Filipino Nursing Herald

Nursing registration applicants to Canada will begin taking the NCLEX-RN examination starting Jan 2015, says the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators. A one day educational conference in April this year is planned to allow educators and regulators to learn more about the NCLEX-RN program, which will be used as the basis for entry to practice in the nation. Volunteers are also being called upon to help develop the NCLEX exam bank.

The Maryland nursing board now requires applicants to show a Social Security Number or a Federal Tax ID number when you apply for a license. With this move, Maryland joins a number of US states that are effectively discouraging foreign nursing applicants who do not have an SSN. Unless you are a US citizen, immigrant or a legal resident with a visa or permit to work in the US, you cannot apply for an SSN. The new Maryland requirement took effect January 27,2012. 

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...

Foreign-educated applicants of nursing licensure in New Mexico now need to get a Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) report as part of the requirements for NCLEX eligibility. The New Mexico Board of Nursing issued an updated application handbook, which takes effect this month. The NM BON has accredited four agencies that issue a CES report: Educational Records Evaluation Service , International Education Research , Joseph Silney and Associates , and the Commission on Graduates of International Education (CGFNS). When applying for a CES report, choose the agency that is also accredited by other states so that in case you need to submit one to another state (for endorsement, for example) you won't have to pay for a new one. Click here to read the new requirements for nurse applicants in New Mexico.

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 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.

In his final State of the Union, President George Bush on Monday focused on the U.S. economy and curbing Congress' penchant for earmarks. On the issue of immigration, Bush merely reiterated his call for comprehensive immigration reforms. "We need to acknowledge that we can never fully secure our borders until we create a lawful way for foreign workers to come here and support our economy," Bush said. On those who are already in the U.S. illegally, Bush said they must be dealt with in a sensible and humane way. A solution must be found that also upholds U.S. laws and its highest ideals, Bush said.

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...

Starting February 2008 and until February 2010, the Canadian Registered Nurse Examinations (CRNE) will be composed of multiple-choice questions only. Aside from multiple-choice questions, the CRNE in the past also had fill-in-the-blank questions. Last year, a scandal broke out because some or all of the questions in the short-answer part (fill-in-the-blank) were alegedly leaked out in one examination . About 15% of the entire test was composed of fill-in-the-blank questions. There are 300 questions in the updated CRNE, which is a mandatory exam to get a nursing license in Canada. About 40% of the questions are independent questions while the remaining 60% are presented within cases. For more information, you can read the press release from the Canadian Nurses Association Web site by clicking here .

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 .

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.

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.

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 .

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

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.