pilgrim

I see where your frustration is coming from, but please don't let it get the better of you. Is relocating to another province an option? Manitoba seems to be still hiring. You sound to me like a young IEN with a lot of promise. You just came at a time when the job picture has grown really bad. Hang in there and keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities outside BC. I read somewhere that the hiring pattern for nurses in Canada is cyclical. That if the cycle were a "U," it's now at the bottom with an upswing starting to happen. Use this time to get yourself ready for that next wave of hiring frenzy. Check out colleges in other provinces, and choose the one that will work best with the credentials that you have at present. Good luck!

Thank you. As you wish...

Feigning innocence where it does not exist, only adds to one's culpability. If one can't or won't accept criticism, but can and will dish it out so freely to the entire Philippine nursing profession, then one should just keep one's peace . Spewing unkind generalizations disrespects the memory of the people who worked hard, so that the profession of nursing in the Philippines will earn world recognition. True, the Reign of Greed somehow tarnished our reputation. So many graduated, even those who should never have been nurses in the first place. Case in point..... ??? Despite that, there are still schools that to this day, uphold the high standards that the founders intended for the profession. They did not cease to exist, only got outnumbered by places that offered quick fixes.

I believe this is the same poster who says she's ashamed to be a Filipino nurse? Clinical Instructors and lecturers with no hospital experience? - Page 8- Nursing for Nurses No. 76 Referencing the post on the link above, as well as the inanities/absurdities (even some vulgarity) written in this post, the question begs: what is this person trying to prove? What's the point in posing a question, when you seem to have the answers all figured out (that is, judging from your other post)? This forum is for professional people whose aim is to help each other navigate the challenges facing nurses in different parts of the world. It is disrespectful to weigh in on it any other way. Besides, you can't change the geography of your birth, you know. Neither can you change the color of your skin. You will do all Filipino nurses a great favor by not identifying yourself as one of us, then bad-mouthing us on the next breath. That simply shows poor breeding, never mind unpatriotic or un-nationalistic.

This poster obviously did not graduate from a school that upheld the high standards that made the label Filipino Nurse a badge of honor, in the good ole' days. Such schools do exist, even during the mass-production days. Too, I can't imagine anyone stating that she is neither patriotic nor nationalistic, or that she'll do anything to get out of her motherland. That's one other thing that the Reign of Greed produced: people who have no love of country nor pride in themselves, and who don't think twice before making such statements in an international forum. These attestations don't endear you to anyone or earn you brownie points.

Those who want the shortest cut to obtain a diploma aren't doing themselves and their would-be patients any favor. There's a reason why "schools" with no academic standards to speak of thrive: there are people who actually pay good money to keep them operating. To those that say "it depends on the student," I beg to differ in the strongest possible terms. Passing the local board exams, even the NCLEX, is no guarantee that one has the necessary skills-set to practice the profession. Written tests and skills are two very different things which should go hand-in-hand. The school where you get your training sets the standard for the skills that you acquire. Hence, no set standard means you're on your own, just pay our fees and we'll give you a diploma. This is how greed and corruption tarnished the reputation of nursing education in the Philippines, which was painstakingly built by the best minds in the profession not too long ago. Sad....

From the sound of it, this poster used "extra effort" to get a tourist visa to the US. Tsk, tsk....

20 is actually 4% of 500, which, in any language, is an extremely dismal performance by any school, by any standard. This is clearly a case when one can't say "it's not about the school, it's about the student." For if such were the line of reasoning each time, what's the point in paying the school tons of money in the first place? The subject institution must be one of the schools that the Technical Committee wanted to close in 2005, before it was overruled by higher powers which resulted in the TC members resigning en masse. What a shame.......

Begging your pardon, but I think there are rules in this forum about writing in text language. Let's show some courtesy to the moderators and other posters by observing the rules. Besides, writing with correct spelling and proper punctuation will serve you well when it will be time to chart in the workplace. Happy holidays!

I am willing to bet my last devalued peso that your classmate didn't get her diploma from a school. She more likely went to a forger and bought a cleverly crafted facsimile. Offers of counterfeit diplomas are all over the internet, one does not have to travel all the way to the Philippines to get one. Crooks multiply at such amazing speed because of people like your classmate. They are the kind of people who do not have a place in the nursing profession, nor in civilized society.

I am not familiar with the Master's Program at UERM but if it's any help, this school is one of only 5 in the country that is considered as a Center of Excellence for Nursing Education.

