First let me say that the vast majority of Filoppino nurses that I have had the privilege to work with were/are EXCELLENT. However, I cannot agree with the statements that they are all good or even that they are all concientious and hard working. Unfortunately I have worked with a few were the laziest people I have ever met. And also a coulple who were the most visicious and useless agressive jerks. By far they have been very good but I have also had the misfortune of running into the scum of nursing too. But I have also had the misfuortune of going to school with a real scum bag white american who is now in prison for illegal nusing related activity. It is just so wrong to sterio type any one group.
First let me say that the vast majority of Filoppino nurses that I have had the privilege to work with were/are EXCELLENT. However, I cannot agree with the statements that they are all good or even that they are all concientious and hard working. Unfortunately I have worked with a few were the laziest people I have ever met. And also a coulple who were the most visicious and useless agressive jerks. By far they have been very good but I have also had the misfortune of running into the scum of nursing too. But I have also had the misfuortune of going to school with a real scum bag white american who is now in prison for illegal nusing related activity. It is just so wrong to sterio type any one group.
Thanks for being honest. I have met some rude and unkind filipino nurses too. And lazy ones too. I met one that tried to black ball me from job sites that she worked at simply because of personality differences. Like all the other cultures and races they have the rainbow of personalities too. They are not angels, there's good and bad everywhere.
When I mentioned about the 1:30 nurse to patient ratio. This is the reality Filipino nurses are facing in government or public hospitals. In hospitals run by private corporations, the ration would be 1:10-15. I don't have any idea regarding nursing homes as you mentioned in your post because we don't have any. As for our equivalent to LPN and CNA, our nursing programs are geared toward a BSN degree. What we have here who will be our assistants or nursing aides in the unit are registered midwives. they do most of the "dirty works" like giving baths, changing clothes, etc. We also have orderlies who would assist the midwives. For nurses, well, you know already the job, medications, carrying out orders, etc.
Honestly, I don't have any idea about nurse:patient ratios in nursing homes. And it is good for you to point it out to me. As for ratio of 1:30 in the hospitals, then it is common here but not in your country.
Also, good luck to you finishing the registered nurse program this May.
This is a real eye opener for me. Most fiipino nurses I've worked with delegate alot, in short they do not really get involved in direct patient care. Now I understand why, if you can find the pieces to the puzzle you can put it together. They are not being lazy or mean it is the way they were taught, to focus on the managerial portion. It would be a lot easier on the nurses in this country if they would do it that way. There really would not be a nursing shortage. Not at all.Thanks for info.
Please I just have one more question. And I am not trying to be offensive in any way. But A large number of Filippine nurses in the area that I live in work 80 hours a week, either with two jobs or overtime on one job. Many times their children are taken care of by others.They do not even have time to watch their children grow up, they are working day and night. Their children are sleeping when they leave in the morning and sleeping when they come home. My question is; why is money more important than your family life? This seems to go on for years. I know one nurse that is over 65, her husband deceased, and one adult child (that is institutionized )she has been working two fulltime jobs for at least twenty years. How long does it have to go on? Is it your culture to value money like that? When do you have time to enjoy your life?
I am a Filipina and I wanted to say that it is not that Filipinos value money in the sense that they want to be rich. It is that the Philippines is a third world country. You have not seen poverty in the United States that even compares to poverty in Southeast Asia.
For even the Filipinos who have migrated here, many if not most have extended families abroad who rely on these relatives for a constant flow of monetary support to help pay for the most basic needs (a roof over their head, food on the table). I was raised to value family first, then education. Having money is just the reward for hard work well done.
it is not a secret it is an advantage b/c they are bilingual and educated in english. enough being said about all of the privileges the us grants them with. the phillipines has just as many privileges to offer to americans. one of them are affordable colleges and universities for mds and nurses to attend. the pediatric neurologist that i work for is a us citizen but she went to the phillipines to attend medical school because she could not afford to go to school here in the us. she told me that the school she attended had very high standards, the friends she made were sincere and honest and she recieved excellent clinical experience in the hospitals there. i credit her as well as another filipino national (now a us neurologist) for saving my 10 year olds sons life!! a filipino neurologist saw my son in a social setting and called it to my attention that he was toe walking, and had a petite mal seizure. he referred me to another md who ran a number of tests & a seriouse abnormality was found on the mri of my sons cervical spine. can't help but wonder why the other us trained mds missed something like this for 10 years. getting back to the phillipines this neurologist told me that there are a lot of nursing schools in the phillipines. the md i worked for said that the filipinos are very religous and value education. you cant use the filipinos as a scapegoat and blame them because we don't have as many nursing schools or people who are interested in attending them. sterotyping people is wrong. my husband is a japanese national , my kids are 1/2 asian seems that the filipinos have opened up their hearts and homes to my family time and time again. i commend people who have the ambition to go out and work hard. the filipinos i know are very loving mothers. they come from close knit loving families and are usually fortunate enough to have parents that take care of the kids so they dont have to go to a baby sitter or child care. my personal observation is that the nurses educated in the phillipines all seem to have excellent iv skills. enough of that.
