Shout to Employment

"Yay! I finally had one step towards achieiving a stable career," for a fresh graduate who finally had his / her first job, this would be the statement. I had my first job, but would that be really considered a job?

For a nurse in the Philippines, competition between nurses are felt when finding a job, impressing the supervisor, or even working as a volunteer. The time I started as a volunteer, I felt tension rising between me and my colleagues. It felt somewhat disturbing or maybe intimidating because you might get left behind if you don't do something about it. So what I do is that, I try to do what I know as a nurse, sometimes showing off just to let your supervisors notice you. Admit it or not, we tend to be showing off, we are not just aware of it. I knew I have to do my best if I really wanted to be absorbed as a staff. But sometimes, I get lazy and all especially when I am on a graveyard shift. I just finish all what I had to do on time then take a nap for 2 hours. Yes, take a nap. I love what I do as a nurse, but still different when you get paid. I just thought that in time when I finish this, I can have what I want, a stable job.

Its really difficult trying to do your best when you felt you don't get reward for anything that you do. But think twice, there is a reason why you entered this path. Yes, for the situation of nurses here in the Philippines, to obtain an adequate period of experience so we can finally jump abroad for a better nurse job. With this kind of volunteering, I still find myself and my other co-volunteers being exploited. But do we have a choice?

I experienced being yelled at by a patient. I also have experienced a doctor getting mad for my actions. I skip my timely meals, I forget my full bladder just to attend what I have to do. I use my own money and allowance to work, but sill no salary. I just hope that by the end, all of this will turn to gold.

I was once chatting with my friends previously regarding issues on applications of nurses to some hospital institutions. What I hate most is the "Palakasan" or "Kapit" or in english term, "Strong Connection" system. Take for an example, two fresh graduate nurses who applied as a staff nurse. One has to undergo all through the systems of the hospital for application while the other says, "Good thing, I have someone who can help me inside". Her aunt, mom, a family friend, mom's close friend, my bestfriend's mom who works there. This other party doesn't have to take exam. "Just send me your resume and I'll take part in everything." I mean what? Yeah sure, I'm jealous 'cause I get to spend and wait for a week for what I will do next while you get to wait for a minute until you can start your job. Its totally unfair. That's why Philippines nurses have no other choice but to be left unemployed or underemployed and worse - exploited. I wish that someday this kind of system would be gone. Its corrupt, its unfair for those who do not have power.

I cannot blame others for taking this advantage because of the competition for employment. But I hope they could also consider others who can do better than those who have power and sometimes an empty shell.

Quality Education for Nurses in the Philippines, what happened?

I remembered that in my very first blog post, I mentioned maybe some sort of the history of how the nursing course became in demand to most schools. You can check it by clicking this link: Nursing Career in the Philippines.

As I was reviewing in preparation for another exam, I recall back the days when I was still reviewing for the local RN board. The minute I started the review course, I admit that some facts discussed were also discussed back in college and honestly, I have remembered only a few. Since it is just a review, it means that the course doesn't cover everything that were tackled during our college days and it only concentrates on what the professors believe or assume that will be coming out in the local RN exam. When our review professor asked us something, nobody not even me answered, because nobody knows the answer. Our professor was somehow shocked that why didn't we know such things well it was in fact basic. It was a bit embarrassing on my own part too because I graduated BSN without even knowing the B-A-S-I-C-S. Its like I graduated college feeling that I didn't do anything. I admit that I have learned most in the review which was only 3 months as compared to my college days which was equivalent to 4 years.

So now I realized, why I was able to learn more from the review than that of my schooling days?

Here's what I believe, I knew that the quality of my education is affected. Ever wonder why the rating of passing students become low from the time they started the local board exam for nurses? Its because the quality of education flanks as well. The time when nurses become in demand abroad, more freshly graduate high school students took up nursing believing that they have a brighter future with taking up this course and the chances of becoming more successful than any other careers. The students become overcrowding in one school so other schools opened up their own nursing school. Off course, it is also a part of their business having students that many. But as more schools open nursing schools, and more students take up nursing, the schools are also in demand of nursing teachers who could accommodate this number of students.The tendency is that, recent or freshly nursing board passers even without any master's degree or a single independent experience can apply as a clinical instructor for this nursing students. This is dangerous to the quality education for nursing.

I believe that there may be 2 factors that affected that quality of education. First, the student. What does the student do? I believe that the student is the holder of his/her own marks / grades / success. Whatever my academical standing is today, I know that I made it myself and there is no one I could blame this one for. I am satisfied with how it become and the results I got since I am still able to graduate and become a registered nurse. No matter what circumstances are, either the student has a low financial support, the parents are unsupportive, friends that are influencing to bad sides, as long as the student is pursuant to studying, nothing not even these problems could stand in their way. I could always say that I was given the opportunity to study, and its up to me on how I could hold and maintain that opportunity running with me.

