Volunteer Nurses: Counted as a Work Experience?

World Philippines

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I know a lot of Nurses in the Philippines are doing volunteer works just to satisfy the Nursing Board's requirements in their country of destination.

In relation to this, i've known a friend who is a nurse in the philippines who told me that the PNA will Ban volunteer nurses from the hospital or any facilities...

In the State of Victoria, Australia, volunteer work experience is not accepted as a work experience, unless you are in a registered capacity while doing it.

How about in other countries are they going to count it? and the Banning of volunteer nurses by the PNA, do you think this could help? what would be the solution for this?

say your thoughts...thanks.

Re: Volunteer Nurses: Counted as a Work Experience? Before, I also have conservative views regarding this "volunteer nursing" system in the PI.

But after months of wasted time, I realized that it's much better than having no experience

at all.

However, I still believe that the ones who are truly benefitting from this are the hospitals,

especially those who ask for payment. I resent it but I had to swallow my pride. Anyway, I went to an

agency hiring nurses to Canada and they told me volunteer experience can be considered as work experience.

hello guys..can i ask what is the name of the agency that accepts volunteer experience? and how to apply for it..thanks.

It doesn't really matter what the agency accepts unless they are a staffing firm who will be the ones hiring you. Ultimately the hospital is the one who will determine if your volunteer work counts as work experience.

I have communicated with different people in different parts of the USA, some of them understand the nature of volunteering in the Philippines and will accept volunteering and others will not.

I have found individuals in the same hospital with a difference of opinion.

Therefore, there is no guarantee EVER that volunteering will be counted as work experience.

I thought volunteer work counted as work experience. Thank you for the info. i am still unemployed and i guess i will do volunteer work just to have experience.

Volunteering, it seems to be the only job left for nurses in the Philippines. But who are we to complain, it's better than letting our skills rot and not doing anything at all. It's sad though that some hospitals even require nurses who want to volunteer pay for the "experience," "training" or whatever you call it.

Very well said all my fellow nurses. Volunteer nurse is now a trend here in our country and i think that is inevitable as long as there are a lot of nurses that are unemployed. A lot of us newly grad nurses will still be doing whatever we can to pursue our career and be able to use our licenses without a compensation. I suggest that keep on going you know whats best for you and for your future careers.

I would rather call it a "forced trend" an "exploitation trend" and of course "slave labor". According to your board of nursing you're competent enough to practice nursing your country with pay. You should NEVER be foreced to train without pay unless it's a commission based position. I encourage you all to fight back against these places. The employed nurses are getting paid for doing almost nothing, while you're doing everythinig for free.

The employed nurses are getting paid for doing almost nothing, while you're doing everythinig for free.

I agree :)

I would rather call it a "forced trend" an "exploitation trend" and of course "slave labor". According to your board of nursing you're competent enough to practice nursing your country with pay. You should NEVER be foreced to train without pay unless it's a commission based position. I encourage you all to fight back against these places. The employed nurses are getting paid for doing almost nothing, while you're doing everythinig for free.

This is exactly why so many Pinoys want to go to the USA since there are labor laws in place to provide them all with better work environments and they will gain the respect they deserve based on the skills they have worked hard to attain.

Many are also fighting the system here to make it work better for the people but with the current administration in place perpetuating the high levels of corruption there isn't much hope for a change without something radical happening.

I sincerely hope that whatever the radical change is that it can occur in a non-violent way.

This is exactly why so many Pinoys want to go to the USA since there are labor laws in place to provide them all with better work environments and they will gain the respect they deserve based on the skills they have worked hard to attain.

Many are also fighting the system here to make it work better for the people but with the current administration in place perpetuating the high levels of corruption there isn't much hope for a change without something radical happening.

I sincerely hope that whatever the radical change is that it can occur in a non-violent way.

The American nurses fought hard to get proper working conditions. While I am not a big organized labor person, that is what happened in the 1960's when nurses banned together. US conditions did not improve by nurses moving to another country.

I too hope for a non violent solution to any problem. The Pinoy nurses should ask for Nursing schools to stop admissions until the nurses are employed. Why crank out thousands of nurses only to have them unemployed.

... The Pinoy nurses should ask for Nursing schools to stop admissions until the nurses are employed. Why crank out thousands of nurses only to have them unemployed.

I totally agree! Nursing schools are increasing their admission of new students every year and by the time those students graduate, where will that leave them?

And really, those employed nurses who are working in hospitals that take in "volunteers" are getting paid by just nagging the volunteers to do this and do that for them. If they get lucky, there are students too who are doing their clinical rotations which leaves them with nothing to do at all..

The American nurses fought hard to get proper working conditions. While I am not a big organized labor person, that is what happened in the 1960's when nurses banned together. US conditions did not improve by nurses moving to another country.

I too hope for a non violent solution to any problem. The Pinoy nurses should ask for Nursing schools to stop admissions until the nurses are employed. Why crank out thousands of nurses only to have them unemployed.

Although I totally agree, I think the schools are only after one thing and that's $$$$$$ because it makes the world go round. IMO, money is the devil, people have an obsession with money and that's not a good thing. I'm by no means rich, but even if I have a little bit of money and a friend needs it, and it's my last $50.00, I will loan it to them if they need it to pay the electric bill, gas for their car, food for their kids, as long as I have it, I'm bank of cubanita LOL.

I believe the are still excellent schools in the Philippines that produce some excellent nurses. As there are bad schools, who suck in unsuspected people. If you pay money for an education then you deserve to get that education and nothing less.

I believe the are still excellent schools in the Philippines that produce some excellent nurses. As there are bad schools, who suck in unsuspected people. If you pay money for an education then you deserve to get that education and nothing less.

Agreed which is why I consistently encourage prospective nurses to look at the PRC statistics and choose schools which routinely rank with high numbers of local board passers.

Some universities here only get 10-15% of their graduates to pass local boards while others are passing at 80-90%.

Unfortunately with the government corruption as high as it is in RPH; CHED (the governing body of higher education) has no teeth to enforce any sort of standards among universities.

Ultimately it will come down to PNA deciding to stop straddling the fence and actually endorse quality levels to take things out of the hands of an inept and uncaring government.

PNA may not be able to shut down the bad schools, but if they establish a level of quality for thier own endorsement then prospective nurses could just look for PNA certification before deciding to study in a certain school.

Unfortunately the high levels of poverty also have a lot to play. Many nurses WANT the best education but end up having to settle with whatever they can afford and hope that they can work hard enough to be among the 10% that actually pass from that school.

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