High marks

More and more Filipinos are being tapped to fill the nursing shortage in the United States, which is projected to last well into the next decade.

"It is no secret that the Philippines supplies the majority of foreign-born nurses working in the US, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East," said Miguel Perez, country manager of Assessment Technologies Institute International. ATII offers a proven review method for nurses about to take the US nursing licensure examination known as the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) as well as the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

"With the growing shortage in healthcare professionals in developed countries, the Philippines is well-positioned to supply skilled workers to meet this need," Perez said.

Based on the 1991-2000 data of the Professional Regulation Commission, about 350,000 nurses are registered as health professionals. As of two years ago, the Commission on Higher Education placed the annual enrolment for nursing students at 27,800.

Review

At the heart of ATII’s review business is the online assessment and review system called Assessment Driven Review program developed by its parent company, US-based Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC. In operation for the last five years, ATI has improved the average pass rate of nursing students who have taken the comprehensive assessment and review program to between 84% and 91%.

"The online system enables nurses and nursing students to get immediate feedback and real-time assessment of their performance. This systematic learning strategy is intended to help nurse candidates focus their study efforts in the areas where they have the greatest need for improvement," said Perez.

A typical review process takes anywhere between four and eight weeks and depends on the type of review program a student is enrolled in. Review programs start at $50.

Joint venture

ATII is a joint venture between ATI and a Filipino investor group. The company’s management team includes managing directors Mark Dunn and Perez, classmates who completed their MBA at Harvard Business School.

From an initial P10 million, ATII’s investments are expected to grow to P150 million in the next three years as the company sets up review centers in key provincial cities nationwide. Twelve review centers will be established in the next 12 months.

In the medium term, there are plans to expand to the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

"In the future, we plan to partner with nursing colleges to integrate our products and services in the local nursing and undergraduate programs. We hope to assist nurses in preparing for the Philippine nursing board examination," said Perez.