More RP nurses going to Britain

MANILA, Philippines—More Filipino nurses are now leaving for the United Kingdom than those going to the United States over the past three years as immigration policies continue to impede demand for foreign nurses in America.

Emmanuel Geslani, a consultant of several Manila-based recruitment agencies, said Filipino nurses were finding it easier to seek employment in the United Kingdom via the study-and-work program introduced by the British health service four years ago.

“Filipino nurses hoping to work in the United States may have to wait five to seven years for H1-B working visas and two to three years for EB-3 immigrant visas before they can enter the US while those interested in improving their academic qualifications can enter the UK under the study-and-work program,” Geslani said.

He cited statistics released by the UK Borders and Immigration Agency showing that the annual average number of Filipino nurses who went to the United Kingdom reached 7,000 from 2007 to 2009.

By contrast, there was an annual average of less than 300 registered Filipino nurses entering the United States from 2003 to 2009 using H1-B work and EB-3 immigration visas, data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) show.
Among countries, Saudi Arabia has received the biggest number of Filipino nurses, with an average of 8,000 deployed yearly. The POEA figures show a yearly average of 13,000 nurses deployed to various countries including the United States, Geslani said.

Unemployed nurses
“The opening of study programs that include on-the-job training (OJT) for Filipino nurses has been a blessing for the more than 300,000 unemployed licensed nurses in our country, with the glut increasing each year with more than 100,000 graduates each year,” said Geslani, a former vice president of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters and a recruiter for the past three decades.

The huge number of unemployed licensed nurses in the country has led to a sharp drop in enrollment at nursing schools. The study-and-work program allows Filipino nursing undergraduates to improve their academic background by studying in a British university for nine months to two years while being deployed to an appropriate work place.
While studying, Filipino nurses are given an opportunity of 15.5 hours OJT with pay. Nursing graduates from overseas are required to work 20 hours a week while taking units to upgrade their skills to British standards.
One international consultancy firm with an office in Manila has a work-and-study program that could send Filipino nurses to the United Kingdom within six months, Geslani said.

Other health workers
The firm offers two-year courses in the United Kingdom for Filipino physical therapists, medical technologists, public health workers and even social workers who would like to enter the British healthcare industry.
A new program allows Filipino nursing graduates an opportunity to study in Britain for an additional year. They will then get a work experience of up to two years and be issued work permits.
Most Filipino nurses in the United Kingdom end up becoming caregivers, as the country is also suffering from a shortage of health workers, according to Geslani.

In demand
Filipino caregivers are in demand in Britain because they are better English speakers than their counterparts from European Union countries such as Poland and Romania, he said.
Many Filipino nurses also try to apply to become registered nurses in Britain and get permanent residence status immediately although the entry requirements are much tougher, he added. Typically, overseas workers in Britain can apply for permanent residence after working there for five years.

Security issue
Geslani said that while going to the United States was “not entirely hopeless” for aspiring Filipino nurses, getting there was becoming more difficult.
“The US Citizenship and Immigration Service treats the migration of foreign nurses as a border-and-security issue and despite legislation to increase the number of foreign nurses government bureaucratic red tape has failed to find solutions to the lack of nurses in the US healthcare system,” he said.
US hospitals and health institutions are also suffering from funding problems due to the global financial crisis.

US President Barack Obama’s healthcare program augurs well for Filipino nurses because more hospitals and health facilities are to be set up in the following years as the US government implements universal health care, Geslani said.

Call center agents
“The problem is that the implementation just takes too long. Our students and graduates couldn’t wait to work abroad and deployment to the UK seems more promising. We already have many nursing graduates here who are working as call center agents while applying for work in the US,” he told the Inquirer.
Filipino nurses’ interest in going to the US may be actually waning because of the weak demand there. For the first time, there was a drop in Filipino nurses taking the National Council Licensure Examinations (NCLEX). Only 3,024 took the exam from January to March this year, compared with 4,194 in the same quarter of 2009.
The NCLEX refers to the licensure examination administered by the US National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc.

