Filipino Nursing Herald

Here's another news story that just supports our earlier post about the strengthened recruitment drive in Alberta, Canada: Alberta fishing for foreign nurses More foreign nurses are expected to flock to Central Alberta after the province pumps $5 million into recruitment efforts. “It’s absolutely excellent. It’s obvious the province has made this a priority and is moving fast on it,” said Karmen Fittes, director of shared services with the David Thompson Health Region. She hopes about 50 of the foreign nurses who respond to the government initiative will end up calling the Red Deer area their home. More than 100 registered nurses are needed across the health region for the workforce of about 2,000 RNs. (Red Deer Advocate)

Send the gift of knowledge this Christmas. Buy a book online and ship it to yourself or to someone else as a gift. In the Filipino Nursing Herald's Amazon Store , you can pick out all the newest and most popular nursing books and pay for it online. We highly recommend valuable titles such as Saunders' Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN , Saunders' Q&A Review for the NCLEX-RN , and LaCharity's Delegation, Prioritization and Assignment . We also have books from Kaplan , Mosby and many more.

Have a merry Christmas everyone! May the spirit of joy and giving fill our lives every day of the year.

The Canadian federal government has given Alberta the go-ahead and C$530,000 in funding to fly overseas and recruit foreign nurses. Officials from Alberta will be able to recruit and assess nurses without requiring these nurses to fly to Calgary's Mount Royal College first to take assessment exams, CBC reports . The move is intended to help Ottawa fill thousands of nursing vacancies. The pilot program is expected to save time and money as assessors can now go directly to places that have traditionally supplied nursing manpower and evaluate them in their own countries. During the assessment program, assessors look at the nurses' experience, education, and English skills. If an education upgrade is required of a nurse, classes can be taken that lasts from a few weeks to a year. **Personal Note** This is good news for Philippine nurses who want to try their luck in Canada. We don't know yet when the first assessors from Alberta will come over, but please be alert for potential...

A growing number of Filipino caregivers are being forced out of the United Kingdom because of a new law that mandates higher salaries for care providers, BBC news reports . A new rule issued by the UK's Home Office says that employers must pay their staff a minimum of £7.02 an hour for the staff to qualify for work permit renewal. Many home care services in the UK were commissioned by local authorities which have limited budget and cannot pay the required minimum. **Supplement on visiting UK** Despite the high cost of living, many Filipinos have flocked to the UK, working not just in the medical field such as nurses or caregivers but also in the hospitality sector. Many Filipinos also go to the UK either to study or to relax. Filipino tourists regularly visit the UK's charms to sample the culture and the nightlife. There are plenty of good London hotels to choose from. Tourists can also opt to stay in any of the Edinburgh hotels or Glasgow hotels to truly experience British ...

Filipino-American Belen Gabato has been appointed to the Nevada Board of Nursing, the first person of Asian descent to get the post, reports the Asian Journal . Gabato, who hails from Cebu City, first arrived in the US in 1964 and has been an active nurse-leader in the country. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons will officially induct Gabato to office on December 14.

Here's good news to everyone looking to get license verification from the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC). The PRC will accept license verification requests even if you still don't have the actual license card, as long as your name already appears on their database. In the past, the PRC rejected all verification requests from applicants who don't have their license cards yet. One of this blog's readers, Marco, shared to us this information. Goodluck to everyone.

Pulse Health, an Australian firm, is set to open a recruitment and training center in the Philippines with hopes of recruiting over 400 nurses and carers for facilities intended to care for elderly, disabled or recuperating patients in Australia. Read the Business Day report here .

With retrogression, hospitals in the US have temporarily suspended their sponsorship programs for foreign nurses. Some continue their recruitment efforts but the most they can do is file for the Petition for Alien Worker or I-140. When visas become available, look for US hospitals to start sponsoring foreign RN again. Here are a few hospitals in Southern California that have sponsored foreign RNs in the past: Saint John's Health Center - www.stjohns.org Good Samaritan Hospital - www.goodsamcareers.org Tenet California - teamtenet.com Enloe Medical Center - www.enloe.org Antelope Valley Hospital - www.avhospital.org White Memorial Hospital - www.whitememorial.com Just like other hospitals, these facilities have put their foreign recruitment efforts on hold, but look for them once there's some relief from retrogression. IMPORTANT NOTE: This posting should not be seen as an endorsement, rather it is for information purposes only. Please do your own research into these facilities f...

The Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) has now posted the room assignments for the Dec. 2007 nursing board exams on Dec. 1 and 2. There are separate room assignments for those taking the: A. Regular Examination B. Special Examination-June 2006 C. Removal Examination To view room assignments, see the list below or click here to go to the PRC Web site . A. REGULAR EXAMINATION ABABA, KHRISTHEA MAE SACRAME to ALINEA, EDZEL GARLITO View ALINEA, MARIE GRACE DE GUZMAN to ARTICULO, DESSA MARIE RIVERA View ARTIENDA, EFREN TESTADO to BARTOLOME, JADE BRILLIANT FERNANDEZ View BARTOLOME, JAIRUS IDOL FERNANDEZ to BRICIA,MARIA ROWENA DIAZ View BRIGINO, LEO VILLANO to CANLAS, ANGELICA PUNU View CANLAS, CECILE ABON to CHUA, SHONALEY ESGUERRA View CHUA,SUSANA BERNARDO to DANG-AOEN, DAVID JR CALAYCAY View DANGAL, ROCHELLE IRIS MACATANGAY to DELA CRUZ, SHERYL CASTAÑEDA View DELA CRUZ, SHERYL DELOS SANTOS to EGUIA, MARIA BEATRIZ BORCE View EGUIN, CAROLINE VILLA to FERRER, AIMEE REYNA TORRES V...

A new batch of Filipino hopefuls will take the Philippine Nursing Licensure Exam on Dec. 1 and 2. Here's wishing you goodluck on the test. As always, we'll try to post the results of the nursing board exams here once they are available. The only tip I can give you now is: Pray hard, think hard, and stay calm.

The income tax system works differently in the US compared to the Philippines. Whereas, a nurse's salary in Manila will only be deducted with a single income tax based on his or her salary bracket (or based how much the person earns annually), their US counterparts, on the other hand, may be charged a Federal income tax (US Federal governement), a State income tax (state level) and, possibly, a local income tax (county or city level). The Federal income tax ranges from 15% to 35%. Florida, Texas and Washington charge the maximum 35%, however theses states no not have state income taxes. State income taxes range from 3% to 9.5%. The lowest state income tax is in Illinois, which has a flat rate of 3%. Vermont has the highest as it uses the maximum 9.5%. In California, state income tax ranges from 1% at $6,622 in income and increases to 9.3% over $43,468. Nurses whose basic pay exceeds the minimum for the highest bracket are usually in the 9.3% income tax category. Aside from the inco...

For those anticipating updates about retrogression, just continue to be patient. The US Congress is on break until Dec. 4. Today's the start of Thanksgiving in the US so everyone's on vacation mode at this time.

Kaiser Permanente is one of the biggest hospital staff employers in the US. They have headquarters in Oakland, California and are located in 9 states and in Washington, D.C. I've heard many good feedback about Kaiser and how they treat their employees well. But getting on board Kaiser is a difficult process if you don't have any hospital experience, particularly U.S. hospital experience. A hospital recruiter told me that Kaiser in South California does not sponsor foreign nurses, but Kaiser facilities in North California do. So, once visa retrogression is out, I would recommend those with years of experience to check out this potential employer.

Just signed on with this new online ads company, Blogsvertise.com and part of their requirements is that I post something about them. For a long time I've been using Adsense from Google and have been happy with them. I would love to get any feedback from other people who've signed on before with Blogsvertise. In the meantime, I'll try out this new program and see how it goes. Later, I'll give my own feedback as well. We hardly make anything out of the Filipino Nursing Herald blog. What we value most are the friends we've made since we started this site. Born of our own frustrations with our own search for Web sites that catered specifically to Filipino nurses' needs, the Filipino Nursing Herald now has a modest number of regular visitors and a growing number of new visitors. We truly appreciate your visits and it is our hope, that in our own little way, we are able to help others in their own nursing career journeys. We always value other people's feedback,...

The Canadian Nurses Association says there will be a shortfall of 78,000 nurses by 2011, rising to 113,000 by 2016 in the country, CTV.ca reports .

A couple of days ago I blogged about the plight of 3,000 male nurses in Saudi who can't find jobs. The kingdom's ministry of health chief thinks that's already a crisis. In the Philippines, government officials wouldn't even bat an eyelash if tens of thousands of nurses today are unemployed. Just digest these figures a bit: In December 2006, around 20,000 Filipino nurses passed the bi-annual licensure exam conducted by the country's Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC). In the following exams, some 32,000 made it to become registered nurses as well. How many of these successful exam-takers do you think has been employed? With retrogression still a major hurdle in the US job market, how many of our registered nurses are actually working? Even with other markets, outside the US are open, such as the Middle East, how many have actually found employment? To add to our woes, the 32,000 nurses who passed the June 2007 exams still don't have actual licenses yet. So...

