July 8, 2013, Monday -
The Philippine Regulations Commission released the results of Registered Nurses Batch 2013 through online web. Earlier, I went online (as always and everyday) to check what's happening, what's trending, and how was everyone doing (even if I don't really care to their nonsense posts. lol) Anyway, my Facebook news feed was flooded by status posts, screen captured online results with their names on and tagged 'congratulations' status posts. I want to congratulate first those who passed the Nursing Licensure Exams 2013. Okay I am happy for them. Who doesn't? We all know it's not easy to study everything technical, medical, and those biological terminologies that took years in the making. So they do deserve more than congratulations. I mean every profession came from hard work but c'mon guys, let's give the limelight first to these board passers. I am soon, anytime this year, to take the first Psychometrician Licensure exam so I know how the pressure feels like. It was going to be bigger than anything since it was the FIRST and finally psychology graduates will have our own professional license. Anyway back to the RNs. My point is that their profession is indeed in large number. They are in demand not only here in our country, but also worldwide. So my question is, would they pursue their careers as nurses of the Philippines?
REALITY CHECK
I really don't have the exact numbers of how many Nurses are still here in the Philippines, or how many registered Nurses pursued their careers rather than being underemployed. But we could observe in our society, through social media and news, that there were growing numbers of nurses being underemployed, unemployed, and going overseas for the sake of having a job to fulfill their responsibilities and obligations as breadwinners of their families here in the Philippines. I could recall how CHED announced in the news that they discourage (yes 'discourage', but in a good way) high school grads to take the course Nursing. Why? This is because it is overpopulated. There were a lot of Nursing graduates but there were less employers, or hospitals that would give proper compensation and benefits to these nurses. That is why Nurses would go overseas to earn more. For some, they would be applying for another job. An example would be nursing graduates that applies for a BPO company, which usually happens.
SUGGESTIONS?
A lot of problems arise from this topic such as unemployment, brain drain, and health. Discouraging students from getting the course they want (i.e. Nursing) is not the solution. The course may be overpopulated but come to think of it. There are hundreds of hospital nationwide, not only in Metro Manila and big cities, but also in far provinces that badly needs medical help. Of course, it could be better if Doctors would also be open in giving medical assistance to those who are unable to go the cities. As for the government, these hospitals need to be reconstructed and have better facilities so that hospital staffs and medical staffs would be more interested to be employed. It could also help to reduce unemployment rate in the PH. For those with great facilities and hi-end hospital structures, they seem to have it all but their compensation and benefits are not that enough for the nurses. That is why they'd rather go abroad because they would earn more than here in PH.
Where do we go now?
We can't go anywhere unless we'll do something about this, or rather the government people since they're the ones in charge. We might be some random individuals but I believe that they would hear us and some day, this kind of issue will be prioritized. But as of the moment, it was obvious that there were bigger issues that the government needs to tackle and resolve. For now, everyone should be more understanding to both sides and just cooperate to whatever is being compromised. It's just that, for me, it would be great if nurses would just be here in their own country and serving their fellow countrymen. I also have relatives abroad and some of them are nurses. Thank God for skype and for the internet because it lessens their homesickness. My aunt would say that she badly wants to go home here at PH but she can't since I have cousins that are still in college. Just like in any other filipino families who are in the same situation like mine, I hope that these modern heroes should be given the right treatment and whatever they deserve.
The Philippine Regulations Commission released the results of Registered Nurses Batch 2013 through online web. Earlier, I went online (as always and everyday) to check what's happening, what's trending, and how was everyone doing (even if I don't really care to their nonsense posts. lol) Anyway, my Facebook news feed was flooded by status posts, screen captured online results with their names on and tagged 'congratulations' status posts. I want to congratulate first those who passed the Nursing Licensure Exams 2013. Okay I am happy for them. Who doesn't? We all know it's not easy to study everything technical, medical, and those biological terminologies that took years in the making. So they do deserve more than congratulations. I mean every profession came from hard work but c'mon guys, let's give the limelight first to these board passers. I am soon, anytime this year, to take the first Psychometrician Licensure exam so I know how the pressure feels like. It was going to be bigger than anything since it was the FIRST and finally psychology graduates will have our own professional license. Anyway back to the RNs. My point is that their profession is indeed in large number. They are in demand not only here in our country, but also worldwide. So my question is, would they pursue their careers as nurses of the Philippines?
REALITY CHECK
I really don't have the exact numbers of how many Nurses are still here in the Philippines, or how many registered Nurses pursued their careers rather than being underemployed. But we could observe in our society, through social media and news, that there were growing numbers of nurses being underemployed, unemployed, and going overseas for the sake of having a job to fulfill their responsibilities and obligations as breadwinners of their families here in the Philippines. I could recall how CHED announced in the news that they discourage (yes 'discourage', but in a good way) high school grads to take the course Nursing. Why? This is because it is overpopulated. There were a lot of Nursing graduates but there were less employers, or hospitals that would give proper compensation and benefits to these nurses. That is why Nurses would go overseas to earn more. For some, they would be applying for another job. An example would be nursing graduates that applies for a BPO company, which usually happens.
SUGGESTIONS?
A lot of problems arise from this topic such as unemployment, brain drain, and health. Discouraging students from getting the course they want (i.e. Nursing) is not the solution. The course may be overpopulated but come to think of it. There are hundreds of hospital nationwide, not only in Metro Manila and big cities, but also in far provinces that badly needs medical help. Of course, it could be better if Doctors would also be open in giving medical assistance to those who are unable to go the cities. As for the government, these hospitals need to be reconstructed and have better facilities so that hospital staffs and medical staffs would be more interested to be employed. It could also help to reduce unemployment rate in the PH. For those with great facilities and hi-end hospital structures, they seem to have it all but their compensation and benefits are not that enough for the nurses. That is why they'd rather go abroad because they would earn more than here in PH.
Where do we go now?
We can't go anywhere unless we'll do something about this, or rather the government people since they're the ones in charge. We might be some random individuals but I believe that they would hear us and some day, this kind of issue will be prioritized. But as of the moment, it was obvious that there were bigger issues that the government needs to tackle and resolve. For now, everyone should be more understanding to both sides and just cooperate to whatever is being compromised. It's just that, for me, it would be great if nurses would just be here in their own country and serving their fellow countrymen. I also have relatives abroad and some of them are nurses. Thank God for skype and for the internet because it lessens their homesickness. My aunt would say that she badly wants to go home here at PH but she can't since I have cousins that are still in college. Just like in any other filipino families who are in the same situation like mine, I hope that these modern heroes should be given the right treatment and whatever they deserve.