Filipino Nursing Herald

Canada continues to accept skilled workers who meet its stringent requirements. Since last year, the Canadian government introduced a cap system that limits the number of applicants every year. This limit, however, is not intended to deter qualified applicants but is aimed at reducing the application backlog and better manage the processing of applications. Qualified nurses are still welcome to apply, although there is a cap of 500 applications per year. To learn more about the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and the changes that took effect on July 1, 2011, you may follow this link . We are writing this guide to help anyone planning to immigrate to Canada as a federal skilled worker. It is targeted at nurses, in particular, who are hoping to immigrate to Canada but it may be used by anyone applying who want to apply as an immigrant under Canada's FSWprogram. Who is eligible First of all, who are eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker program? There are 29 eligible ...

I've completely neglected this blog for quite a long time. I logged in again today and was happily surprised to see that it still gets a pretty decent number of page views. In the next few weeks, I'll be reviewing and updating hopefully all of this blog's content to ensure that the information is still accurate. If you know of any changes in the licensure procedures, fees, or if you know of any new information that's worth sharing to other Filipino nurses, then please don't hesitate to contact me. Happy to be back blogging!

A new proposed legislation in the US. House of Representatives seeks to give up to 20,000 visas per year to nurses and physical therapists up to September 2011. The proposal, HR 5924 or the Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act, would waive the quota for these two occupations, also known as Schedule A jobs, up to 2011 but a maximum of 20,000 visas can only be approved every year. Immediate family members of primary visa beneficiaries, however, would not be counted against the 20,000 yearly cap. Based on the new proposal, the US immigration department must make a decision on I-140 petitions within 30 days of receipt. Also being proposed is the allocation of a Grant Fee, where beneficiaries of the new visa allocations must pay $1,500 which will go to a fund to help US nursing schools. Visa applicants must also provide legal proof that they do not owe money that was used to finance their education in their home country, such as student loans, for example. Click here to see the full text of...

The quest for new nurse visas continues to be a steep uphill climb, while the U.S. is struggling out of a quagmire of a possible recession, brought about by the credit and housing crisis. Add to the mix the heated race for the presidency and you've got a very tough environment for legislators espousing immigration-related laws. We remain hopeful that something will be done this year before the presidential elections consume the entire US political landscape. Some of the good news that have come out recently include the advancement of the EB3 Visa to Jan. 1, 2005. We blogged about this a while back. Another good news coming in is a proposal from Sen. Kent Conrad to extend the J-1 waiver program for physicians serving in underserved areas. Aside from an extension, the bill also seeks a cap exemption for doctors. If this bill moves forward, many are hoping that an equivalent provision for nurse visas are included in the final version. At this time, we can only hope that efforts to en...

Some 28,924 nursing graduates have passed the Philippine nursing licensure exams conducted on December 2007. The oath-taking of the new nurses will be on March 17 and 18, 2008 at the SMX Convention Center in the Mall of Asia.

At least 43% of 67,000 nursing graduates who took the December 2007 nursing licensure exam have passed, a report by Inquirer.net said. Leonor Rosero-Tipon, chairman of the Professional Regulation Commission, said the 43.42% passing mark was within the usual passing range. The report added that graduates from St. Louis University, Xavier University, Siliman University, Trinity, Mindanao State University, and Palawan State University were among the top 10 in the latest Philippine nursing board exam.

The U.S. Department of State has issued its March 2008 Visa Bulletin and, interestingly, the priority date for employment-based category three (EB3) has jumped from Nov. 2002 to Jan. 2005. This news should bring cheer to those whose priority dates fall under the new cut-off and put hope back in the hearts of those waiting for their priority dates to become current. Here's a link to the March 2008 Visa Bulletin .

Press release from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) The Professional Regulation Commission announces that the schedules and deadlines in filing applications for the Nurses Licensure Examinations (NLE) for year 2008 are as follows: Exams on JUNE 1 & 2, 2008 (Sunday & Monday) - Deadline APRIL 18, 2008 Exams on NOVEMBER 29 & 30, 2008 (Saturday & Sunday) - Deadline OCTOBER 17, 2008 The PRC is now accepting applications for the June 2008 NLE at the PRC Central Office and at the PRC regional offices in the cities of Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi, Lucena, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga. Some 80,000 to 100,000 or more examinees are expected to take the NLE in June 2008. Graduates of March or April 2008 will be accepted in the June 2008 examination, provided, they will be able to submit, at the time of filing applications on or before the deadline, all the documentary requirements, i.e., Transcript of Records with scanned picture, Birth Cer...

A reader shares us that Martinez Memorial Hospital in Kalookan is still accepting applicants for its March IVT seminar. Call to inquire about the requirements (632)288-8861 and apply in person. I'm not sure if the hospital or the college is conducting the seminar, but a short phone call should resolve this question. Update Another reader tells us that the hospital is conducting the training. You can also call this number 285-5091. Thanks for the tip.

We've just updated the list of hospitals and their requirements for hiring new applicants. Medical facilities we've added to the list: Asian Hospital, Makati Medical Center, Metropolitan Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, and the Medical City. Click here for the list .

We just got word from a very good source that the results of the Philippine Nursing Licensure Exam held last December 2007 could be released in the first week of February. Barring any major development, we trust that this information is accurate as of this time. Once the board exam results are released by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), we'll be one of the first to post them on our Web site. So visit us regularly.

Over the past weeks, we've received news that a number of nurses have sucessfully left for work in Canada. The employment opportunities, of course, depend so much on their performance in the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam (CRNE). Passing the CRNE is mandatory to get a nursing license in that country. Each province oversees its own nursing application program and each may have its own set of requirements, much like in the U.S. where each state have different licensing requirements. To get an overview of the application process in Canada, you can start at the Web site of the Canadian Nurses Association .

Diana Smith of Integrated Biometric Technoloy (IBT) wrote us to give some updates on their fingerprint scanning services. IBT is one of the fingerprint scanning service providers accredited by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations (IDFPR) which oversees the issuance of nurse licenses in Illinois. If you wish to apply for a nursing license in the state, you can send your fingerprint card to IBT and they will scan and submit your digitized prints to the appropriate agencies. IBT has lowered its service fee to $49.25 , which is a result of the FBI lowering it's own electronic fees late last year. If you recall, the OLD service fee was $54. When sending your accomplished fingerprint cards to IBT, please include a note or a letter asking IBT to forward a receipt directly to Continental Testing Service (CTS). The receipt is proof that an applicant has completed the requirements for submitting fingerprints. Also in the letter, please write down your contact in...

We've just uploaded the schedule of CPE seminars for the first half of 2008 to be conducted by the Philippine Nurses Association. The PNA advises everyone interested in attending any of these seminars to confirm attendance days ahead as some changes in the schedule may occur. For other inquiries, PNA's Nicole me be called at this number (632)400-4430. Click here to view the schedule .

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.

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.