Despite what we posted last time about Canada, the country is still a land of opportunity for many. In the past weeks, for example, about 90 Filipino nurses have been recruited to work in the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, according to the Leader-Post. See story here . Information on the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region Information on Saskatchewan

Many things about our world bother me. High up on my list is discrimation and racism. Almost everyday, I hear stories of Filipinos being discriminated on just because of our race. Many efforts have been done to resolve this worrisome situation, but a lot more effort is needed to make it go away. I've heard stories about Canada being a land of promises. Some of my relatives have lived there for a long time and some of them have become successful. Yet, the truth about its broken immigration policies and its highly discriminative work environment is truly troublesome. Take this Web site (www.notcanada.com), for example, and see a part of this country's almost hidden identity. Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Joe Volpe acknowledges the issue. Read his comments here on W-Five's story . Even Filipino nurses who have years of experience are forced to work in the lowest positions when they go to Canada. I've heard about a nurse director from one of the larg...

Here's good news from the United Arab Emirates. The government is allowing nurses on visit visas to sit for their nursing exam and take on jobs with private hospitals. Read the story here . You must have at least three years work experience before you can work in UAE, but the government is looking to trim this down to two years.

Since the last push for new Schedule A visa allocations was stymied by US legislators, there's been no news of other similar proposals being pushed forward yet. At least, not that we know of. A lot of things happen in Capitol Hill and it's impossible to keep track of all of them. I guess the general sentiment in the US is that the big immigration issues will be addressed only after the presidential elections in Nov. next year. The issue is mostly focused on what America will do with its large population of undocumented immigrants. The issues affecting people in the employment-based categories like the technology workers, nurses and PTs are collateral damage, so to speak. The US Congress is currently rushing to finish about 10 spending bills or budget bills and just like the last Schedule A visa push, we're all hoping another proposal will be attached to one of these bills. Hopefully another visa proposal will be introduced without restrictive provisions such as the $3,500 a...

Some 3,000 male Saudi nursing graduates are still waiting for jobs, reports The Arab News. Dr. Obaid Al-Obaid, vice minister for planning and development at the Ministry of Health, claims there is a surplus of male nurses but a shortage of female nurses in the Kingdom. Female nurses comprise 35 percent of all nurses working at government hospitals in the Kingdom while male nurses make up 32 percent. “The number of jobless Saudi male nurses will unfortunately increase by the end of this year to reach 6,000 to 7,000,” said Al-Obaid.

The Association of Nursing Service Administrators of the Philippines (ANSAP Inc.) regulates Intravenous Therapy (IVT) training seminars in the country. For upcoming training schedules, you can call them at (63)7163901 loc. 383.

A US House and Senate conference committee has approved the Labor-HHS-Education budget bill that combines the proposed budgets for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. The bill will be presented and voted on by Nov. 5. We're still trying to confirm if the proposed recapture of 61,000 Schedule A visas made it through. Update: There's news that the proposed recapture of visas for Schedule A occupations did not survive the conference committee.

The US budget appropriations bill where the proposed re-allocation of Schedule A visas is tacked on to is currently being deliberated on in a conference committee involving both the US House of Reps. and the US Senate. Here are some links that provide updates on the progress of the bill: US Senate Appropriations Committee US House of Representatives Apprpriations Committee You can also search Google News for the latest updates. Just google "Labor, Health, Education Appropriations bill"

The proposed 61,000 visas for Schedule A workers in the US is caught in the middle of maelstorm involving Democrat lawmakers and President Bush. Read the latest news from the Washington Post about the state of US appropriation bills, one of which includes the proposed new visas for foreign nurses.

This post was initially intended as an answer to a question posted by one of my visitors, but I've decided to make it an entirely new blog entry so that others may also read it. I often encounter a lot of people who get confused about the entire US nursing application process. Although there are many resources on the Internet that provide information on this, I guess many still get lost and don't know where to look. Others, perhaps, look for a crystal ball that can provide answers in a jiffy without making them sweat even just a little when searching. Still, questions need to be answered, regardless if you belong to the first or the second, so I hope this satisfies those who are looking for information. Most of what I'll explain here was already discussed in previous posts, particularly in the NCLEX series of articles. Part 1 of the series is at the end of this link . To be able to work as a nurse in the US, you must have the following: 1. US Nurse license 2. US Visa that a...

