US Citizen going to the PI for Nursing Questions

gemini_star, BSN, RN · Aug 28, 2008

Hoss, I agree with you on low performing nursing schools of 50% and below for 3 consecutive exams. After that, if no improvement it should be closed.

For ChunkyLover, these are the performances of the 2 schools you mentioned for the last four NLE:

NAME OF SCHOOL [Dec-06] [Jun-07] [Dec-07] [Jun-08]

(No ofStudentsPassed %Passed) (No.ofStudentsPassed %Passed)

1) COLEGIO DE SAN AGUSTIN-

BACOLOD CITY (157 58) (94 47)

(

209 59) (24 20)

2) RIVERSIDE COLLEGE (294 38) (443 44) (328 42) (260 46)

TOTAL RESULTS

AverageNo.ofStudentsPassed Average%Passed

1) 121 46

2) 331 43

I didn't include June 2006 results due to the cheating issue. The results above didn't reach even half of the percentage. You are welcome to study here but make sure that you choose the school worth paying for with good quality education. With your determination, you can make it. Good luck!

wishiwereanurse, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2008

I graduated high school when I was 17, and I graduated in the US too. But unlike you, I had no research prior to going to the Philippines to study. So, that's good...for you..especially now, because lots of things have changed within the last 4-5 years...

I didn't make it on the June enrollment, so I hung out in California for a while..I had a job and earned some money before getting out of the country..I went to the Philippines halfway through that year and familiarized myself to the place where was going to live/study. I was on my own..my extended family lived some towns away..

I didn't like Metro Manila though, it was "too everything"- too polluted, too many people, too much traffic, gotta wake up at early hours, at like 3am to get a decent shower and be at school before traffic jam starts.. I went to school where they had a good rating until they started going into the "nursing as business" also..but the instructors were great, they've been instructors for so many years...they chew students out..

What are the usual hours of classes? (like how in HS we go from 7:20 AM - 2:05 PM)

My first year, I had a scattered schedule. Had classes in the morning, some in the afternoon, straight monday to saturday. Sunday was for NSTP (They don't do the ROTC anymore), so we cleaned up highways and stuff like that, on our uniforms..on a sunday..

My second year was brutal, it started with Phil. Literature at 7am and ended with Physics at 7p.m. We only had a 2 hour lunch break throughout tthe day, so you gotta prepare to take a quiz after a quiz after a quiz...you don't have time in between to scan your notes. RLE (Related Learning Experience) was for a day..so we got 3 days off...but most of tthose days you spend meeting up with friends to do group projects...No more summer break for 2nd year, I had classes and clinical rotations. (But now, I guess schools are doing the RLE and rotations early 1st/2nd year..??!?)

Third year was a bit nicer because I only had classes half a day in the afternoon for three days, then the other three days were 8-hour clinical rotations, except when we're out in the community (takes longer because of the travel time). Same as 2nd year, we have clinical rotations in the summer..8-hour shifts and classes...

Fourth Year was just the same, except we had Thesis Writing, for so many days I was awake for more than 24 hours because we were working on it. We also had clinicals during semestral break and one week during Christmas break because we had in-house review. Fourth Year is also head nursing, so if you're a "head nurse" you need to prepare before you go on clinicals. It was crazy when I had a class that ends at 8pm, then I had to go to duty at 10:45pm. Until I get home at 8am, no sleep for me.

What are the class sizes like (20-30, 30-40, 40-50, etc..)?

It was minimum of 46, maximum of 52 in my class..

Are we allowed to use laptops in class to take notes or record lectures?

No laptops for us, but we were allowed to use recorders..Most teachers want it the old-fashioned notebook way, and they will tell you to write every single letter so you can "improve your handwriting". Some teachers believe in handouts, though.. but you gotta pay for them..

How are the teachers? I've heard that they're more caring for the students to pass, but I've also heard that they can be brutal.

Teachers can be brutal..I've been chewed and spit out... But I loved my teachers...I think it's all about respect..

