2006 and up Registered Nurses' Career Path Status

jap07 · Aug 23, 2013

i think I was too young when I went to college. After graduating highschool, I did not have any choice on what course to take and since nursing back then was the trend, I went with it. Right now, I am a contractual job order nurse at one of the government hospital in Tarlac. I achieved this after volunteering/training for almost 2 years, participating in the RN Heals program, taking the midwifery Licensure Exam, and taking units for my masters.

I hope you can share yours too :)

mikeru22 · Aug 23, 2013

i think I was too young when I went to college. After graduating highschool, I did not have any choice on what course to take and since nursing back then was the trend, I went with it. Right now, I am a contractual job order nurse at one of the government hospital in Tarlac. I achieved this after volunteering/training for almost 2 years, participating in the RN Heals program, taking the midwifery Licensure Exam, and taking units for my masters.
I hope you can share yours too :)

Thanks Jap. :) I graduated in July 2008, took the NLE in November 2008 and right after the NLE, I went straight to a locally owned international call center where I worked for a year despite being a registered nurse already. After that I transferred to the largest BPO employer in the country where I got promoted as a Coach in less than a year, I stayed there for almost 3 years. I then transferred to an in house financial institution where I stayed for only 6 months until I got the chance to be shortlisted for RN HEALS.

The offer was great with the last company I worked with because my compensation was upgraded by 40% but I left it for RNHEALS. I am currently a Psychiatric Nurse Trainee at NCMH and so far so good except for the fact that I am missing my financial freedom when I still work in call center.

ed009,RN · Sep 9, 2013

Hi Sir Mikeru, good I found this thread. Batch 2010 graduate here. Right now, I have 2 jobs. I work online which is my regular job (home-Based) and the other one is as a company nurse (which I do during the weekends). Me and my brother who is also a Nurse are the breadwinners of our family. We also send our sisters to college. So even though I applied and luckily passed some examinations years ago (that's for PGNT or the Post Grad Nurse Training), I didn't pursue it because no one would support my financial needs. I envy those co- examiners who happen to be acquaintances who are now staff nurses for almost 2 years now.

I am planning to pursue my dream of becoming a Psychiatric Nurse, (hoping it worth all the risks despite my current situation). Can you give me some insights sir about this Psychiatric Nurse Trainee at NCMH? What are the pros and cons given the dilemma I have right now.

Thank you in advance sir! God Bless :up:

mikeru22 · Sep 10, 2013

Hi ed009,RN. The Psychiatric Nurse Training was opened under the RNHEALS program by DOH. It's a one year training where in nurses will be exposed in different receiving, admitting, acute, chronic, Rehab, Custodial, Pay and special pavilions of NCMH. Just like regular nurses, RNHEALS trainees perform all the nursing responsibilities a regular staff nurse perform but with direct supervision. Besides the regular rotation in different pavilions every quarter, we also have an IN SERVICE training where in different members of the health care team facilitate lectures on specific topics to enhance our skills and make us more competent Psychiatric Nurses. Unlike the volunteer nurses elsewhere, we receive an P8,000 monthly allowance. We will be evaluated at the end of the training and some of us will be absorbed as staff nurses.

I had the same dilemma prior joining the training and like you it took me some time to really figure out what to do and what to prioritize. If you can afford to just have P8,000 monthly allowance then go for it, but I need to emphasize that the training is for a year.

ed009,RN · Sep 10, 2013

Thank you sir mikeruu22 for your detailed response :up: I'm wondering if the program under RNHEALS (where you are enrolled right now) is still accepting applicant? I'm planning to visit NCMH next week all the way from Cavite to inquire. I already know some of the requirements needed (I believe it's the same as the standard requirements posted on NCMH's website, correct me if I'm wrong hehe).

By the way sir, how long have you been training at NCMH? How about the obstacles you endured prior on becoming a trainee? I feel so anxious about going back to the field because the last hospital exposure I had was when I was in College which was 3 years ago :cry: .

Thank you so much sir for all the info you have provided ( and will provide more :)) Forgive me If I have a lot of questions! God Bless sir :saint:

mikeru22 · Sep 12, 2013

Thank you sir mikeruu22 for your detailed response I'm wondering if the program under RNHEALS (where you are enrolled right now) is still accepting applicant? I'm planning to visit NCMH next week all the way from Cavite to inquire. I already know some of the requirements needed (I believe it's the same as the standard requirements posted on NCMH's website, correct me if I'm wrong hehe).
By the way sir, how long have you been training at NCMH? How about the obstacles you endured prior on becoming a trainee? I feel so anxious about going back to the field because the last hospital exposure I had was when I was in College which was 3 years ago .
Thank you so much sir for all the info you have provided ( and will provide more :)) Forgive me If I have a lot of questions! God Bless sir

Haha you indeed have a lot of questions ed009,RN but that's alright. I haven't really heard anything from our Personnel Department yet regarding the screening for the next batch of RN HEALS. There are only 3 steps to get hired for the RNHEALS post at NCMH. First is to submit your credentials, resume, autobiography & NBI clearance (2 copies each) together with the RNHEALS application form which I got from the DOH website. The next step is to wait for their call for the NP Screening (aptitude, IQ and Behavioral Exam). Lastly is to wait for the orientation.

3 years of gap between the last time you had your clinical rotation and now isn't that long, it took me almost 5 years before I could practice nursing again. I have been here since January 2012.