We've written before that President Bush has threatened to veto the appropriations bill where the proposal to recapture 61,000 visas for nurses & PTs is attached. To understand why the White House and the US Congress is at a standoff on this issue, go through some of the statements released by Sen. Robert Byrd, chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee, to learn some history about the matter. Read this statement to start your research.

Here's a link to the full text of Amendment 3449 as submitted to the US Senate. Full text of Amendment 3449.

On Tuesday, the US Senate approved by unanimous voice vote to include Amendment 3449 to the budget appropriations bill of the Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education. Amendment 3449, introduced by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, seeks to give 61,000 visas for nurses, physical therapists and their immediate families. Nurses and PTs are part of the Schedule A classification, which states that these occupations are shortage jobs in the US. The approval of the amendment in the Senate is a major victory. The Senate was recently the battleground for the controversial immigration reform bill which was voted down. The appropriations bill will now face a Senate-House conference for the final phase of the legislative process in Congress. If the bill gets through, it will be submitted to President Bush for final review and approval. At both levels, the bill faces very tough challenges. If the bill makes it past the joint conference, the President could still veto the bill ...

The US Senate approved a proposal to attach the Bridge amendment to the Labor Health and Human Services appropriations bill. The amendment would open up as much as 61,000 visas for nurses and their immediate families. This is very good news indeed. There is still a long way to go, but this is a major step forward for all foreign nurses. There is a threat that President Bush might veto this bill if it passes the conference. Bush' displeasure with the bill is not directed against the bridge amendment, instead his attention is focused on other provisions of the bill, particularly with regard to the size of the proposed budget under the bill. Read the full story from Hammond Law's blog .

Over the past week, two amendments were offered in the US Senate that would recapture unused visas for Schedule A applicants, particularly foreign nurses, and their families. Hammond Law Group, in its Web site , said these amendments could be tackled as early as this week. The first amendment seeks to recapture 61,000 unused visa. This amendment is being attached to the Labor Health and Human Services appropriations bill co-sponsored by Sen. Schumer and Sen. Hutchison. The second amendment seeks to recapture visas not just for Schedule A workers and their family members but also for other Employment-based visa applicants. We hope these amendments get approval and their parent bills later being signed into law.

It seems all is quiet in the frontlines of the US immigration struggle. After the failed push to reform US imigration policies earlier this year, talks of new immigration bills have been relegated to the sidelines and talked about in hushed tones. There is simply too much drama associated with immigration in the US that any debate on the matter sets off fireworks. Despite this, we're all hoping proposals to give more freedom for foreign nurses to enter the US would still be moving forward. Advocates for the nurses' cause are expecting things to inch forward by November until early next year. We're hoping Congress will look at this issue more favorably and then let's pray for the US Senate to follow suit. But until then, let's all be patient. Now is the perfect time to get your own papers ready; now is the time to hone your skills and add weight to your stock. So that when the road opens up again, you'll be all set.

Filipino nurses who are already in the US, might be interested to visit these scheduled career fairs organized by Nursing Spectrum . Although retrogression is still in effect, it won't hurt to meet possible employers when the visa restrictions are resolved: Upcoming Career Fairs for 2007 October October 18 Oakland, CA October 23 Las Vegas, NV October 24 Baltimore, MD October 24 Tinley Park, IL October 26 Edison, NJ November November 6 Dallas, TX November 8 Ft. Lauderdale, FL November 13 Seattle, WA November 13 San Diego, CA

Here's a sad case of a Filipino nurse who was suspended from the hospital he worked for in the U.K. Based on the charges brought against him, it was said he "lacked competence" both in his nursing skills and his English communication skills. I feel sorry for this man and I hope we all get some lessons from his experience. I know a lot of people who've taken up nursing so that they can take advantage of the many opportunities for nurses in other countries, but before you set out for greener pastures, I urge you to try to keep the high standards that Filipino nurses have been known for. Assess yourself, see where you're weak at, and seek ways of improving your skills. Try to get some hospital experience, even if some employers don't require you to get one. There are good training programs out there. If that doesn't work out, do some volunteer work; a couple of these volunteer programs are very good. Do this for yourself so that you'll be more confident ...

