100,000 nursing graduates expected to take June board

What nursing shortage?

As many as 100,000 Filipino nursing graduates are expected to take the licensure examination this June, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced yesterday.

PRC chair Leonor Rosero said between 80,000 to 100,000 nursing students graduating in March are projected to take the eligibility test set on June 1 and 2.

Rosero urged examinees to file their application and all the necessary requirements early to avoid overcrowding at designated PRC filing centers.

According to Rosero, nursing students graduating this school year can take the licensure examination provided they were able to submit all the necessary documentary requirements.

Examinees may file their applications at the PRC central office or regional offices in the cities of Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Lucena, Tacloban, Legaspi, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga.

Rosero said applicants have until April 18 to file their application forms.

Those who are unable to take the June examination may take the eligibility test on Nov. 29 and 30.

PRC has recorded an increasing trend in the number of examinees, as more Filipinos are opting to take up nursing so they could work overseas.

Filipino nurses are highly in demand and highly paid abroad, prompting even Filipino doctors to take up nursing courses.

But based on PRC data, only half of the nursing examinees pass the licensure examination. The low passing rate is partly to blame for the reported growing shortage of nurses in the country.

The Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Health are now drafting measures to address the shortage brought about by the continuing exodus of Filipino nurses.

Government officials said measures have to be taken to protect the domestic requirement for nurses and prevent the possible paralysis of the country’s health system.

Meanwhile, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion urged countries hiring Filipino workers to help the Philippines replenish the supply of Filipino manpower.

Brion said foreign employers must share the burden in the training and education of Filipino workers to ensure sufficient supply of skilled workers.