SEN. PIA WELCOMES NCLEX IN RP, BUT CITES 'DOWNSIDE'

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today lauded the approval by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. of the request of the Philippine government for the establishment of a testing center in the country for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

"Bringing the US nursing licensure exams to the country represents a major breakthrough that would benefit thousands of Filipino nurses and their families," said Cayetano, who chaired the Senate Committee on Health and Demography in the 13th Congress.

"This means that Filipino nurses can now take the exams here instead of flying to other countries like Guam or Hong Kong and spend on board and lodging. It lessens the cost and the troubles of applying and traveling to another country," she added.

She noted that the development "brings a whiff of fresh air" to the nursing sector after the board exam leakage scandal in June 2006 which tainted the image of the local nursing profession.

The lady senator acknowledged that the breakthrough has its own downside, since this would also mean a bigger deluge of nurses lining up for work in the US, including more Filipino doctors who will just be enticed to retrain as nurses.

"The migration of health professionals is a sad reality that we have to accept. We cannot stop our doctors and nurses from looking for greener pastures elsewhere, unless we can offer them viable alternatives here," she explained.

"In fact, there are available options for the government to make medical practice and nursing professionally fulfilling careers in the country."

Cayetano exhorted the administration to implement Republic Act No. 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 and Republic Act No. 7305 or the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers, particularly the provisions which seek to upgrade the salaries, benefits and work conditions of our health professionals.

These were among the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography which conducted an inquiry into the exodus of doctors and nurses in 2006.

"This is the least we could do for our unsung heroes who have opted to stay in our country despite the unrewarding pay here and the lure of higher salaries abroad," she concluded.