what do u think of nurses working in call centers?
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
Philippines
September 26, 2009 2:23am CST
every year, the number of nurses (in the Philippines) increase and the number of them unemployed in hospitals and other course-related work is growing bigger, too. some of the registered nurses are now applying and most are already working in call centers due to shortage of employers for them. as it is now, there is an apparent upsurge of nursing students in universities and this surely will add up to the unemployment rate.
do u think it is appropriate for nurses to work in call centers or any other establishments whose businesses are not in line with their profession? do u think the government should now make a move to stop, if not minimize, accepting students who are enrolling in the nursing course until such time that the number of those unemployed declines? please share ur thoughts on this issue. thanks.
1 person likes this
12 responses
@eabaterina (501)
• Philippines
26 Sep 09
i would just like to share my opinion that some nurses do not apply to call centers just because there are no hospitals who would like to take them in,some nurses apply for the call center jobs because they can earn higher there than apply in a hospital that only offers like Php 8000. in the call center company, they can give an offer in the range of 12000 - 18000, the government should focus more on providing employment for all unemployed. not only nurses make up the most of the unemployed. and not only nurses take up a job that is not in line with their course. a lot of people nowadays are in a field not necessarily in line with the course they took in college
@simonelee (2715)
• China
26 Sep 09
I agree! a lot of people now working in call center industry due to higher salary even though it is very stressful job. My friends(nurses) are all working as an CSR and they are happy and contented with their salary but of course it depends on the area(call centers in the province are only earning 8k/month.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
26 Sep 09
that, too! they apply for call center jobs because of the pay. it is a lamentable fact that they studied hard to finish the course and for the board exams, too, only to end up in call centers. i think it is such a waste of time, effort and money ending up in call centers. u need not be a nurse, spend high for it in order to be accepted in call centers. some call centers even accept high school graduates!
i hope i am right in my thought that some of these nurses work in call centers just want to earn and save money and to pass time while waiting for hospital vacancies.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
26 Sep 09
oopps, please ignore the word "want" in the second to last sentence of above paragraph. thanks.
@JOIEMARVIC (2335)
• Philippines
30 Sep 09
I do not see anything wrong about it. Even civil engineers and other professionals chosse to work in call center companies rather in companies realted to their field because of the monetary difference in terms of salaries call center companies gives. Though you can categorize these people as underemployed, the fact reamins that they are still employed and are productive. The goverment and other private companies may offer jobs for these people, but finding and landing in a job is also a choice people do. it just so happen that these people chose to work on call centers instead of companies in their field of work.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
30 Sep 09
yes, ur right. not only nurses are deviating from their line of work but other professions, too. that is because of lack of available jobs for them and the unemployment rate is high.
@parksong (1)
• Philippines
20 Jan 10
Nurses has become the "CENTER OF ATTENTION" of these call center companies because of their HIGH POPULATION WITHOUT EVEN NOTICING OTHER COURSES who are also trying their luck in a call center career. They are closely monitoring the nurses' actions and tend to make a conclusion that most nurses are using this field just to earn big money. On the other hand, "aren't these companies also use nurses and other employees for their personal gain?" - just an opinion, for me there is no good reason for the discrimination of nurses working outside of their field.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
20 Jan 10
Hi Parksong,
No, I don't think it is right to discriminate anybody, nurses included. Because of the scarcity of work in their field, they make themselves productive by working mostly in call centers. I personally think that most people want to work in companies that offer bigger salaries and benefits. Because of the number of nurses working in call centers, they are being singled out. You are right.
I hope the nurses' interest will not fully "stray" on a non-related job. I hear from an HR manager from a local hospital that they prefer to hire nurses who have just passed the board or have volunteer work recently than those getting higher board ratings but who had been idle for long. I think nurses need to upgrade on their learnings --- attend seminars and trainings once in a while.
@daliaj (5674)
• India
30 Sep 09
It is sad to hear that nurses are workign in call centers in your place. There are lots of nurses in India and most of them are working in gulf countries and European countries. Nurses are paid in peanuts in my country and they can get more than 10 times they earn in India in gulf contries. India has good coaching centers for IELTS, TOFEL, ENCLEX, etc. (the courses which help nurses to work in foreign countries).
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
30 Sep 09
yes, most of the Philippine nurses are bound to work overseas. but as it is now, they still need to work for 2 years in the country before they are allowed to go to US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. and there is no high rate of unemployment right now because the experienced ones are still in the country and could not, as yet go abroad because of recession and global economic woes.
@donnakristel (1704)
• Philippines
20 Jan 10
well, the good thing is... it is nice to know that call centers are hiring nurses. because from what i heard, they are not hiring nurses because after working, they will resign and have the licensure examination.
i guess, if you have a child, maybe tell them to choose the course that is in demand but not overpopulated.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
20 Jan 10
Hi Donnakristel,
Yes, that is right, too. Some call centers are choosy. It is a fact that upon graduation and while waiting for board exam results, most of them apply at call centers. The call centers have experienced in the past that once they pass the board, they get out of the call centers to practice their profession.