A couple of hospitals in Manila offer nurse volunteer programs. Some collect a small fee, some allow you to volunteer for free. St. Jude Hospital & Medical Center in Dimasalang St. (Just after UST Hospital and Infant Jesus Hospital) offers a good program for new nurses. There's a small fee of 2,000/month but they will give you a certificate at the end of your program. East Avenue Medical Center offers a free volunteer program for new nurses. Registration is conducted every Wednesday. Just bring all your credentials with photocopies. As with any training programs, you have to be aggressive and try to do as much as you can to learn. Be perceptive and don't be afraid to ask staff nurses or even the doctors so that you'll learn a lot.

Here's a shoutout for my good friend, Joey A. of the Inquirer. Thanks for featuring The Filipino Nursing Herald in Blog Addicts . Check out Joey's own Babel Machine blog .

Here's a useful technique I learned from an English teacher that you can use for your own English exam. This can be used either when taking the Writing or Speaking modules in TOEFL iBT or IELTS. When being asked your opinion on any subject matter, you can use a simple formula. For example, if you were asked: "What are your favorite tourist destinations in Manila?" You can answer this by using a formula: General statement + List + Explanation of each subject on list + summary. To apply this formula,this is how I would answer the question: (1) Manila is a beautiful city with many tourist attractions. (2)Among these attractions, my favorites are Luneta Park, Intramuros, and Manila Bay. (3)I like Luneta Park because I can just sit down on the grass and relax and enjoy a picnic. (4) I like Intramuros because I can look at many historical artifacts displayed there and get to see different products from the provinces that are being sold at a fair inside Intramuros. (5) Lastly, M...

I get asked a lot about what English exam is best to take when applying for a license in the US. People who read my blog know that I took the TOEFL iBT for my own licensure application but most people I know take the IELTS. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is administered by ETS, a private nonprofit organization that develops and administers tests for educational measurement and research. The TOEFL and its latest product, the TOEFL iBT, was primarily developed to test English skills of foreign nationals to see if they would be able to communicate effectively in an academic setting in the US. That's why the content of the test simulates situations on campus that potential students would like encounter. On the other hand, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council and IDP Education Australia. Unlike TOEFL which is geared primarily for an academic setting, IELTS offers ...

Here's one of the best position articles I've read on the issue of nurse migration, particularly about Filipino nurses migrating to the US. Everyone please take time to read this and pass it on if you must. Here's a link to the article written by Joseph Curran: Open Letter to President Carter

Perhaps many of the repeat visitors of this blog have been disappointed over the past few weeks largely due to my failure to post new information on my blog. Please accept my apologies. I suppose all bloggers on the Internet have hit some kind of quiet period once or twice or more in their online careers. These past few weeks have taken much away from my time working on my young blog. I hope you would understand my dear friends. Scanning through some of the Web's pages, I found an interesting link: There's a GMAnews report about 21 Filipino nursing students who staged a protest rally earlier in the day to call for equal rights among Japanese nurses and Filipino nurses who could be deployed in Japan once a treaty between Japan and the Philippines becomes ratified. It was a bit confusing to read this piece of news. The news writer says that the student nurses were against the ratification and yet he failed to say exactly why they were against it. The news source (or the person in...

The failed push for an immigration reform law in the U.S. Senate cast a gloomy shadow over other immigration-related legislation, including the Strive Act, which seeks to give, among others, visas to foreign nurses to work and live in the U.S. Since many legislators have declined to touch the topic of immigration, it's good news indeed that one of the influential newspapers, the Wall Street Journal, in the U.S. have adopted the cause to enable the entry of foreign nurses as a short-term solution to the growing nursing shortage crisis. Here's a link to an editorial published on Sept. 12 in the WSJ. The link is from a post in the Hammond Law Group blog .

There are many books that you can use to review for the NCLEX-RN test, but here are some books that were very useful when I studied for my own U.S. licensure exam: 1. Kozier's Fundamentals of Nursing - always useful whether for local or the U.S. NCLEX. It's important that you know your basics. 2. Saunder's Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination - finish reading the entire book and then try to answer the entire set of questions in the accompanying CD-ROM. When answering questions and you get stymied by a difficult question, go back to the book and study the topic again. This is a very good routine when studying and it improves retention. 3. Saunder's Q&A Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination - Use this book together with the Comprehensive Review to look up answers to questions you have difficulty answering. It has a CD-ROM companion which contains basically the same questions as in the book. 4. LaCharity's Prioritization, Delegation & Assignment ...