Second factor, is the teacher. Why the teacher? If you remember the movie Coach Carter, Coach Carter wanted the athletes to enter into college even though the community, even the school was already against him, still he pursued what he believe that the athletes deserve. In the end, the students realize that life wasn't about just being an athlete. They sharpened their minds and fulfill their responsibilities as a student, so they could get passed anything, even being an athlete. This is what we call teacher factor. The teacher is our helper in learning and most of all understanding what was learned. That's why they exist, because without them, we wouldn't be agreeing into one fact and we all have our point of views. Off course, we would be clinging to our own ideas and disagree to what others say. As I mentioned earlier, the selection of nursing instructors become biased because nursing schools needed these teachers to accommodate their students. I realized that I was handled by some teachers that didn't really give the quality of education that they are required to. I guess some are just after the salary, or just to hold the title that they are a clinical professor. There are some facts that I learned from my college days I forgot, maybe all of it but the few things I learned were mostly from the professor that I credit for, the ones who dedicate themselves to teaching the students, the ones who are concerned to students like me, the ones who really did give the quality education we needed. Its sad to know that the students rating flank because of this teacher factor. II could have been wasting money, time and effort. Good thing there's still that student factor. The government policies change because of this factor and students were affected. An example I could cite about this situation is that the news regarding the student's rating on the board exam, wherein if the student fails 3 times, they have to take a refresher course. The blame cannot be put all to the student, because the student has no idea what the right things are. Even if the student studies what his / her instructor told them to, it is still lacking of the knowledge that the student must really know and the quality of education that they deserve is cut.

It feels like the quality of education that is supposed to be laid to students are slowly fading away. Come to think of it, if there are no teachers fit enough to give quality education for students, then don't accept these students. It doesn't mean that you are taking away their right to education, having teachers that are under qualified for teaching is what takes away the student's right to education.

I never planned to become a nurse in the first place, but due to practicality "in the future" which is almost a common reason to all who took up nursing, I also placed myself into it. Technically, it wasn't really practical to take up nursing because the matriculation is too expensive. My parents, even me went through a lot before I could hold my own diploma. I planned to become a clinical instructor too, but not today. Because I know that I am not fit enough to pass on the education that the student really need and I don't want to soil it just because of money.

Nursing Career in the Philippines

Who could tell that the Philippines is leading in exporting nurses all over the world? I would. In fact, Thailand is also exporting their nurses to other countries. Well, you can't really say that the country itself pushes students to choose to take the nursing course. It is in the student him/herself. Back in the year 2002 (I think but I am really not sure), when the career nursing became in demand since most nurses who have gone to other countries were fortunate since they were paid more than they were expected, and that Filipino nurses were almost the most favorable nurse for each patient in the other countries. Filipino nurses in the other countries were known as very caring, understanding, flexible - well all the good qualities a nurse SHOULD harbor when rendering patient care. Notice the word "should" - off course, we nurses are expected to be what a nurse should be - caring, understanding, patient-centered. So going back to the in demand line, nursing was a source of wealth for most Filipinos. I admit, I too, fell for it. Yes, practicality. We all want to be on the top, to be rich, to afford and have all the things that we wanted. We Filipinos care for our family that much, and we never failed to look back and think of our family in terms of decision and ways to success.

As for the present, nurses are still in demand to other countries, but everything changes. Everything has an end. Since it is in demand, there are almost a lot of schools lately that have been opening and accepting nursing enrollees. Some of these schools were already ordered by the CHED to shut down due to poor student academic background as reflected in the percentage of each schools who passed the local nursing board. Reason: to maintain the quality of education which means to avoid students wasting money!!

The result of the nursing career being in the demand to other countries overcrowded Philippine hospitals. No nursing job was available to new nurses. Since these new nurses are desperate to get a job abroad, they accepted to work as a volunteer. Since hospitals cannot really accommodate all these volunteer nurses, they could accept more but one thing - they have to pay. Some institutions use this for funding these volunteer nurses but I guess the money that they pay doesn't really benefit the volunteer nurse. This now led to nurses being exploited. Off course, nobody wants that! So some order was passed down to these hospitals that they should never accept any payment for volunteer nurses. OK the exploitation was solved but how about the volunteer nurse? A part of the order that was mentioned is that the institutions are supposed to pay off these volunteer nurses but let's face it, our country is facing poverty. Hospitals cannot really pay off these willing volunteers due to lack of budget. Since no budget - they can't accept volunteers. There is no open  job for nurses, where should all these new nurses go? (Including me? *sigh)

 Now that the nurse volunteer is over, there is a program that accept nursing jobs - the RN Heals program by DOH and DOLE. For most of you who tried to apply, it is difficult to get yourself hired to that job. They said that they prioritize the previous nurses who were volunteers but come on, as long as you have a strong links and connection to the personnel in that program, even though you are a fresh board passer, you can be hired as soon as possible. Application today to that program is also crowded and a few are selected.

New nurses really can't wait for the number of newly nurse grads to decline so they have to accept other types of jobs, mostly non - nursing related.. More and more students experience these each year.

I graduated BSN, a local RN board passer and now a registered nurse. So what happens now? I am currently facing unemployment. I wanted to pursue what I finished. In the first place, I haven't planned taking up nursing. But there's no turning back. After all, when I started studying, I developed my passion for it. I don't want to end up doing a job that I have not pursued for. I want to be a successful nurse. The minute I took and finished this course, I will make and find a way to make the most of it. Its not the reason that I might be wasting the four years effort I laid in this career but I developed my self to be a part of it. Nothing, not even unemployment can stand in my way.

To all our nurses out there like me, don't loose hope. This endless nursing issues isn't forever. Let's finish what we started and altogether we will be getting what we really deserve. We're nurses right? and shouldn't we be flexible? off course we can!!