4 Pinay nurses sue Baltimore hospital for discrimination

BALTIMORE – Four Filipino nurses filed a discrimination complaint before the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against a hospital that allegedly fired them for speaking their native language at work.
Nurses Corina Capunitan Yap, Anna Rowena Rosales, Hachelle Natano, and Jazziel Granada claimed the Bon Secours Health System terminated them without due process and dismissed them solely for speaking in their native tongue.
The hospital’s policy states that English is the principal language and must be the exclusive language spoken and written by all employees while on duty in the emergency department.
However, the nurses, who are being represented by the Migrant Heritage Commission, said that they do not recall speaking in Tagalog in front or while providing patient care in the Emergency Department. They admitted speaking in their native language only during breaks at the Nurses’ Station.
The nurses’ lawyer, Atty. Arnedo Valera had asked the EEOC to investigate the complaint and if the hospital’s English-only rule in the workplace violates the Civil Rights Act.
Valera cited prior findings of the EEOC which did not favor this rule, “There were previous findings of the EEOC that this is burdensome as a condition of employment because it creates a disparate treatment which leads to discriminatory practice”.
Valera added that based on the nurses’ claims, speaking Tagalog during break time does not impede their work.
He added that should the EEOC find probable cause in the nurses’ complaint, the commission will issue a right to sue, after which they will file a case against the hospital before the district court and seek punitive damages of up to $500,000 for all four nurses. 

Planning Your Canadian Immigration

           An immigration plan is similar to a good business plan, You need to know your goal, what the requirements are to reach your goal, have a plan that anticipates each step, and execute your plan. The more detailed your plan, the easier to implement.

Know your goal: Your general goal is immigration to Canada. A specific goal would be under what class of immigration you intend to apply. The classes of immigration under which you can presently apply are:

1. Federal Skilled Worker Class: This is the class most frequently used by new applicants for Canadian immigration. There is more flexibility here because not only are there Federal needs for certain vocations, but a number of Provinces likewise have their own specific needs. If you qualify for one of these, the provincial government will aid you in your application and in some cases it pushes you closer to the top of the waiting list for application processing.

2. Canadian Experience Class: an immigration category for Canada's temporary foreign workers and international graduate students who wish to become Permanent Residents. This class was first implemented in 2007.

3. Business Class: This class is for Investors, Entrepreneurs, and the Self-Employed. Applications in this class generally take less time than the Federal Skilled Worker Class. 

4. Family Class: This class of immigrant must be sponsored to come to Canada by a relative such as a parent, fiancé(e), spouse, or common-law partner. A common-law partner is defined as a person of the opposite or same sex with whom you are in a conjugal relationship and who is currently cohabiting with you and has done so for at least one year.

5. Quebec Selected Immigration: Skilled Worker / Professional applicants intending to reside in Montreal or another city in the Province of Quebec are selected based upon a different set of criteria than applicants who wish to settle elsewhere in Canada. The Quebec Immigration selection system is designed to indicate the likelihood of succeeding in settling in Quebec.

6. Provincial Nominees Class: In this classification a prospective immigrant applies to a Province which has certain established needs. If you fit their immigration criteria, then the province(s) then aid(s) in the application process. Provinces and territories share authority with the federal government and can fast track applications.

7. Refugees Class: Applicants in this class are admitted under special rules.

8. Others: (visitor visa, temporary employment authorization,) and so on...

Requirements and steps to reach your goal: What are the specific requirements for entering Canada under your proposed class of immigration. This can be accomplished by studying the CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada office) requirements.

Have a plan that anticipates each step: Make a checklist of all requirements for your selected class of immigration. Put in as much detail as possible. You may need to modify the list by including additional steps as the process continues.

Execute your plan: This includes all immigration steps needed before you can be considered for immigration to Canada, and before the CIC can approve or disapprove your application for immigration. This may be done through an attorney or Immigration Consultant OR you may take the initiative and do all the paperwork yourself. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. 

With an Immigration Attorney or Immigration Consultant, you are paying for their knowledge of the process and at the same time you are going to pay several thousand dollars more in fees. If you do it yourself it will require more research and personal work on your part, but you will be able to complete the process in a much less expensive manner. Like a business plan, going through all the steps will not necessarily mean success. However, by organizing yourself and systematizing the process on your end, there is a greater likelihood that you will be successful. This assumes of course that you meet the prerequisites for immigration in your selected class.

Over 90,000 nursing graduates to take July exams

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star) Updated June 16, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Over 90,000 nursing graduates are set to take the Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) on July 3 and 4.Marco Sto. Tomas, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Board of Nursing member, said the number of examinees has reached 92,000 and is still expected to increase.

“The number of nursing students who graduated last March and those failed in previous tests who will be taking the licensure examination already reached 92,000,” he said.

The latest batch of examinees is fewer compared to that of the November 2009 NLE, which totaled 95,000.

The huge number prompted the PRC to put up additional testing centers.

Traditionally, fewer examinees are recorded during the June NLE because some of the graduates are unable to meet the deadline for the filing of application.

          Sto. Tomas said the PRC and the Association of Deans have agreed to move the NLE from June to July to give the schools and examinees sufficient time to process the credentials necessary in filing their application to take the examination.