Am I correct in my understanding, that you really don't know how much the filing fees are? Seriously. Can't you Google that? Didn't you do any research prior to making the decision to apply as an immigrant to Canada? Sorry for responding with more questions. I just find it inconceivable that anyone can make a life-altering decision like immigrating to another country, without getting facts to support that decision. And, really, filing fees are pretty basic. Why don't you just Google what filing fees you're being billed for and do the Math? As well, the embassy website would have information on the acceptable mode of payment. It's no great mystery. You just have to have some amount of initiative to go after what you need. Good luck!

I will have to agree with Jan's observation. While some slack may be allowed the latest poster on account of her obvious youth, the question she presented is something that's been asked over and over again. It begs the question, "Haven't you done any kind of research on the current employment requirements/opportunities in Canada?" Seriously. Unfortunately, it also reflects a common mindset among some people. I do not wish to offend any one, but some of the questions that have been posted on this forum can only be described as too inane for words. Some show an abject lack of sensitivity, cultural or otherwise. For example, the use of the phrases, "stepping-stone until retrogression is lifted," "fastest/easiest processing," wanting to dodge the SEC, etc. I respectfully suggest to newcomers to the forum to take time to read the stickies above the first thread in all their regions of concern. It would save a lot of time and show some appreciation for the effort of those who put them there in the first place.

do i think it's worth to study nursing in the philippines, you ask? my answer to that is an absolute, unequivocal yes, if and only if you take up the course in the right institution. the definition of right will certainly vary from one person to the next, but seeing that you've devoted a whole year's research into the subject gives me reason to believe that you're a serious student. with all due respect to sisc's nursing program, how can it have a passing rate of 92% if the program itself is only 2 years old? how can it have produced a graduating class at all? is the program one of those fast-track kinds? in the study of nursing, two things should go hand in hand: theoretical knowledge and practical skills. you first study the theories, and then apply what you learned to a real living, breathing person. from simple cases, you will advance to more complex ones, and your critical thinking process will be developed and challenged over and over again. this is how you develop the clinical eye. one huge problem today, is with so many nursing schools in the country, there are not enough hospitals where students can acquire practical skills. sure, many claim that their school is affiliated with this and that government/teaching hospital, but, seriously, how many hospitals are there versus the number of students? last year alone, over 160,000 took the nle. if you take that figure and compare it with the number of hospitals, the student/patient ratio alone would be enough to make you weep! if, for example, there are 20 students assigned to a single patient (to make for the hours required for the nle), do you honestly believe that the learning process can take place in that kind of situation? if each student will be required to come up with a nursing care plan, do you think each plan will be unique? seriously. the established schools, on the other hand, have either their own training hospitals or a history of affiliation with hospital training institutions, long before nursing was the "it" course. they also kept their admission levels low, and held high standards in choosing the members of their faculty i've copied/pasted hereunder a 2005 ched-published list of the top 12 nursing schools in the country, which was the result of a 5-year study, from 2000-2004. the study was triggered by the number of nursing schools that were applying for permits at such an alarming rate. at that time, there were 175 schools. presently, there are almost 500, or an increment of about 75 schools per year. i rest my case. you will notice that of the 12, 5 are in metro manila. this would be a good place to start your consideration. surely there are others, and since research is a strong suit, i'm sure you'll be able to identify them. just keep in mind that theory and practice should always go together. you can't acquire practical skills if the patient exists only in textbooks. it just doesn't work that way. i'm not familiar with the arellano university program, but a classmate was the former dean. i'll find out from her and write another post on the subject. the best of luck to you jadayu, it's refreshing to see a young person with such serious intent. i'm sure you'll make an excellent nurse. top philippine performing nursing schools from wikipilipinas: the hip 'n free philippine encyclopedia jump to: [color=#002bb8]navigation, [color=#002bb8]search the commission on higher education (ched) tries to regulate the newly established nursing schools to ensure that they met the minimum quality and standards of nursing education. in line with this, ched, together with the professional regulatory commission (prc) released, on april 2005, a statistics of top performing nursing schools in the philippines based on the board exam passing rates for 2000-2004. out of 175 nursing schools, only 12 had a passing rates of 90% or higher. here is the list of the top 12 performing nursing schools in the philippines with their respective passing rates 90% or higher. by rank order: 1. [color=#002bb8]university of the philippines, manila- manila 100% 2. [color=#002bb8]st. paul college- iloilo- iloilo 99.57% 3. [color=#002bb8]silliman university - dumaguete city 98.39 4. [color=#002bb8]west visayas state university- iloilo 97.06% 5. [color=#002bb8]university of santo tomas- manila 96.67% 6. [color=#002bb8]saint louis university - baguio city 95.05 7. [color=#002bb8]mindanao state university - marawi city 95.0% 8. [color=#cc2200]st. paul college-dumaguete - dumaguete city 93.38 9. [color=#002bb8]pamantasan ng lungsod ng maynila - manila 92.53% 10. [color=#002bb8]saint mary's university - bayombong, nueva viscaya 91.02% 11. [color=#cc2200]st. paul college manila- manila 90.81% 12. [color=#002bb8]university of the east ramon magsaysay memorial medical center - quezon city 90.57%

