What is the Phillipine 'secret'?

TweetiePieRN · Jan 28, 2004

We have some nurses on our floor that were trained in the Phillippines. They were telling me that to get into nursing school there was a height requirement of 5 feet tall!! (i know...kinda off topic, but your post just reminded me of this)

stevierae · Jan 30, 2004

the absolute best rn i have ever worked with in almost 25 years as an o.r. nurse is a filipina, and i would like to pay tribute to her here: (name removed by admin for privacy reasons), san jose, ca. she was--is-- phenomenal in the operating room--there was nothing that she could not do, and she taught me a lot.

i worked with many, many fine filipina o.r. nurses in ca--i haven't had the privilege much since i moved from ca--and i learned a great deal from all of them.

oh, they are all great cooks too--lumpia, pancit, adobo--bring it on!!!

so true--all the filipina nurses i knew were fiercely devoted to their families, and passionate about working, saving money, and sponsoring their family members to come over here and have a chance for a better life. and those family members, in turn, "paid it forward!"

LT Dave · Feb 6, 2004

I work with a lot of Phillappino Nurses and they are very hard workers. It is a great way for them to get out of thier 3rd world country and escape porerty. One of my best friends in a RN with me who was a Cardiologist in the Phillippines. His Medical degree is not accepted in the US so he got the RN degree.

One thing that bothers me is how passive they are. They rarely step up to the plate when leadership is needed. They are not aggressive when needed, i.e. dealing with arrogent Doc, Admin... I am from NY so my idea of being passive is different from others. However, its just my observation.

-jt · Feb 6, 2004

I dont know think that theyre so passive. They just exhibit their assertiveness differently. I work with a lot of very pro-active Filipina nurses. Heres the story of one Filipina-NYer who did step up to the plate:

New York State Nurses Association REPORT: January 2004

NYSNA President Lolita Compas: Taking the Helm

by Diane Pineiro-Zucker

NYSNA

As a young woman, Lolita Compas immigrated to New York City from the Philippines in 1969. At the time thousands of Filipino families were making their way to America. Today, Filipino nurses are transforming health care in the United States and Compas is taking a leading role.

The New York Times recently ran a feature on Filipino nurses' extraordinary contributions to their adopted city. "Filipinos in New York City are practically defined by that single occupation, and they are the largest ethnic group among nurses or other health practitioners - four times the rate for the entire city population, according to the 2000 census," the Times article stated.

On Sunday, October 19, at the NYSNA Convention in Rochester, Compas became the first Filipino-American to be elected to serve as NYSNA's president. She is proud to serve in that capacity and looks forward to fostering NYSNA's goals of "representation, unity, and solidarity."

She is the immediate past president of the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA). An active member of NYSNA since 1973, Compas served on the Board of Directors from 1996 to 1998, left to lead the PNAA, and has served since 2000. She has been an elected delegate to the American Nurses Association (ANA) House of Delegates since 1996.

Dedicated to Nursing

Compas has worked at Cabrini Medical Center in New York City since 1969, holding various positions from staff nurse to nursing management. She is currently the clinical instructor for critical care and emergency services. She has been chair of collective bargaining at Cabrini since 1986. Compas has been recognized as a dedicated educator, competent nurse manager, and an effective leader, and dynamic catalyst for change and reconciliation.

She likes to credit her "strong and close" family for giving her the inspiration she's needed to accomplish so much. Compas' parents' heartfelt support for education, and their willingness to sacrifice so that each of their 11 children could attend college, led Compas to a life of professional achievement and fulfillment. "We were encouraged to become good people, good citizens, and to help others," she says.

Unity and Solidarity

Compas has received a number of awards and citations, including a citation from New York City Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi for distinguished leadership of Philippine-American nurses across the country, commitment to providing comprehensive care for every American, and dedication to serving the Filipino and other Asian communities on the local, state, and national levels. Governor Mario Cuomo presented Compas with an outstanding Asian American Award and she received the NYSNA Economic & General Welfare (collective bargaining) Award in 1992.

Compas earned her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from St. Paul College in Manila and her Master's of Arts in Nursing from New York University. In addition, the American Health Association of New York has certified her as an instructor in basic and advanced cardiac life support, and she is a Certified Emergency Nurse.

In a recent interview, Compas reiterated the message of her inaugural address at Convention: "I have never doubted what union representation, unity, and solidarity can do to improve the plight of New York's nurses and of nursing. These are ideals that NYSNA continues to strive for." She stressed the importance of forging partnerships in a diverse community of nurses and presenting a strong and united front in the struggle for rational staff-to-patient ratios and an end to involuntary overtime.

"We will take the journey together-building coalitions, forging partnerships and utilizing our talents, unique skills, and a variety of abilities," she pledged.

:: Publications | :: Departments and Services Home | :: NYSNA Home

http://www.NYSNA.org

pickledpepperRN · Feb 6, 2004

The nurses at this hospital and on the committee are more than 50% Filipino.

