciprocity in CA few years ago. They have no concurrency issues.

The concurrency issues started with people who trained after 2007 I believe