I made this article last March 3, 2009...
I passed! I passed! --- You screamed!
Then, your inner voice went unto the scene and exclaimed, “And so?!”
Indeed, your conscience has the right to stress on that reality. Few days ago, 39, 455 new nurses were born. But looking forward, will this be 39,455 new unemployed Juan and Maria Dela Cruz? Which is which?
The answer??...Hmmm…Of course, lies on you dear nurses. Whether you are that aggressive and itchy enough for exposure or you prefer to stay dormant for sometime and just stay home watching over your baby sisters, herding the ducks or cutting orchids on your hacienda----it’s really your prerogative!
Well, just in case you are still confused like many other nurses out there as to where they will be heading now, I have here a short list with supporting details of some options that you can consider this crucial time of decision making.
It is indeed very crucial, because a moment delayed will certainly be a split second wasted, more so with this ever-becoming-complicated world and with the undeniable exponential growth of the population of nurses worldwide---The competition gets tougher as the clock ticks faster!
The following are just some of the many options you can go for, now that you are a nurse, but considering the scarcity of pages here, let me just present those which ring the bell louder (on random order).
1. Go for trainings and seminars
The trend of application in the hospitals isn’t new to us already, not unless you
were just born today. With the big number of nurses vying for a slot in the hospital, you are lucky enough if you have a backer, as they say. Well, we all know how things work these modern times. Moreover, I am not referring solely about hospital trainings here. You can also have Basic Life Support Training handled by Red Cross for a vey reasonable price of 800php . Also, you can volunteer at Davao’s 911 or avail of their training, as well.
Furthermore, PNA has been giving seminars lately and they still have schedules for future talks given, of course by credible speakers on this field. Just last February 28 they had seminar on Physical Assessment. The next will be on March 28, and it would be all about Diabetes Mellitus.
2. Private Duty Nurse
The fastest way to be under this field will be by virtue of common friends. If a friend of yours happens to have a relative who is in need of your nursing care, then, it’ll start there. But wait there’s more, you can also apply to be a PDN on the hospital, but I just doubt if the demand for it is enough with the ratio of the number of unemployed nurses and the number of patients who can afford to pay for it or is in need for a PDN.
3. NARS
NARS is a Training cum Employment Project, jointly implemented by the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Health (DOH) and the Professional Regulation Commission, Board of Nursing (PRC-BON), designed to mobilize unemployed registered nurses to the 1,000 poorest municipalities of the country to improve the delivery of health care services. (Source: http://bonphilippines.org/)
The nurses will undergo a six-month training in public health services in the provinces where they will be able to do clinical practice under the supervision of participating hospitals and other medical facilities. Each of them will receive an allowance of P8,000. (Source: philstar.com)
However, Jackson Gan, vice-president of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters said the government’s Nurses Assigned in Rural Areas (NARS) program might be laudable in giving Filipino nurses the job experience they need but hospitals abroad require nurses to have training in specialty areas that are only available in urban hospitals. (Source: gmanews.tv)
4. NCLEX/ IELTS/ CGFNS, etc
If you are that financially stable and supported, this option would really be a big
hit for you. I said so since taking these exams and reviewing for it, as well as processing the needed papers really cost a lot. A friend of mine, Ms. Aprilyn Sulit, RN paid around 35, 000 just for the faster processing of her papers for NCLEX, wherein after a month you can already have your Authorization to Test (ATT). Taking and passing these exams the earliest time possible can give you the benefit of not worrying about it later and gives you a faster chance to go and work abroad.
NCLEX (National Council Licensure EXamination) is an examination for the licensing of nurses developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in the United States.(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCLEX)
IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication. (Source: http://www.ielts.org/)
CGFNS International (formerly the Commission on Graduates of
Foreign Nursing Schools) is an internationally recognized authority
on credentials evaluation and verification pertaining to the education,
registration and licensure of nurses and health care professionals
worldwide. (Source: http://www.cgfns.org/)
5. Work for that additional title after your name: MAN, MN, etc
Taking post-graduate studies means that you will be here in the Philippines for
about two years working on your title. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that for two years or so, you will devote your time entirely on this matter. Post-graduate classes are usually scheduled on weekends so as not to intrude with the schedule of the students during weekdays. Of course, you can work, review for NCLEX and study for your Masters Degree all together. But, you can choose not to, unless you are really obliged and pressured to do so.
Holders of this degree have a higher monetary compensation compared to those who don’t, needless to say the pride which is present with the additional two or three letters after your name. Try to practice reading your name aloud with such title, and maybe…Just maybe, you’ll be motivated to enroll the soonest time possible.
6. Review Assistant (RA)
If you envision yourself as a reviewer one day, yet you are not that confident this
time, then, being a review assistant can be a stepping stone for your primary goal. However, it is not synonymous to saying that all RAs share the same aspiration which is becoming a reviewer in time. There are of course those who just love to be on this job. Why not? According to reliable sources, RAs are being compensated more compared to nurses working in the hospital as a regular employee.
But what are the tasks of RAs? Literally speaking, they are the assistants of the reviewers. They will be the ones who will fetch the review experts from their hotel towards the review center; they will find the place for them to eat (they can avail the free food, of course); they will serve as the tour guide of the reviewers, since most of them are from Luzon and they will be the ones who will check the attendance, prepare the papers for the exams, prepare the venue for the review, and all those similar things.
7. Review Experts
Do you want to earn at least 1200php/hour? Then, being a reviewer is the job for
you. But, the question is: Do you have what it takes to be one?
You had witnessed how these review experts do their thing; so for sure, you have even just the slightest idea as to how tough it is to be on their podium. Stock knowledge isn’t enough to qualify you for this job. You need enough preparation for it, but of course, that depends as to when you had started your preparation. Well, if you had started since first year college, then, go --- you are very much prepared already; and you know what I meant by that.
8. Clinical Instructors
Looking back to your college days, if you had dreamt of being a CI that time,
then, now is your chance to actualize that fantasy. School year 2009-2010 is fast approaching, so the demand of the school for new CIs are not that questionable already. Provided of course that you meet the requirements that they need and you’ll pass the exams and interviews along the way.
Days or months from now, you can be just a step away from being colleagues with your once upon a time clinical instructors. You will be in the classroom again, but this time not as a student. You can now experience being on the shoes of your CIs every time you came in late before, had overload or underload on your IVs, had a mistaken entry on your chartings, gave the wrong medication to your patient, went on with your case presentation unprepared, talked about your topic on your seminars with the least preparation, and all of those naughtiness and flaws of being a student. And if you’re lucky enough, you can say, “I’ve got 75, I’ve got scolded --- but see I’ve learned.”
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You can opt for one or more of these choices all at once, but what matters most is you don’t get stagnated and unproductive. The heart of the matter is productivity.
Time is of the essence…
So, let’s get started.
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