Dinx · Sep 12, 2013

I am a 2nd courser of BSN, I graduated March of 2007. I worked in Pfizer before taking up BSN.

I took NLE June of 2007 and took NCLEX-RN September of 2007. I really put emphasis on finishing all licensure exams first before taking a plunge in hospital work. My aim back then was to have a US employer to petition me and my family for an immigrant employment-based visa. I was hired by a US-based employer May of 2008 and got my priority date of July 2008. Still waiting for my priority date to be current for embassy interview, as of todate, current priority date processing is December 15, 2006, so I guess it is still a long wait for US emplyment.

My first hospital job began in June of 2008 in a 250-bed capacity tertiary hospital. My first area of work was medical-surgical ward. After 8 months, I became an ER nurse, then a year after was promoted to Head Nurse. I spent 3 years in that hospital then began applying for work abroad as financially motivated

Presently, I am here in Kuwait working under its Ministry of Health and was assigned in a medical unit in one of its hospitals. Im here for about 2 years. Soon in God's perfect time, we can move to US when my priority date becomes current and immigration formalities all done.

I must say that yeah, my career path as a nurse is pretty much alive and productive but it took a lot of sacrifices, dedication, hardwork, prayers, patience and determination before I came to this point. Thanks for my great love to my wife and 2 daughters (ages 12 and 4) which is my focal point of motivation and strenght and to HIM for all HIS guidance.

mikeru22 · Sep 14, 2013

I am a 2nd courser of BSN, I graduated March of 2007. I worked in Pfizer before taking up BSN.
I took NLE June of 2007 and took NCLEX-RN September of 2007. I really put emphasis on finishing all licensure exams first before taking a plunge in hospital work. My aim back then was to have a US employer to petition me and my family for an immigrant employment-based visa. I was hired by a US-based employer May of 2008 and got my priority date of July 2008. Still waiting for my priority date to be current for embassy interview, as of todate, current priority date processing is December 15, 2006, so I guess it is still a long wait for US emplyment.
My first hospital job began in June of 2008 in a 250-bed capacity tertiary hospital. My first area of work was medical-surgical ward. After 8 months, I became an ER nurse, then a year after was promoted to Head Nurse. I spent 3 years in that hospital then began applying for work abroad as financially motivated
Presently, I am here in Kuwait working under its Ministry of Health and was assigned in a medical unit in one of its hospitals. Im here for about 2 years. Soon in God's perfect time, we can move to US when my priority date becomes current and immigration formalities all done.
I must say that yeah, my career path as a nurse is pretty much alive and productive but it took a lot of sacrifices, dedication, hardwork, prayers, patience and determination before I came to this point. Thanks for my great love to my wife and 2 daughters (ages 12 and 4) which is my focal point of motivation and strenght and to HIM for all HIS guidance.

Such an inspiring story Dinx, thanks for sharing. I hope I can post a story like this a couple of months from now haha. We were all looking forward to being a USRN during college days, we graduated, passed the local board and got disappointed because getting a hospital based job locally is as tough as getting a job abroad as nurse. I never thought I would still have the chance to practice nursing until RNHEALS program was opened at NCMH. I like Psychiatric Nursing ever since and although I was over exuberant about being able to wear that white uniform again, I had given up my career and my lifestyle, something I never imagined when I was already earning a lot.

God bless you Dinx! God has been really generous to you. It's a strong testament on how faithful he is in keeping his promises to make us prosper and fruitful only if we will trust in Him and allow Him to make wonders in our lives.

ron27 · Oct 16, 2013

hello everyone!!

well i dunno how to start this but couple of year after i finished my BSN degree i really regretted why i took up nursing on the first place, I always thought what if? what if i could only turn back time. btw, i graduated march 2007, took and passed the NLE in DEcember of the same year. I worked in an ICU as a volunteer nurse for 6 months until i realized that nursing is not for me. I left my work without any notice to my seniors and worked in the callcenter for more than 2 years. Until one day i just woke up and felt like there is something missing in me, So I talked to a friend who is currently applying as an onco nurse in dubai. so what I did I talked to my friend in the HR to give me a certificate of employment. I then applied at workabroad.com. I undergone 3 interviews, 1 in bangladesh, 1 in algeria and 1 in libya which i luckily passed all the 3 interviews but in the end i chose Libya, so maybe nursing is indeed my calling. I am currently an ICU staff nurse here in Libya and just finish 1 year.. next year i will be having my vacation...

kazcrazern · Oct 17, 2013

hi guys. good thing i found this thread. :)

i am new here and i think this thread was posted years ago. anyway, i graduated bsn last march 2012 and passed nle july 2012. i was happy and excited to be working as a nurse. i took ivt training and bls after that but i never thought that it would be really hard to look for a job. i got frustrated and applied as a call center Agent last feb2013. but as months gone by, im still frustrated bec i didnt really get to do what i really want wch is nsg. that's why i decided to resign and pursue nsg.last aus 2013, i passed my req and crededntialsin east ave. im still waiting for their call. im planning to take hemodialysis training for now. im still doing my research. thank you for all of your inspiring stories. these stories encouraged me to strive hard and not to give up.

kazcrazern · Oct 17, 2013

i just want to ask, does it matter if i worked in a bpo industry? i mean, if i will apply as a nurse to some hospitals, are they gonna use it against me? im afraid that they wont accept me bec it has been a year already since my last training (ivt and bls).