Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 21) – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) tapped 20 schools, including the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines, to offer review classes to under-board nurses or nursing graduates who lack professional license, its Chairman Prospero de Vera III said, in a bid to address the shortage.
“Yung top 20 nursing schools… Sila yung magpo-provide, magdi-disenyo nung licensure preparation, yung kanilang review classes, para alam natin na dekalidad yung ibibgay na review class,” De Vera said Thursday during the government-led Laging Handa briefing.
[Translation: The top 20 nursing schools will provide and design the licensure preparation, their review classes, so that we are assured they will be giving quality review classes.]
De Vera said the review program is designed for unlicensed nurses employed in public and private hospitals so they can continue working while preparing for the board exam.
He said CHED will find out the number of interested people from hospitals with the Private Sector Advisory Council to match them with schools offering review classes.
He added that scholarship programs are open for those interested to take the board review classes.
On July 19, the Department of Health and CHED signed a joint administrative order on the Implementing Guidelines for the Nurse Workforce Complementation and Upskilling Program.
To address the shortage of instructors, De Vera said the agency plans to offer shorter master’s degree courses for those planning to teach in nursing schools.
“Ang bagong disenyo ng ating program sa master’s ay bibigyan ng credit yung kanilang prior work expereince,” De Vera said. “Hahanapan natin ng credit yung prior work experience mo para mabawasan yung mga unit na kukunin mo sa master’s.”
[Translation: The new design of the master’s program will credit their prior work experience. We will credit their prior work experience to shorten the master’s.]
Nursing schools may increase their class capacity with additional instructors, De Vera said.
CHED received applications from 54 universities that wanted to open a nursing program, he added.