The U.S. Congress, particularly the House of Representatives has revived the debates on immigration issues in the U.S. through the STRIVE Act. The Subcommittee on Immigration held its hearing on the proposed bill last Sept. 6. I've been trying to find out if anything significant came out from that first hearing, but have found little news so far. It's still too early to tell what will come out of this new effort to put in place a new US immigration law but I'll keep this site updated on news about the proposal when they become available. Some links to stories: Heartbeatnews.com Statesman Journal OC Register

Here's the registration schedule for nurses who just passed the June 2007 board exams. (Thanks, Noel, for sharing this with us.) REGISTRATION SCHEDULE OF NEW NURSES (JUNE 2007 NURSE LICENSURE EXAMINATION) A JOSE, Mona Rhina -- ALVARADO, Julie Ann (October 17) ALVARADO, Maria Concepcion -- BACONAWA, Maria Cristina (October 18) BACOS, Mardion May -- BERNAL, Valerie Joy (October 19) BERNALDEZ, Cheyne Riz -- CALILONG, Ma. Corina (October 22) CALILUNG, Jenny Pearl -- CHUA, Jay Anne (October 23) CHUA, Jay-ann -- DAZA, Caridad (October 24) DAZO, Mary Catherine - DITONA, Paula Marie (October 25) DIUMANO, John Reynel - FACUNDO, Joanna Filipina (October 26) FACUNLA. Gracelle Fatima -- GATBONTON, Vianca Mae (October 29) GATCHALIAN, Alvin -- IGLESIA, Ma. Leonora Buna (October 30) IGLESIAS, Viviel -- LAURENTE, Emil John (October 31) LAURENTE, Ma. Therese Lonica -- MAGGAY, Pablito Benjamin II (Nov 2) MAGHAMIL, Gilda Marilou -- MEDRANO, Jean S. (Nov 5) MEDRANO, Joan May Aiza -- NG, Ruby Anne (Nov...

Every year, thousands of Filipino nurses aspire to migrate and become a licensed nurse in the US. Here's a practical guide intended to help Pinoy nurses achieve this dream. Because the application process requires several steps and there are ongoing issues related to foreign nurse employment in the US, we've broken down this feature article into a series. Read Part 1 of the Filipino Nursing Herald's Guide to Becoming a US RN by clicking here . There are different methods for sending payments for the nursing registration application in the U.S.. Each board of nursing will have its own preferred method of payment. Going to the BON payment office is the best way to guarantee that your payment will be received, but if you're so many thousand kilometers away like in the Philippines, there are payment methods that you can use. The most convenient payment method is using a credit card. Most BON will have a payment form attached to the application form. Simply fill out this for...

Here's a list of hotels and other accommodation providers near the Pearson Vue test center in Makati City. I'll try to add a couple more later on. I advise those who are interested to avail of accommodations to book as early as possible. I'm only providing a list of the places I know which are close to the test center, however, please try to get more feedback from other people about rates and the quality of service they provide. If you can, call the hotel instead of booking online. Online booking rates are usually higher, and sometimes, promo rates are not posted fast enough. City Garden Hotel Makati - http://www.citygardenhotels.com/makati/main.html Salcedo Suites - http://www.salcedosuites-makati.com Fersall Inn - http://www.fersalinn.com.ph/makati/index.php Makati Prime Tower Suites - http://www.makatiprimetowersuites.com Oxford Suites - http://www.oxfordsuites-makati.com/ Sunnete Tower - http://www.sunette.com.ph/index.php Mandarin Oriental Manila - http://www.mandarino...

Click here for the results

Click here for the results

Click here for results. Congratulations to all who passed the June 2007 Philippine nurse licensure exam.

I feel sorry for those who were not allowed to take their NCLEX because they forgot to sign their passports. International NCLEX test-takers, including those who will take the test in the Philippines, are required to present their Authorization to Test (ATT) and their passports as proof of identification. The passport is the only form of identification accepted by Pearson Vue, which administers the NCLEX, from international applicants. Sadly, some have been barred from taking the exam on their test date because they forgot to affix their signature on their passports. This is a very simple matter, actually. Signing your name on any ID is a very basic rule that that requires the smallest of efforts. Unfortunately, some still fall into trouble because they forget to sign their name before presenting their passport to the receptionist at the Pearson Vue test center. We received a report that said some were turned away from the Pearson Vue test center in Manila because of the lack of signat...

Those waiting for the June 2007 nurse licensure exam can sleep well tonight. With the first day of the NCLEX in Manila tomorrow, the PRC won't announce the results of the local board exams just yet, according to my source.