Would I have to do any entrance exams? (Problem with this later)

In my college I had an entrance exam in math, english, science, and and IQ test...check with your potential college (if you are still going to Phils. that is)

What kind of subjects do they assign in a usual schedule for the year?

Ask your potential school for their curriculum. If you have A.P. subjects in high school, I don't think they'd credit those in the Philippines, 'cuz I had A.P. Bio and AnaPhysio in highschool, but those didn't count as college credit for me..

Would they follow some kind of a similar format or would it be completely be different?

an example of my 1st year sched was:

7:30 am - 9:30 am CHEM LAB

2:00pm - 3:00pm PHILOSOPHY

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm NURSING ETHICS

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PHILIPPINE HISTORY

whereas 2nd year was 7-8am, 8-9, 9-10, 10-12, 2-3, 3-4...

Would I have to do the National Service Training Program (ROTC/LTS/CWTS)even though I'm an American?

Yes.No Doubt.

Whats the ratio like on book work vs hands on training? (Kinda like how Police Officers do more hands on training then book work, while Lawyers do more book work with maybe a few mock trials)

There was a lot of bookwork..

Are there many projects? Group? Individual?

A lot of projects, group and individual.

Essays done at all?

A lot of papers and essays

My advice: If you want to go study in the Philippines for the sake of having a whole new experience, go ahead...it really is different...it's not going to be all fun, it's a lot of hardwork...You need to be persistent with your grades or you will drop..You must want to be a nurse really bad, or you will drop...In my stay in the Philippines, I met a lof of people and made lots of friends, and do some really interesting stuff in the community. And being someone who grew up here in US, I learned again about the history, the languages, culture...I danced tinikling, carried an english-filipino dictionary in classes and my teachers helped me out, I finally know who Rizal is and what he did...that kind of stuff... Everything was far challenging from high school where cheerleaders used to whine on how hard english class is...

But if you want to be a nurse, soon and fast and sure..take the advice of the people on these boards, it is true..all that they say.. if you're a nurse in the US you can go anywhere, easier to get a job after graduation, easier to get ahead, that kind of thing...

Good Luck and Congratulations on your upcoming highschool graduation!

JazzyJean_RN · Oct 22, 2008

Go for Makati Medical Center (Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Memorial Schools). It has already produced several high profiled nurses in the country already. Most of their graduates are now working in the US. One was just recently been pirated,the former Director Of Nursing of Makati Medical Center (she graduated form our school-Remedios Trinidad ROmualdez Memorial Schools) by St Luke's Medical Center. I believe she will be the director of nursing services of the same hospital, only a bigger branch slated to open on Oct 2009 at THE FORT. ST Luke's is JCI-accredited already. ANother is already an Assistant DIrector of Nursing Services in Asian Hospital and Medical Center (managed by BUmrungrad Int'l -JCI accredited),also a graduate of the said school. It is one of the top nursing schools here in the Philippines with good RLE (Related Learning Experiences) and owned by Makati Medical Center itself that is why ONLY RTRMS nursing students get to experience their clinical rotations in the said hospital. No other nursing students can be trained there. Makati Medical Center nursing students are even given priority when it comes to hiring of nurses. It's a well known hospital here in Pinas and the medium of language is English. People pretty much speak English very fluently there. I graduated from that school years ago and they are now working for JCI accreditation as well. As a student, we were exposed to different kinds of patients, most of them are ENglish speaking.

If you are interested, let me know. I can inquire about your queries regarding tuition fees,etc.

a) Usual hours of classes are only from 7:30 am to 5:00pm, the most

b) Class size is roughly 40 to 50 per section. From the initial 3-4 sections, it usually gets trimmed down to 2 sections towards the 4th year of the curriculum.

c) I have seen students now using their laptops in the cafeteria. That made me presume they are also allowed by some instructors. Not sure a 100% about this.

d)Look for Ms. SUbido - one of the very best teachers Makati Medical Center has had. She has been our Medical Surgical/Pathophysiology instructor and she explaims very well indeed. She still teaches at RTRMS and whenever I ask fresh grads form my alma mater, they would still throw accolades to Mrs Subido. RTRMS has had records of producing graduates who placeaamong the top in the NLE boards.I graduated 1995 and one of my batchmates palced 6th in that year for the NLE board.For thsi year , you may wnat to read this news.

