The Life of a New Nurse in the Philippines

I know what you are feeling. I had the same goals when I was a student nurse in the Philippines. My college days wasn't witnessed by my Dad for he has to work abroad to afford to send me to nursing school. That became my motivation, to make him proud by graduating and be the first in my family to earn a college degree and be a professional. Life was hard and I'm glad I got lucky with the hospital where I did my volunteer work. After passing the local boards, I started off doing volunteer work for 3 months and was hired to be a staff nurse at a Labor and Delivery Hospital in Cebu. I did some trainings as long as they were for free because I can't afford the pricey ones. It's true that the hospitals are making a profit for hiring volunteers. They are hiring plenty of volunteers to 'help out' the actual employees that they are paying. Instead these employees sits down doing nothing and letting the volunteers do everything that they should be doing in the first place. Here in the US, those months of doing volunteer work in the Philippines is not sufficient to get a job here. They need employees that were actually employed and practiced nursing not doing volunteer work.As to the OP, don't give up. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Good Luck!

I feel sad when I read this blog, thank you for sharing. You are fortunate to have your parent's support, and you sound like you have a great attitude and I hope great things come your way.US nursing students, don't have to spend endless hours ( I am not saying that the students don't study) but many have to work numerous hours to support their families since they don't have parental support. In the US after students finish school they take a short course and pass at the rate of 85-90%. It my opinion it seems like you are spending time learning information that is not promoting academic success.Being a nursing leader you need to be a change agent, why does your country allow so much to enter nursing knowing the majority won't pass the boards and the ones who do may not find employment.With your masters in nursing why not explore why do the nursing students have to study so hard with poor results, I know believe your country's student are not intelligent enough, but it a failure in your system. That need to be changed and you can make a difference using evidence based nursing to show the current programs are not preparing nurses for the 21st century.Be a nursing advocate to have a better programs reflecting your countries people's talent.

Very very true Salvie. batch 2007 here. I struggled a lot also in Philippines to pursue my career. I end up here working as a Secretary in UAE. After 1 year of seeking for employment in hospital, I had this opportunity to work abroad. I leave the country with hope that I could explore and seek nursing development here. But, I will prove that it's not easy, hospitals here asking for at least 2 years hospital experience as staff nurse before they will give you chance to take Ministry of Health (MOH), HAAD (Abu Dhabi), DOH (Dubai) licenses. What's different in Phils? here, you cannot just have a voluntary service in a hospital, and it is a financial burden also. Too lucky to those with parents here, supporting their visa and everyday needs. Just to share this, that situation here compare to US, UK, etc.. is the same for us Filipino whose striving to earn really good in such places. Compensation in Middle East starts with min. 40k per month and up, it will depends on your position, licenses and employer.A lot of nurses also coming here in a visit visa trying their luck. Sadly end up working as a Waitress, Sales Lady, Cleaner, Housemaid, etc.. sad reality...I am hoping and praying that government will pay attention to this situation. Like you, I don't know where to start for my Nursing career. Seems I need refreshment course. Well, Godbless to you!

Reading all these responses really make me so sad.I graduated long time ago in CU of CDO.I was just lucky to have been accepted as a walk in applicant in Phil. Heart Center right after passing the board exam.The experience I got from that institution has really shaped me and my skills to the fullest.Had I stayed in CDO,I'm sure I would not have this kind of opportunity.I never realized how much struggles those young nurses have to go through just to earn a little experience until my niece became one. She's one of those rns who has to wait a long list of volunteer just for a 3mos exposure.We have so much nursing supplies in the Phil.that one has to be more than an rn in order to get accepted.Sometimes one really has to exert extra effort in order to find a better job opportunity.Small cities has less job availability compared to the big city.Nursing job here in the states is very competitive too.One has to really acquire extra trainings and certifications in order to earn the trust of the the doctors as well as the people over us.We can not be complacent or just be contented w/ our BSN degree.We have to invest more inorder to gain more.That's why I always incourage young nurses in the Philippines to go back to school if they can because this will make them more marketable instead of spending money for a 3 mos volunteer job.It's not fair to them to do the job of the employed nurses whose making the money yet poor young RNs are doing the leg works.For those who are not willing to invest in further education,they need to go to a bigger city where there are more hospitals available.We have to go where progress is. We can not just wait for the opportunity to come. We have to go where it is more accessible.I know it's not easy but just like a business we have to invest,trust and pray to God harder.

