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By Sammy Martin, Reporter
The number of Filipino nurses who applied for
work in the United States declined in the first three months of
2008, compared to the same period last year.
Data provided by Catanduanes Rep. Joseph
Santiago indicated that only 4,686 Filipino nurses took a
US-administered exam from January to March 2008, lower than the
5,076 who also took the test the previous year. The number decreased
by 390, or 7 percent.
In 2007, a total of 21,499 Filipino nurses took
the said test—the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)—for
the first time, excluding repeaters. This showed an increase of 42
percent compared to the 15,171 Filipino nurses who took the exam in
2006.
The NCLEX is administered by the US National
Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. (NCSBSN).
Santiago, who has been pushing for reforms to
build up Philippine nursing education, said the 2007 figures
“translate to a daily average of around 60 Filipino nurses seeking
to practice in the US alone.”
Besides demanding the closure of substandard
Philippine nursing schools, the Catanduanes representative also
earlier publicized a list of institutions that have performed below
par.
He also expressed support for a Commission on
Higher Education (CHED) directive compelling each independent
Philippine nursing licensure examination review center to affiliate
with an accredited college promptly or face closure.`
The senior lawmaker said this move would ensure
the scholastic accountability of review centers and check the spread
of deficient ones, including fly-by-night operators whose number had
increased due to the high demand for nurses.
Nursing is now the preferred course by a growing
number of college enrollees.
The CHED’s Office of Policy, Planning,
Research and Information sees almost half a million or 497,000
students taking up nursing in the school year 2008 to 2009.
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