Earlier, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines reported fewer young Filipinos are opting to take up nursing due to a slump in demand abroad.

However, Sto. Tomas said the demand for nurses has not diminished, although many of the new board passers are having difficulty finding employment here or abroad.

Countries hiring nurses require one to two years’ actual employment experience.      

Required Social Security Numbers for California Licensure Applicants

Important Information Regarding Required Social Security Numbers
for Licensure Applicants


The Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) will no longer accept applications that do not contain a U.S. Social Security Number. The Nursing Practice Act provides for a unified examination and licensing application. Once an applicant passes the examination, a license is automatically issued. Under these circumstances the BRN cannot accept applications for the examination and licensure without a U.S. social security number. Pursuant to Section 30(c) of the Business and Professions code the board may not process any application for licensure unless the applicant provides a U.S. social security number. Section 30 of the Business and Professions code states in part:

30.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any board, as defined in Section 22, and the State Bar and the Department of Real Estate shall at the time of issuance of the license require that the licensee provide its federal employer identification number, if the licensee is a partnership, or his or her social security number for all others.
(b) Any licensee failing to provide the federal identification number or social security number shall be reported by the licensing board to the Franchise Tax Board and, if failing to provide after notification pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 19528 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, shall be subject to the penalty provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 19528 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(c) In addition to the penalty specified in subdivision (b), a licensing board may not process any application for an original license unless the applicant or licensee provides its federal employer identification number or social security number where requested on the application.

Article Source: http://www.rn.ca.gov/

Pinoys, Indians dominate nursing force in UAE

Filipinos and Indian nationals dominate the nursing workforce in the United Arab Emirates, according to a study conducted by the association of nurses in the Emirates.

The association intends to use results of the study to seek higher wages for nurses and to encourage Emiratis, particularly men, to enter the profession.

Emirati nurses constitute only a small percentage of the total nursing workforce in the UAE, the Emirates Nursing Association said.

"According to the study, of the total 23,433 nurses from different nationalities working in the country, only 759 were Emiratis. Of this total, only 12 were male [Emiratis]. Indians and Filipinos continued to dominate the workforce," UAE news site Khaleej Times said, citing excerpts from the report.

“The salary issues are also preventing Emiratis from working in the private sector and that’s why we don’t have a single local nurse in this sector," said Obaid Al Jenaidi, president of the association.

Al Jenaidi said the current ratio of UAE nurses to the total nursing workforce is still a far cry from the 25-percent target to address a critical shortage of nurses in the Emirates.

It is urgent for the UAE to open more universities for nurses, especially catering to male students, he said.

The study, entitled Encourage Emirati students to join the Nursing Profession, was presented during the International Nurses Day in Sharjah on Tuesday.

Other factors such as verbal and physical harassment by physicians were cited by experts in the event as reasons why nurses worldwide are dissatisfied with their jobs, according to the Khaleej Times.

The December 2009 study, which assessed the strength of the nursing workforce in the country, discovered no Emirati nurse was employed by private sector institutions in the Emirates.

Emirati nurses were employed by the police and military hospitals, the Ministry of Health, the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, and the Health Authority of Dubai. “This is of course due to a better salary structure and work environment," Al Jenaidi said.

“Though the average Emirati workforce has increased from the previous figure that stood at 2 percent in 2007, we still have to meet a target of up to 25 percent," Al Jenaidi said.

“It will take time but it will eventually happen," he said. —VS, GMANews.TV

Filipino nurses win vs Sentosa in NY court

CHICAGO – A group of Filipino health workers, accused of violating provisions of their contract, won a round against their employers in a New York City court.

In his ruling, New York Supreme Court Judge Stephen A. Bucaria did not let the 27 Filipino nurses and a physical therapist pay their employers the $25,000 “liquidated damages" for not complying with the provisions of the contract.

The judge denied the plaintiffs' ― Sentosa Care LLC and others ― motion for summary judgment.

The nurses allegedly violated the contract with their employers when they left their jobs without completing the three-year employment provision. The nurses claimed they did so after their employers, led by Sentosa Care, committed “multiple breaches of contract" against them.

However, the New York Supreme Court is a trial court while the Court of Appeals is the state’s highest tribunal.

The employers allegedly failed to pay the nurses the proper night shift differentials, all hours worked, dental insurance, and malpractice insurance. The nurses also claimed that their employers failed to provide for their sick days, vacation days, and personal days, as well as adequate training.

Reduced work hours also deprived them the benefits of higher hourly wages, the nurses claimed.