I can relate to your sentiments Salvie. I have the same experience way back when I graduated from nursing school and passed the local board. That was the time when the deployment of Filipino nurses abroad was almost to a standstill. And with that, there was a backlog of RNs looking for jobs in our country. Before I got lucky enough to get absorbed as a full time RN in one of the tertiary hospitals in Manila, I've already been to three post-grad nursing training/volunteer jobs. I can say that I must have been so lucky or it was just finally "my day" when I was included in the top 50 of the 500 or so applicants in that hospital. To cut the story short, that hospital experience in the ICU was my stepping stone to gain better opportunities in the middle east and later here in the US.

Overpopulation of nurses not just in our country is the main reason why nurses nowadays cannot find a decent job. The government especially Department of Education and Ched is one of the culprit for this booming of nursing graduates. They allowed so many nursing schools to operate even though some of them lacks the ability to produce competent nurses resulting also of very low passing rate in PRC exam. There actions are always too late, as a proof, they are implementing foreclosure of low quality nursing school just this year, when Philippines is already flooding with nurses.

I am a nurse here in the U.S. Went to school here and all. I am married to a Filipina, I brought her here, she is a graduate of FEU, in accounting, I found her her job that she works very well in. I hope that you understand, that right now, nursing in the U.S. Is not a high demand as it once was. You are taking a very big risk. As far as quality of nurses, it has nothing to do with your nationality, it has to do with the individual. I have seeing a very good Filipina nurse and very bad ones that are good at documenting but not the actual patient care. Most filipina's that I speak with here, they say, "If I knew how hard it was here in the U.S. I would have stayed home." So be careful what you wish for. The United States is a very successful country because the work, stress and expectations are very high. Money is not everything. Good luck.

hi. i am experiencing the exact same thing. i am currently stydyig my masters degree with st paul mqnila while im working for a call center in makati. its been 2 yrs as well, i took the boards june 2008. thanks for speaking up for the whole nursing community. up until now i am also very hopeful of landing a nursing job for clinical experience soon. even if im earning a big salary in this call center im workin for, i would not hesitate to leave it for a staff nurse position. evrn if my salary would be demoted 3 times, i guess its fine. this situation is very depressing but i find it comfortable to hear that i am not alone. thank you.

It's a sad reality. Most of my friends is experiencing the same thing.I was a volunteer nurse without pay for 3 months... I thank God because I became a staff at that hospital and now I'm a head nurse of my dept!

man oh man...this is just depressing... in june i'll be on my fourth year as a nursing student..who knows, maybe next year i'll be one of the unlucky ones...

I think that is great your not losing hope or faith of course. Keep your mind set on GOD and pray for guidance Iam here in canada toronto and am now out of work here. I have been let go due to allegation from family and patient and mangement did not support me and my union tried and I had a pay out. I haave a wife whom is filipina and our new son of 8 months July 2Dave Moffatt RPN Toronto

very well said salvie. you had explained very well the situation of some nurses here in our country. i'm also one of the rn's in the philippines who have been through a lot of difficulties just to be a staff in a hospital and unfortunately till now, my lucks still evades me from landing a hospital job.lol:dim working as a company nurse right now and i have a fair salary but i still do hope to become a staff nurse someday.working in saudi is very tempting so i tried to apply in an agency but i did not pursue my application. can you imagine! they offered me starting salary of 300 usd a month because of lack of experience. that was way back 2008. this is really depressing when you think all the high expenses that you spent in studyingit is really devastating that until now the govt haven't paid enough attention to address the difficulties that most new nurses, rns or not, have been experiencing. i believe the govt's are aware about the nurses paying a fee for a volunteer job in a hospital. but they keep on ignoring it. what they only know is that nurses are good source of dollar to the country when they are working abroad. how sad.so let's just hope fot the best. hope will be the source of strength to continue to struggles life difficulties to us nurse's experiencing unlucky side of our fate. anyway, sabi nga nila "bilog ang mundo".