Check it out:

http://www.makatimedcenter.com/default/press-room/hospital-news/action,Display/faq_item_id,79

* Teachers can indeed be strict but not really brutal:D

Yes, you will undergo an entrance exam.

For the first years of your Nursing school, you will have the ff:

First Semester

Communication Skills 1 (ENglish 101)

Sining ng Pakikipagtalastasan (Filipino)

College Algebra

General Psychology

General adn Inorganic Chemistry

Philosophy of man

Physical Education (PE 1)

Socail Arts 1

2nd Semester

Communciation SKills 2

Biochemistry

Ethics

Panitikang Pilipino

Socio Anthropology

Zoology

Physical Education 2

Socail Arts 2

Other major subjects like Micriobiology and Parasitology and Nursing 101 (Fundamentals of Nursing Practice 1), Anatomy and Physiology, Teaching Strategy, etc starts on your 2nd year. There willa lso be Pharmacology/Dosage and Solution),Nutririon,Physics, Essay adn Expository Writing, Asian Civilization and the rest of the Nursing (mostly Medical Surgical Nursing )subjects and RLE from your 1st semester of yoru 2nd year until your 2nd semester of your 4th year. At Makati Medical Center, apart from the many hrous of clinical rotations you get int he differnet floors(OR, ER, General/Standard Nursing Unit,Psychiatry/Delivery Room), you also get to experience being immersed in the community set up of Nursing. That's when you will go to some depressed areas and other communities where you will learn hwo to be skilled as a nurse student ina diff set up. Thsi time, not in a tertairy hospitla absed one, but in govenrment lying-in centers, etc. Your teaching strategies will also need to surface as there will be a lot of health teachings you need to do when you are already immersed in the community.

Don;t worry about the hands- on training. You will get lots at Makati Medical Center. =) Even now, I still see studnets allowed (under the preceptorship of the staff nurse) to do peg feeding and other procedures themselves. Ratio of assigned patients per student is usually 2, maximum of 3. You will be asked to do at least 2 care plans for each patient during your clinical rotation.

Yes, tehre will be projects. No nursings tudent will graduate withotu doses of these CASE STUDIESSS...Goodness! +) But it's fun, don;t you worry. There will come a time you will get immune to this group project/CASE STUDIES. On yoru 4th year of course, you will also have a group thesis.

You will have essyas in yoru Epxository Writing course.

I guess I have gone too long already. But i sure do hope this helps. =)

JazzyJean_RN · Oct 22, 2008

Here's a link of the RTRMS School OF Nursing:

http://rtrmsmmc.edu.ph/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

For foreign applicants. click on this link:

http://rtrmsmmc.edu.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=25

suzanne4, RN · Oct 22, 2008

Makati is not known for accepting foreign students first of all. And it is also one of the hardest schools in the Philippines to get into.

Things have changed quite a bit since you have gone to school there.

Even notice for the link that you have provided above, for the foreign student, there is nothing there but a contact number either. And literally only that. And is also states nothing about them accepting foreign students on that site.

suzanne4, RN · Oct 22, 2008

A much larger issue is that the training is now a full five years for the BSN and there is no guarantee that the training is going to be accepted in all 50 states in the US for licensure when you are done.

Not all programs in the US even meet the requirements for licensure in all 50 states here.

