US still needs Pinoy nurses

CEBU - Although there is an oversupply of nurses in the Philippines, the United States still needs nurses until 2016, this according to a Filipina who is a member of the Board of Nursing in Nevada.

Belen Gabato, in yesterday’s press conference coinciding with the 72nd founding anniversary of the Philippine Nurses Association Cebu Chapter week-long celebration, said the US still needs at most 500,000 foreign nurses for the next eight years even if they recently embarked on training locals.

She said Filipina nurses are still in demand because of both attitude and quality of education.

Although Commission on Higher Education supervisor Joecell Ann Jumao-as said commercialization of nursing cannot be avoided because of the sprouting of numerous Nursing schools, she assured that Nursing schools in Central Visayas are performing well.

In fact, Jumao as said two of the schools in Region VII, the Cebu Normal University and Silliman University, were given Certificates of Excellence in the said field.

PNA Cebu Chapter vice president Letlet Mission said they also police their own ranks so that along with CHED the technical, clinical competitiveness as well as critical thinking of the nurses are developed. — Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP (THE FREEMAN)