Bucaria noted that “neither the employers, nor the nurses, have met their respective burdens." In this case of “'battle of the breaches, the parties have submitted conflicting affidavits and arguments to cast their adversary in the role of the primary contract offender."

The contending parties must now take each other to a full-blown trial to get a summary judgment.

Lawyer wins

Bucaria also granted the motion of lawyer Felix Vinluan to dismiss the amended complaint for “tortuous interference with contract claims" filed by the nurses’ employers, saying that Vinluan’s “constitutional right to provide legal advice to his clients is within the bounds of the law."

Vinluan and a group of ten nurses were charge in a criminal court after he advised the nurses to resign from the nursing home where they were employed.

The ruling pointed out that “regardless of whether Vinluan’s legal assessment was accurate, it is objectively reasonable. We cannot conclude that an attorney, who advises a client to take an action that he or she, in good faith, believes to be legal, loses the protection of the First Amendment if his or her advice is later determined to be incorrect."

Twenty-seven nurses originally filed a complaint against Sentosa Care. The number had since rose to 38.

Class suit

Vinluan in his comment said that he "merely advised the nurses back in 2006 what their legal rights were. Sentosa, of course, gratuitously asserted, without any basis, that I advised the nurses to resign. Sentosa argued that I allegedly masterminded their resignations."

With the decision in his favor, Vinluan could now represent the nurses in the case. "There will be no more conflict of interest insofar as that issue is concerned. I would certainly love to be one of the lawyers representing the nurses during trial," he said.

The lawyer said he might file a second case of malicious prosecution
Against Sentosa, its chief operating officer Brent Philipson, and others, but would have to ask his own lawyers about this.

“As to other Filipino immigrant workers who paid Sentosa the $25,000 liquidated damages, which is actually a penalty, I would like to ask them to come out and discuss [the matter] with me and our lawyers," Vinluan said.

"They may have a case against Sentosa for human trafficking, involuntary servitude, and unjust enrichment, among other possible causes of action," the lawyer alleged.

Vinluan also asked the incoming Philippine government "to put in place a monitoring system whereby all those contracts that pass the POEA are actually followed to the letter by the foreign employers."

Rico Foz, executive vice president of the New York City-based National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, congratulated the Vinluan and the health care workers.

He also asked foreign educated nurses, or FENs, regardless of nationality or former employers, who paid for onerous pre-termination penalties to get in touch with Vinluan for a possible class action suit against their recruiters and employers to stop such illegal practice that seemed to be prevalent in the US. —VS, GMANews.TV

CHED gives ‘failing’ nursing schools 3 years to shape up June 01, 2010 19:02:00 Philip Tubeza Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Shape up or close shop.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) warned nursing schools with dismal board examination passing rates to shape up within the next three years or close shop.

CHEd Executive Director Julito Vitriolo said on Tuesday that "more than 100 nursing schools" around the country would be closed by 2013 if their average board exam passing rate for the next three years remained below 30 percent, the minimum set by CHEd Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 14 Series of 2009.

"Starting this school year, we will be monitoring them and if their passing rate remains below 30 percent by 2013, then their nursing program will be phased out," Vitriolo said in an interview.

"We will implement the closure by 2013, based on CMO 14. We are already monitoring 16 government schools that offer nursing but are not performing well. The private schools will follow," he added.

CHEd on Monday said around 55 percent of nursing schools in the country—253 out of 464 nursing schools—had a passing grade that fell short of the 40.70 percent national passing average.

This figure was based on the licensure examinations the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) supervised in June and November 2009.

"In NCR alone, 47 nursing schools were identified to be among the low-performing nursing schools," the commission said in a statement.

It directed interested parties to visit the PRC website (www.prc.gov.ph) for "a more complete list of low-performing nursing schools per region."

Vitriolo said that out of the 253 "low-performing" nursing schools, "more than 100" got a passing grade of below 30 percent.

CHEd chair Emmanuel Angeles said they would continue to monitor and "evaluate the performance of nursing schools nationwide and to ensure the quality of nursing education in the country."

Meanwhile, CHEd also announced the names of the top performing schools offering the Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs in the country for 2009. These schools’ passing rate was higher than the 40.70 percent national average.

For those that had 1,000 or more examinees, the top three performing schools were Far Eastern University-Manila, Centro Escolar University-Manila and Manila Central University-Caloocan City.

For those with 100-999 takers, the top three were Trinity University of Asia (Trinity-QC), University of Santo Tomas and Chinese General Hospital College of Nursing and Liberal Arts.

For those with 10-99 examinees, University of the Philippines-Manila, Philippine-Christian University-Manila and Saint Paul University-Quezon City came on top.