When one goes to school out of the US, then they are considered a foreign grad for their entire career and will always need to meet the additional requirements for the foreign grad. Licensure and immigration are not related when it comes to having a license granted to you. You also cannot even apply for licensure until you have actually graduated and have a completed set of transcripts to submit by your school. It is harder to get jobs now as a new grad even in the US, and most are going to go to those that were students in their facility while they were in training. As a foreign grad, things are going to be much harder for you as your orientation will have to be longer in most instances since there are so many things that are done differently in the US.

Thinngs have also changed considerably with how the training is done in the Philippines now as compared to the US. Yes, Makati has one of the best rankings in the entire country there, but to get in as a foreign student is going to be almost if not impossible. You are going to need to be at the top of your class here just like they have to be there, etc.

JazzyJean_RN · Oct 22, 2008

Makati is not known for accepting foreign students first of all. And it is also one of the hardest schools in the Philippines to get into.
Things have changed quite a bit since you have gone to school there.
Even notice for the link that you have provided above, for the foreign student, there is nothing there but a contact number either. And literally only that. And is also states nothing about them accepting foreign students on that site.

Yes, I am aware of that. But it can always be tried by the inquirer. I have seen some foreign nursing students during my time. For this time, it may have changed, yes. However,it can still be tried.

For now, I can go ask the school if they can do admit a foreign student. As far as I know, they still do so long as the entrance exams are passed.

suzanne4, RN · Oct 22, 2008

One cannot write the entry exam unless they are physically in the country there. And that would be with a tourist visa. One cannot normally change their visa to that of a student without leaving the country.

One cannot work there as a student either during the entire time that they are there.

What was happening when you were a student there is quite different from what is going on there now. And the issue with getting licensed in the US as well when one trains out of the US is also getting harder in many respects.

Notice that their own website that you provided the link for at this time, did not say anything other than to call them. If they were wholeheartedly into accepting a foreign student, it would state it there.

How long ago did you actually complete your training there? Great that you got into there, but most of those in your country are not even close to getting accepted there to begin with, so if there are not enough openings for citizens from your country that wish to go there, why in the world are they going to accept someone from another country?

As well as the fact that it is now so much harder for even a US new grad to find a position in most locales; let alone someone that has trained out of the US in any other country.

GSG9ers · Oct 22, 2008

Well if you have th money to study in the Philippines, i suggest you go to big universities such UST, UP, San Beda etc. They have good trainings and do have thier own hospitals. UST as an example, is one of the best university in the Philippines and they have alot of top notchers in the NLE. Its because they offer good training. But you do have to sit in an entrance exam. Nursing in UST comes in qouta, it means they select the best students.

My cousin is an American Citizen and we graduated at June 2008, he didnt take the NLE but was made eligible to take the NCLEX RN in California. But taking NLE in the Philippines would be a great experience since you'll be sitting in 500 question exam divided in 5 different exams. I took my NLE and passed it with flying colors, then i took the NCLEX and passed at 75 questions.

Regarding the time of school, it gonna be tough. Since clinical duties which start at summer before the third year starts at different rotations. Most of the time its 6am to 2pm , 2pm to 10pm or 10 pm to 6am. . . thats for the clinical duties. Oh, before you do this... you'll have to do community health nursing... which is good since you'll be helping alot of people.

ONE Thing for sure you'll learn if you take up nursing in the Philippines. . . You'll learn the true meaning of nursing . . . Its gonna be a very humbling experience for you. . . GOD BLESS !

heavensent814 · Oct 31, 2008

Makati is not known for accepting foreign students first of all. And it is also one of the hardest schools in the Philippines to get into.
Things have changed quite a bit since you have gone to school there.
Even notice for the link that you have provided above, for the foreign student, there is nothing there but a contact number either. And literally only that. And is also states nothing about them accepting foreign students on that site.

This is absolutely untrue. Im a foreign student graduate of RTRMS...and i was accepted so easily. You just have to have an average of 85% and pass the exam. I guess the hard part would be the fact that there are soooo many enrolling in nursing because they want to work in the states, this is what makes it difficult to get in, not the fact that your a foreign student.