The nurse standing on the left of the picture, Hilda Paraiso is on the Board of Directors of the CNA.

http://cna.igc.org/cna101/nursingpractice.htm

Community Campaign Improves Telemetry Staffing

The CNA Professional Practice Committee at St. Vincent, LA:

"Our telemetry unit assignments were too heavy to allow safe delivery of patient care. After meetings with nursing administration proved unproductive, the telemetry nurses and the PPC initiated an intensive two-week ADO campaign on all shifts in the unit to document the unsafe assignments that resulted in a private meeting with JCAHO and the State Department of Health Services (DHS).

Violations of Title 22 were reported and the facility was cited for staffing deficiencies.

When administration still did not comply, the nurses held a candlelight vigil at the hospital about the staffing deficiencies at which copies of the DHS report were distributed to the media, physicians, and other staff.

A few days later, the staffing ratios recommended earlier by the PPC were implemented. The staffing matrix now includes 2 acuity levels at 1:3 and 1:5."

stevierae · Feb 6, 2004

Originally posted by LT Dave
I work with a lot of Phillappino Nurses and they are very hard workers. It is a great way for them to get out of thier 3rd world country and escape porerty. One of my best friends in a RN with me who was a Cardiologist in the Phillippines. His Medical degree is not accepted in the US so he got the RN degree.

One thing that bothers me is how passive they are. They rarely step up to the plate when leadership is needed. They are not aggressive when needed, i.e. dealing with arrogent Doc, Admin... I am from NY so my idea of being passive is different from others. However, its just my observation.

On the contrary--I don't think they are passive at all--at least not the ones I have worked with.

In fact, one of the surgeons I used to work with used to say that the Filipina nurses on the floors had a way of saying "Yes, doctor " to him in tone of voice that seemed very reverent and deferential--he thought we could take a lesson from them in showing "respect--"

Until it dawned on him (or he was finally let in on the secret) that this tone of voice was a way of saying to him, "Yes, a**hole."

I know it took him down a peg or two--at least he was enough of a good sport to laugh about it later.

Everybody knows you New Yorkers are rude and abrasive bulldogs , LOL...!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2004

I think it takes them a while to develop the assertiveness and leadership abilities they need to survive in the American nursing culture. We have six new Phillipine nurses on our unit, they are quiet and hard working, rarely complain, when they are in the weeds they rarely ask for help.

On the other hand, we have some who came with a large group 25 years ago. They are very different in how they handle situations, not passive at all.

Part of the "secret" is that both government benefit. We of course benefit as our "shortage" is eased somewhat. The Phillipine government, who has exported workers of all types around the world, benefits from the cash they send back home to their families.

NurseHardee · Feb 8, 2004

I rather doubt that Philippine society as a whole benefits by exporting primariily its female workers to other countries. How would America feel if its women were exported around the globe?

Likewise, it is of dubious benefit to Mexico that it exports so many of its male workers to the US.

Nurse Hardee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Part of the "secret" is that both government benefit. We of course benefit as our "shortage" is eased somewhat. The Phillipine government, who has exported workers of all types around the world, benefits from the cash they send back home to their families."

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 8, 2004

Originally posted by NurseHardee
I rather doubt that Philippine society as a whole benefits by exporting primariily its female workers to other countries. How would America feel if its women were exported around the globe?

Likewise, it is of dubious benefit to Mexico that it exports so many of its male workers to the US.

Nurse Hardee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Part of the "secret" is that both government benefit. We of course benefit as our "shortage" is eased somewhat. The Phillipine government, who has exported workers of all types around the world, benefits from the cash they send back home to their families."

ITA!!!!

I think the whole situation is sad all the way around.

mother/babyRN, RN · Feb 8, 2004

Me too...Pay us more and then nurses from around the world wouldn't NEED to be imported....Great people they are, however, at least the ones I have known...For the most part...But we can say that about every profession...

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2004

Originally posted by NurseHardee
I rather doubt that Philippine society as a whole benefits by exporting primariily its female workers to other countries. How would America feel if its women were exported around the globe?

Likewise, it is of dubious benefit to Mexico that it exports so many of its male workers to the US.

Nurse Hardee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Part of the "secret" is that both government benefit. We of course benefit as our "shortage" is eased somewhat. The Phillipine government, who has exported workers of all types around the world, benefits from the cash they send back home to their families."

Nope. It doesn't benefit society as a whole. But they don't seem to be discouraging the immigration and the money those immigrants send home. I've read that very poor countries like Cambodia and Vietnam get a significant portion of their gross national income from relatives overseas.

As for how would America feel? Families just deal. My dad spent a lot of time overseas earning his living. Plus, it's apples and oranges, two different cultures. If we had overwhelming poverty and sis could go overseas making $22.00/hr, I'd help her pack her bags.

But no, it doesn't benefit anyone in the long run. Doesn't address their economics, and doesn't address our "shortage".