I honestly don't think there's a valid or sound enough reason to explain that kind of behaviour. That "pack mentality" smacks of immaturity, insecurity, even. I guess those people don't feel confident enough with their professional and interpersonal skills, that they have a need for each other's protection in the real world. One other thing that I think they lack, is the preparation for a thorough understanding of the culture of the host country, and a serious grasp of how they're supposed to conduct themselves as guest workers. It's not enough that they do the job that they're supposed to do, what they're being paid to do. Just as important, is how they conduct themselves as representatives of the Philippines in another country. There's a painful twitch in my heart whenever I come across this kind of observation about our people. But, there are good and bad people in every country in the world. Sadly, it's the bad people that make more impact in everyone's mind.

In connection with JADAYU's post, here's my two cents worth. As a nurse and a parent, I respectfully suggest that you take up your nursing course in a reputable school that has an established nursing program. Why? The main reason for the proliferation of nursing schools (almost 500 and counting) that do not enforce any kind of academic standard to speak of, is the willingness of a lot of people to patronize them just to get a diploma. Thus the term "diploma mill." This has given rise to the drastic decline in the quality of graduates in the profession that made our country known and respected many years ago, Sadly, that respect and fame (for lack of a better term) is now just a memory in many parts of the world. Please note that I usedthe term many, not all. The only way that these rotten institutions can be driven out of business is to not patronize them. They have done irreparable damage to the reputation of the nursing profession in the Philippines. Let's not even mention here the June 2006 NLE fiasco......... Additionally, the training that you'd get if you study in an established school will equip you with the skills you'll need when it would be time to use them. Isn't that the whole point of education? There's a reason why the reputable and established schools are few. They choose their faculty well, and the students that meet their standards have both the intellectual capacity as well as the willingness to put in the hard work to make nursing a lifetime profession, not just earn a diploma. With the current economic woes in the US and in other parts of the globe, enrollment in nursing schools has begun to drop drastically. A lot of schools that were put up just to join the bandwagon will close, or maybe just their nursing programs will close, if they have diversified to other exportable professions. Wouldn't it be a shame if you finish your course in a school that has discontinued its program for very obvious reasons, or, worse, no longer exists?

I find it inconceivable, that the fact that she's a nurse never came up during her visa interview. The occupation is normally the first thing that a consul asks. If officers at the port of entry are suspicious of the real reason why a visitor is entering the US, they subject that person to secondary screening, where they can go through her luggage, her purse, even her email! My guess is, they must have found something incriminating. Despite the horror stories, I still believe in the sense of justice/fair play of immigration officers at ports of entry, that they don't simply send a person back A to A (airport to airport) for no good reason. I'm truly sorry for your friend. It must have been a traumatic experience for her and a huge disappointment to her family. However, I hope that her story will serve as a deterrent to those who plan to circumvent the rules. There's always a price to pay if one takes a gamble and loses.

I never had to take the test but my children did, and, at the risk of sounding immodest, one had a perfect score, and the other, a near perfect score. I taught them the rudiments of basic English before they went to school. Please don't misunderstand. The point being made here has nothing to do with self-promotion. I really just feel that in order to address this matter successfully, you have to determine where the real problem lies. The key to fluency in learning any language is immersion. It surely is not in spending good money on review materials or, worse, TOEFL review classes. At least, I don't think so. There are more than enough practice tests on-line and in public libraries, free of charge. You just have to be resourceful. One thing I notice with Filipino bloggers on this site is the tendency to want to be spoon-fed. I am Filipino and, believe me, this observation is not meant to denigrate our compatriots in any way. I just wish that people will make an honest effort to find things out for themselves first before asking for help. But I digress. Any non-native speaker who wants to work in an English-speaking environment needs to not only pass TOEFL, but to speak and write the language well. There's a good reason why this is required and it has nothing to do with discrimination or anything remotely connected to it. We've always prided ourselves with being hard-workers and doing what it takes to get the job done. Once you recognize the real problem and take steps to deal with it, I'm sure you'll be well on your way to getting that Louisiana license. Again, best of luck.