by the way can somebody please give me a good recipe for lumpia and pancit (i'm seriouse). (thats me standing in front of the filipino food at a potluck)
one theory is that the opportunity is available for people to attend nursing school, mostly bsn programs.
one nurse can bring an entire family out of poverty.
strong family loyalty prompts rns working overseas to send money home.
they are doing something right that benefits us in my city and many others.
perhaps we can learn more.
did you earn your nursing degree in the philippines?
I am a Filipina and I wanted to say that it is not that Filipinos value money in the sense that they want to be rich. It is that the Philippines is a third world country. You have not seen poverty in the United States that even compares to poverty in Southeast Asia.
For even the Filipinos who have migrated here, many if not most have extended families abroad who rely on these relatives for a constant flow of monetary support to help pay for the most basic needs (a roof over their head, food on the table). I was raised to value family first, then education. Having money is just the reward for hard work well done.
That answers my question, thanks. I guess the next generation will be different, more americanized. A large number of Filipine nurses that I have come in contact with delay starting families to complete this goal. Sometimes they do not get the opportunity to have their own familiy....what a sacrifice. And you are right I have not seen poverty like that but it does exist in the United States just not at that level. There should not be any in this country, not at all. Once upon a time education was affordable but that is indeed in the past. Thanks for the info.
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!"
Please I just have one more question. And I am not trying to be offensive in any way. But A large number of Filippine nurses in the area that I live in work 80 hours a week, either with two jobs or overtime on one job. Many times their children are taken care of by others.They do not even have time to watch their children grow up, they are working day and night. Their children are sleeping when they leave in the morning and sleeping when they come home. My question is; why is money more important than your family life? This seems to go on for years. I know one nurse that is over 65, her husband deceased, and one adult child (that is institutionized )she has been working two fulltime jobs for at least twenty years. How long does it have to go on? Is it your culture to value money like that? When do you have time to enjoy your life?
Hi!
First and foremost, the reason why Filipino nurses are willing to work 80 hours a week or having two jobs at the same time is to earn eough money to help her/his family and the extended family back home in the Phils. As you see, our country"s economy is poor and some family members back home are in need of financial assistance. We Filipinos value our close knit family relationship, that one will go an extra mile to help another. Another reason would be that that having two jobs is not common in the Phils and with the opportunities availible in the US, most Filipinos would see these as added incomes.
I believe there are other Filipinos in this site who could also answer your question. :)
In the Philippines, everyone is talking about "working abroad." In US, no one seems to be attracted to nursing as a profession. I see nurses ads in the papers everyday, screaming $24 an hour, (I even see $45) with $6K sign in bonus, but I don't see people flocking to nursing school or writing the local government to produce more nursing school.
I don't mind legal professional immigrants. They pay taxes too! What's hurtin the country are those unskilled, can't speak english, will apply for welfare, illegal immigrants! Filipino nurses who are accepted to working abroad worked so hard to get here and these damn illegals just have to cross the border and receive all sorts of benefits then send all their welfare money home.
.... but I don't see people flocking to nursing school or writing the local government to produce more nursing school.
Wrong. People are flocking to nursing schools and nurses associations have petitioned the states over and over for more money to train nurses. One of the problems is not many qualified educators. But there are waiting lists at nursing schools all over the country. Ironic isn't.
The next paragraph in your post is borderline bigoted imo. :)
my boyfriend is filipino. i can say thst i would never imagine better person for me than he is. he is so much carrying and loyal fore me and his family, and i think that their secret is how they grew up and were treated.
most our filipino friends are very devoted to their families. they come here, save money, send to phillipines, try to get their rlatives here. it is so good and profitable for their life. they treat other ezactly the same, with respect, friendship, loyality. always helpful, kind, and i think that this is why they are who they are.
(thats me standing in front of the filipino food at a potluck)
Agnus
2,719 Posts
First let me say that the vast majority of Filoppino nurses that I have had the privilege to work with were/are EXCELLENT. However, I cannot agree with the statements that they are all good or even that they are all concientious and hard working. Unfortunately I have worked with a few were the laziest people I have ever met. And also a coulple who were the most visicious and useless agressive jerks. By far they have been very good but I have also had the misfortune of running into the scum of nursing too. But I have also had the misfuortune of going to school with a real scum bag white american who is now in prison for illegal nusing related activity. It is just so wrong to sterio type any one group.