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What senators say on Herbosa's plan to hire unlicensed nursing grads
What senators say on Herbosa's plan to hire unlicensed nursing grads
Sherrie Ann Torres,
ABS-CBN News
Published Jun 20, 2023 09:03 PM PHT
Nursing students attend classes at Far Eastern University in Manila on February 23, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/file
MANILA -- The plan of Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa to staff government hospitals with nursing graduates who have yet to qualify for their licenses drew opposing reactions from senators.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said Herbosa’s plan is only a “short-term” solution.
“The proposal to allow non-board passers to practice nursing and grant them temporary licenses is a short-term solution. The root causes of the shortage lie in the significant number of nurses leaving the country to seek higher-paying jobs abroad. We should take a look at nurses' salaries and provide more incentives for them to stay and practice in our nation,” Pimentel said.
The senator also believes that barring nursing board exam takers who flunked the test from fully practicing the profession is also one way of protecting not just the importance of the board exam but also the public.
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“If pumasa then ready and competent na ang examinee. If bumagsak then clearly and surely hindi pa ready maging nurse. We have to protect the integrity of our testing system. Pasa means ready na. Lagpak means not yet ready. Study and prepare more for the next exam. 75 means 75, not 74.5,” he said.
"Improve the exam and make sure the questions ask test the competence and readiness of the nursing examinee. Make the exam direct to the important knowledge and skill set for nurses,” Pimentel recommended.
For Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who admitted having a daughter taking a nursing course, Herbosa’s plan is worth examining, especially given the fact that there is really a dearth of nurses in the Philippines.
In other countries, nursing students are given the opportunity to serve even sans the nursing board exam.
“Sa ibang bansa, yung hindi pa pasado sa board exams ay binibigyan ng papel sa kanilang Universal Health Care system, bagama't hindi pa bilang mga registered nurses. May nababasa tayong mga nursing assistant at iba... Magandang pag-aralan o dapat pag-aralan,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros said Herbosa should be given the opportunity to fully explain his plan when he faces the Commission on Appointments.
For Sen. Nancy Binay, hearing the concerns of medical frontliners must be the first priority before anything else.
“Bago mag-tap ang DOH ng unlicensed or board-eligible nurses as a temporary solution to address the shortage, kailangan pakinggan muna natin ang kanilang sektor. Magkaroon muna ng mas malalim at malawak na konsultasyon... Sana makita muna nating ilatag ng DOH ang malinaw at kongkretong programa sa mga ospital as far as alleviating the plight of healthcare workers is concerned,” Binay said.
Sen. JV Ejercito is hoping that the problem on the supply of nurses and other healthcare workers in the country will be fully addressed “five to ten years from now.”
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