TOEFL is really just basic English. It's the English that we were taught in grade school until high school. Aside from practice tests, I doubt that there would be a lot of review materials that can really help, if in the first instance the foundation itself is lacking. Please be mindful, that your grasp of the English language will determine how well you can chart, which is an important tool for the continuity of care. The other members of the healthcare team will need an accurate description of the patient's condition during your watch and that's where you'll need your English language skills. Its importance can't be over emphasized. I think NP Gilly hit it spot on. Practice with friends and colleagues (nevermind family, there might be more resistance in that corner) and watch CNN, forget TFC. It's only in applying yourself that you will overcome this hurdle. Best of luck!

I think it's important to point out that before you can sit for the CRNE, you first need to apply for assessment in the province where you intend to practice. This takes months, over a year even. Additionally, the Canadian Embassy in Manila has been known to reject applications for visas for the purpose of SEC assessment and, quite logically, to sit for the CRNE in Canada. Please review other threads on this forum that refer to this topic. There's a serious disconnect between how things are supposed to be done and the conditions prevailing on the ground. Do some real research so you can determine what path to take. Asking around is not a bad thing, but do your homework and don't rely on hearsay. That way, you'll be able to expend your time and resources wisely. Good luck!

I have been absent from this forum for a while and read postings on this thread with some degree of amusement. The scenario, as described in the original link, could have taken place anywhere in the world. I won't necessarily pinpoint the US, because I really mean anywhere in the world. Like several people pointed out, the internet is rife with it. Some bloggers in this forum allude to this very openly. The ones who ask for schools in the Philippines that will graduate them in a year or so. Well, bully to them! I sincerely hope they get what they deserve. I believe there are enough safeguards in BONs all over the world to protect themselves from these unscrupulous agents of deceit. The fact that nursing schools in the Philippines have sprouted like mushrooms is indeed alarming. However, the reputable schools continue to produce excellent nurses. They're the constants in the equation and the ones that seem to be overlooked in these discussions. They do exist. Sadly though, the focus seems to be always on the negative, seldom, if ever, on the positive. I am confident, that Filipinos who cheated themselves out of a good education in exchange for their hard-earned cash, will eventually realize that short cuts don't work. That a beautifully printed diploma is not worth the paper it's written on, if there are no skills and learning to match.

Do accept my felicitations, too, LatinaVN (or should that be LatinaRN now), for a job well done. You deserve respect for dealing with all the hurdles and doing the work to realize your goal. As a Filipino nurse, it was painful to see the confrontational and adversarial posture of some of the young people which led to unwarranted criticism and the parrying of insults with other bloggers. Such actions/reactions are completely uncalled for. Nothing good can come of it. I urge that we all practice restraint and to not easily take offense. Let's respect each other's point of view and learn where we can. No one system is perfect. That's why the tagline of this forum is "Nurses Helping Nurses," remember?

Agreed, westawakenings. I just hope that the younger ones would somehow take heed and not simply be defensive. I know very little about the practice of nursing in your part of the world. However, it's comforting to know that there are pioneering people among our ranks, such as yourself, who love the profession and continue to give a positive image to the Filipino nurse. Cheers!

Thank you for the insight and the honesty, westawakenings. I, myself, am not a rookie. I completed my training many moons ago from the school that's considered as the training ground for future leaders of our profession. Having said that, I hope that the younger ones will not dismiss our views as simply arcaic and irrelevant. I've been regularly visiting this forum and have been rather dimayed at the immaturity and churlishness exhibited by some. The constant whining and complaining with regard to documentary and testing requirements, the poor grasp of the English language, and, last but not the least, the use of text language in writing their blogs. One wonders how these nurses will be able to chart! If common expressions are not within the realm of their vocabulary, what more with the more exacting jargon that's required in the work place? Let me be clear that this posting is not meant to merely criticize. When all is said and done, I still believe in the Filipino's indomitable spirit. I really do. But, we first have to stop the endless complaining, and screaming discrimination. Let's take a long hard look at ourselves. Let's recognize what's wrong with us and resolve to correct them. Only then can we take a step in the right direction.

I can't agree with you more, westawakenings. One major problem, I think, is the false sense of entitlement of some of our colleagues. Paying hundreds of thousands of pesos to some unscrupulous agency does not mean that the requirements of the nursing boards will be waived. Stop being victims and research extensively before you part with your money. The internet has practically all the information you'll need to make informed decisions. All these whining and complaining will only succeed in antagonizing the very people who make the policies, and give the Filipino Nurse a negative image. If one can't comply with the requirements of the host country, then one can't practice in that country. That's the long and short of it.