It is sad though, that they are overpopulated now and vacancies in hospital is very low.
@robertjvan (289)
• United States
27 Sep 09
If you can't find a job in your trained field you'll work where ever till you get the right job.
@simonelee (2715)
• China
26 Sep 09
Yes, I agree with you, amyson. Nurses are flexible. Almost my batch mates are working as a call center agent and I think they are fine now and some of them told me that they have no plans in practicing their profession. When you apply in the government hospital you'll need to under go some training in every department and of course you have to pay, then take the exams. I think we have to wait for one year to hire. Government hospital is one of the best training ground.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
26 Sep 09
u are right, amyson. nurses are flexible. i just hope they won't experience problems with resigning once vacancies arise in hospitals for course-related work, that is, if they still want to work in hospitals. there is a possibility that a nurse's attention is easily shifted to higher-paying, non-course-related jobs. and ... please be careful in anything that u sign, especially contracts of employment. u might need to get out of there immediately in favor of a hospital work (which is very "evasive") but cannot, because of conditions in ur contract.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
27 Sep 09
yes, true. they need to find money in order to live. maybe they can save the money from these "non-related-course jobs", be in constant "vigilance" of hospital vacancies and go... apply!
@charlies2805 (777)
•
26 Sep 09
Well, as far as I know working in call centers 'just' requires good telephone manner and ability of related language. I thik it doesn't matter whoever he/she is to work in call center. Even an uneducated person can also work in call centers. It's just how recruitment goes. Well, number of nurses is now more than number of jobs available, they are diluting the job opportunity as well.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
27 Sep 09
the sad fact is ... call centers are biased against nurses. some say they are not taking in nurses because they are just "passing time" working as call center agents and leave when they are scheduled to go outside the country or work in hospitals.
@simonelee (2715)
• China
26 Sep 09
Well, nurses can survive in call center industry. They are trained in shifting schedules, can also do multitasking, problem solving and etc. Being in the hospital or being an agent is the same both jobs are stressful when it come to dealing with clients. Having a job not related to their coarse is now a big problem in the country. It increases more the number of unemployment and the quality of the education is deteriorating.
I don't think government can do anything about it, they are too busy with their own errands, election is coming. People has no choice but to go with the flow...
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
26 Sep 09
absolutely true! shifting schedules are peanuts to nurses and they had undergone this kind of training even when they were still in school. in an effort to immediately land a job and earn, coupled with the lack of employment opportunities in hospitals, nurses try their luck in call centers. the economic crisis and recession in the US and other countries had a domino effect on the local nurses. more experienced local nurses cannot, as yet, travel for work abroad. once this thing slackens, there will be local employment for new nurses here.
@kid221 (150)
• Philippines
27 Sep 09
Hiya friend.. Nurses in call centers and other non-related professions shows the worst condition of unemployemnt in the Phillippines. In my opinion, these newly graduates/licensed nurses must be able to work within their profession to practice what they have studied in the last 4 years in nursing schools. The country has minimal numbers of nurses working in government hospitals and health centers. Instead, some of them wants to volunteer in private hospitals. But some others have no choice but work in call centers or us English tutors. The government should address the ballooning numbers of nurses in the country. The country will be a nation of white scrub suits/robes with no patients to attend.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
27 Sep 09
u are right. because of the unemployment rate and the difficulty to get hospital work, some nurses choose to widen their knowledge by pursuing a masteral course and to get the "edge" over other nurses.
@radiance27 (687)
•
26 Sep 09
I am a registered nurse. That is the reality nurses are facing now. It is really hard because I have studied for four hard years in nursing and just turn out to be a call center agent, that is very far from my dream. Well, we can't blame anyone, hospitals aren't hiring and call centers pay much compared to any jobs.
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
26 Sep 09
yes, that is being practical. have u heard about DOLE hiring rural nurses for 6 months, a program that they embarked which is helping the unemployed nurses? u must be in the recent batch (june 2009) of passers as my daughter. DOLE needs licensed nurses but PRC will release ur licenses 5 months from now yet. don't lose hope and be always vigilant of hospital work vacancies. God bless!
@andromeda81405 (10)
• Philippines
26 Sep 09
i actually know a lot of nurses who are working in call centers, in pharmaceutical companies and even korean schools. i am a nurse and i can say that it is really tough to work in a hospital. the board of nursing said that they will make the board exams tougher so that there will be a lesser number of board passers.. i have tried working in a call center, even in a coffee shop.. since nurses are flexible, some won't mind working in establishents that are not in line with their profession, as long as they are earning..
@moneymakingtoday (4061)
• Philippines
26 Sep 09
i respect ur opinion. but i still think that skills of a nurse are better put into use where he is best placed at work ... and that is in the hospital or any other related medical fields. the pay may not be equally high (in the beginning) but surely the opportunities for work abroad is another thing to discuss about. working as nurses abroad requires local experience and working in call centers are surely not the kind of experience they are looking for. it would be another thing though if they are resigned to NOT working as nurses forever.