Tomorrow, Aug. 23 is a big day for Filipino nurses as the first batch of Pinoy applicants take the NCLEX right here in Manila. Pearson Vue, the authorized test administrator of the NCLEX which is developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in the US, began scheduling exams in the Manila center on July 13 this year and testing will finally begin tomorrow. Contact information: Pearson Professional Centers-Manila 27th Floor, Trident Tower 312 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, Manila 1227 Tel. +612-9478-5400 Extension 3 (Sydney office) Get a map to the testing center here and directions here .

Every year, thousands of Filipino nurses aspire to migrate and become a licensed nurse in the US. Here's a practical guide intended to help Pinoy nurses achieve this dream. Because the application process requires several steps and there are ongoing issues related to foreign nurse employment in the US, we've broken down this feature article into a series. This is Part 1 of the Filipino Nursing Herald's Guide to Becoming a US RN. What is the NCLEX-RN To be able to practice as a nurse in the US and its territories, you must be registered in the US state you wish to work in. Each state has a nursing board that regulates the registration process. A major requirement for registration is that applicants must pass an examination that "measures the competencies needed to perform safely and effectively as a newly licensed, entry-level registered nurse". The National Council of State Boards of Nursing ( NCSBN ) develops this examination, which is called the Nursing Counci...

I can emphatize with those waiting for the results of the June 2007 nurse licensure examination. I know how it feels to wait for something that you know would come out anytime soon but you don't know when exactly, so you anxiously wait up every night for the latest news updates, hoping to see your name among hundreds of other nurse applicants that passed the nursing board exams. It's a terrible feeling but you also know that the agony of waiting would be over soon and I hope that relieves you of some of the pressure and anxiety somehow. As always, this space will keep you posted of the latest updates once they're available.

We've known about the troubles faced by UK nurses in finding jobs in their own country for quite some time. As new nurses join the workforce, the dearth of available nursing jobs again hit the headlines. Although the UK still accepts foreign nurses WITH highly specialized skills (OR, ICU, etc.), it is very difficult to get an employer from there now and perhaps up to the near future.

The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa bulletin for Sept. As expected, the Employment-based category 3 is oversubscribed and the priority date is set at Aug. 1, 2002. This means that only applicants with priority dates earlier than that will be allocated a visa at this time. The Oct. Visa bulletin is expected to bring better news because the start of the agency's fiscal year usually offers new visa allocations.

A local recruitment firm and its Australian partner are discussing a proposal for the Australian firm to subsidize the cost of deploying Filipino workers Down Under. If this proposal pans out, Filipinos who are recruited to Australia would have less financial burdens to worry about. Read the news here .

Talking to my source again today, it seems that Aug. 21 might be too soon to expect the PRC to finish compiling the final list of passers. The BON was scheduled to convene starting today but it could take a few more days to prepare the final list. What's significant is that the PRC is in the final stages of releasing the results already and we would finally know who passed or not in a week or two. To all who took the June 2007 licensure exam, you're already in the homestretch of your wait. Goodluck to all!

Here's the latest update on the June 2007 Philippine nurse licensure examination. Got this information from a very reliable source. The BON will convene to deliberate on the results of the June 2007 board exams starting Aug. 16. I understand this will take about three days. Exam results COULD be announced on Aug. 21, or maybe even as early as Aug. 20. Of course, the PRC may still turn around and release the results much later than that up to Aug. 31, but at least we know they've already started the process of finalizing the results. I'm not sure about what goes on during the deliberations. From what I've gathered, officials perform some statistical treatment on the raw scores to determine the cut-off passing mark. From this, they can determine who passed or not. There's an unconfirmed RUMOR that initial reports showed only 29% passed the June boards, but, my source says the numbers are now higher and can only go higher once the deliberations are done. I'll post...

Here's a list of IVT training programs in Manila and nearby provinces for the month of Aug. and Sept. August 14-16 Lung Center of the Philippines 15-17 San Juan de Dios 16-18 Martinez Memorial Hospital 16-18 Ospital ng Maynila 26-28 Unciano Hospital Antipolo September 11-13 Bulacan Provincial Hospital 26-28 Angeles University Foundation 18-20 Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital

Test-takers of the NCLEX will sit for the exam for the first time right here in Manila starting Aug. 23. This is indeed a big relief for Filipino applicants and by extension, all other applicants from other neighboring ASEAN countries. Compared to Hong Kong, accommodations and the cost of basic goods is surely much cheaper in the Philippines. Earlier, we uploaded a map to locate the Pearson Professional Centers-Manila test center. If you're taking public transportation and need directions to the test center, here's a short guide to help you. Getting there: From Quezon City -- The fastest way is by riding the MRT. Get off Buendia station. Walk towards the Shell gas station, across it is a jeepney terminal. Get on any of the jeepneys plying the Buendia route and ask the driver to drop you off at RCBC Plaza. After you get off, cross the street and walk towards the Shell Maya gas station. Trident Tower is a building or two after the gas station. Another option is by taking...

Here's great news for Filipino nurses, caregivers and midwives in the UK: the British government has reversed its policy of denying work extensions to non-EU health workers and even raised salaries from €12,500 British pounds (P1.156 million) to €14,600 (P1.351 million) annually. Across the UK, health workers, called carers, working in nursing homes had faced deportation after the UK began denying work extensions to those who come from non-EU countries. This ensued because of a policy, drawn up earlier, that favors workers from EU-member states.

Just got back from a trip, so I haven't been able to update lately. I've got a whole chest-full of new ideas that I plan to write about and I think I just might have the extra time now to write more, so expect better things from this blog. In the meantime, I was surfing the Web for some relevant news that I missed while I was away and here are some of the noteworthy issues that you might also like to look up: Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) Sen. Aquilino Pimentel was quoted in the papers this week saying the controversial JPEPA might be ratified by our Senate. This legislation will, among other things, open up work opportunities for Filipino caregivers and nurses in Japan. Initially the number of workers have been limited to 400, but hopefully this would increase in the future. Australia needs nurses Raul V. Hernandez, honorary consul to Melbourne, said Australia would need 10,000 nurses in the next three years. Philippine doctors leaving as nurses Th...

The Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) says that the results of the June 2007 Philippine nurse licensure exam won't be available until Aug. 15 or onwards, so while waiting, here are some things you can do to relieve your stress and make the most out of this quiet period. 1. Go to a park, a beach, or a nature trail . If you haven't done so already, now is the time to breathe in some fresh air and take in the soothing effect of nature's healing charms. Forget the mall, you've been there every day after school or clinical duty. 2. Cook for your parents or your loved ones. If you don't regularly do this, now is the perfect time to show some appreciation for your parents. If you're the regular cook in the house, prepare something special--a dish you've never cooked before. Remember that a happy stomach is the source of all happiness. For guys who don't know how to cook, this is highly recommended because the effort already makes it extra special. 3. Br...

The anxiety of waiting for the results of a major test, like the June 2007 Philippine Nurse Licensure exam, builds up when you expect that an announcement would come out soon. As the days draw nearer to a target date or a day that you'd expect the results to be published, the tension gradually intensifies. Some people cope adequately, while others lose sleep, lose appetite, and even, sometimes, lose their mind. (I'm exaggerating.) The Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), which administers the nursing licensure test, earlier said results for the June 2007 board exams would be available by the middle of August. I assume that's from Aug. 15 onwards, or about two months after the exams were conducted in various parts of the country. Throughout the history of PRC, they've been terrible at calculations and predictions. Of course, you have to marvel at their efficiency and speed when processing license tests for master plumbers, foresters, and certified mill foremen. But ...

Filipina nurse Lily Maniquiz Lara has been awarded the 2006 Best Nurse Leader in a search conducted by Advance, a US-based nursing publication. Lara was cited primarily for her leadership in the development and implementation of a successful program that reduced patient falls by as much as 80% in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System's Nursing Home Care Unit 213-2, among her other accomplishments. The Philippine Nurses Association-America in Southern California had earlier awarded Lara with the Excellence in Nursing Management and she had been previously awarded the Excellence in Nursing Innovation in 2004. Advance also cited Lara's effective management style, which helped her get a 95% staff satisfaction mark in a survey conducted by the publication. "When it comes to pulling people together to get the job done, Lara relies on her innate ability to connect with a wide variety of personalities to create trusting relationships," Advance writer Luke Cowles wrote...

If you haven't decided yet on which nursing specialty you want to go into or if you're tired of the humdrum of the medical-surgical floor, here's an emerging nursing specialty that you might want to check out. It's called "blackbelt nursing"--where the first intervention for an aggressive or violent client is to deliver a karate chop as a sedative. I'm just kidding, of course. But you never know how things progress in the future. Check out this story from news.com.au: Docs, nurses take self-defense