Do you want to be a Nurse someday?
By nytrisco
@nytrisco (567)
Philippines
July 18, 2011 9:44am CST
I feel sad when I see a student nurse every where. For me, career as a nurse in our country is a garbage (please don't be offended by my words), there are plenty of licensed nurse here are unemployed including me and the main reason is that our country doesn't have enough hospitals or companies to cater all of the employment. Even the NARS program of the previous government is sufficient and has some limitation on number of nurses to apply and the duration of work. Why did I say it is garbage? because it is a waste of money, every semester the tuition would be around 40k, budget for allowance, provincial duty allowance every sem, in just one year you must have atleast 160k. imagine for 4 years more than P640,000 and after that you are not done, you still have to take the board exam and review for it (additional expense), once you passed the exam you have to take the trainings needed and requirements of the hospitals or company like BLS, IVT, BOSH, etc.
After that most hospitals now is still on freeze hiring and some only accept volunteers without pay and if you have a backer on some hospitals you might get lucky to be hire. Companies usually hire female nurses with pleasing personality (pervert) as company nurse. And once you got a job, after your hard work every duty, after those moments where you are the only one on duty on a 500 bed capacity ward, you will just receive a 10,000 salary. And the rest of the nurses are unemployed. And we cannot work outside our country without minimum of 2 years of exp, now do you still want to be a nurse someday? haha!
1 person likes this
10 responses
@kharlav (1669)
• Philippines
18 Jul 11
I am actually a nurse and already did my training in the hospital. After 3 66 days of being a nurse trainee, I stopped and never went back to the hospital. lol. I've realized, while I was training, that I never ever want to be a nurse. I just loved nursing and everything I learned in school but I never want to apply it on patients or on people i dont really know.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
Haha, that's what I felt after I graduate so I look for a job that is not relevant with nursing and luckily a found a career at banking but eventually after two years at the bank, I've realized that I a miss the smell of the hospital, wearing scrubs, charting, and many more. So I resigned and currently looking for a vacancy as a company or hospital nurse.
@swirlz (3136)
• Philippines
19 Jul 11
Exactly what I thought.
If that person would still continue studying the course spending a lot in the process, take the board exam and spend also in the process, only not to find a job in the end, complain about the crappy government and feeling like the victim, who would you really blame?
Every time a Filipino nurse complains.
Every time a Filipino nurse complains.@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
Well first, it wasn't me who really want to took up this kind of course, it was my parents. So I guess I am not the one to blame in my case. haha! Second, actually I am not complaining, I made this one just to realize to the students what will be facing and encounter after they graduate in college. I'm just hope that the government would act or provide some alternate solutions about this problem. =)
@jaiho2009 (39141)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
This is really sad,hundred of nurses being unemployed (maybe a thousand)
Good thing there is this call center that looks like a hospital extension for unemployed nurses not to mention that the salary is much decent than working in a hospital as well.
I pity our newly graduates and those who are still studying and taking up nursing.
What job await for them anyway...hope our government will look at this matter.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
21 Jul 11
Yep! you're right! The positive side of call centers/BPOs is the benefits and a good salary that hospitals here cannot give us, but a not so negative part of it is it isn't related on our field though there are the medical accounts that we can handle. Also there are jobs that is currently new here in the Philippines and it is relevant in nursing like Medical Coder and Clinical Abstractor. Hope it will boom here in our country =)
@ebuscat (5935)
• Philippines
19 Jul 11
For me no I don't like that kind of job I'm the helper of the doctor so hard to deal with.
@miessy24 (235)
• Philippines
19 Jul 11
You know what we feel the same way here. It really sucks you know. Is nursing your own choice of studies?
If not then, you are just among the "forced" ones by their parents. In my case, I learn to love nursing though it's only my 3rd option. Our situation here is testing us truly for a vocation. and yeah it is a vocation. However, the duties we cater doesn't equate with the salary we deserve. Nursing is expensive and we get only like an allowance? This is not fair. And I hope the upcoming college students will not opt nursing knowing with this issue we have in this country.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
I was forced by my parents to took up nursing and I was very disappointed that they wouldn't allow me to take what I really like. Yep, you are right we work on stressful environment, we are liable on any malpractice, we do the dirty work on the hospitals and yet we only get only a minimum wage. And the government haven't done anything about it.
@barbiieeedoll (9)
• Philippines
21 Jul 11
I'm a fresh grad and took the licensure exam last July. I still want to be a nurse. I believe that if it is for you, you'll be able to find a job as a nurse. And besides, as a cliche given to us, it's not about the financial stability it will give to you, it's not about earning much, it's a calling, it's not a profession but a vocation.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
22 Jul 11
Good for you barbiieeedoll, I hope you pass the board exam and find a work in a hospital. And hope you will not suffer what others had. This is the first time again for the past three years that someone is telling me that line again and it is good to know that until now there are still nurses like you. Since every nurses I had asked and encountered is searching for a job that has a better pay or there parents just forced them to took up nursing. Good one!
@kareemadivina (1230)
• Philippines
18 Jul 11
It's really hard to be a nurse in the Philippines right now especially that several foreign countries had stop hiring nurses, because they want to employ their own graduates.Yes, it's true we lack hospitals that may employ nurses,complicated with the the surplus of nursing graduates.Nursing is facing a very bad situation now that even those who are experienced have difficulty looking for a job because of age limits,employment gaps,and the likes.Maybe nursing in the Philippines is at it's worst right now but it doesn't mean it could not rise again.
When I entered college about 12 years ago they are discouraging me to take up nursing because it's almost the same with the situation we have now.Some nursing graduates are even working as sales ladies but after 2 years,nursing had boomed again.As soon as I graduated,I immediately got a government job abroad.Employment agencies were running after nurses and there's always shortage.
Don't lose your hope someday, you may practice your nursing profession.As of now,we have to broaden our options.We can look for a job that we may be qualified.If you are male nurse,you can apply as a company nurse in construction companies.They are still hiring male nurses to work as company nurse in oil companies abroad provided that you have previous work experience.Just have patience.You can undergo necessary trainings while waiting for that big break.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
I guess your right, I visited my previous institution and I was shocked to know that they only have one section for graduates this year and most of my instructors was forced to move to another school or colleges since they didn't received duties on my previous institution anymore because of the insufficiency of students. So I guess people nowadays realize how many nurses we have here in our country that is unemployed. And maybe 5 to 10 years from now, nursing will rise again and at that time hopefully I'll have a wonderful and toxic job as a nurse.
Thanks for the motivation!
@mercedes2053 (136)
• Davao, Philippines
19 Jul 11
I really agree with your sentiments as one of the frustrated nurses we have now in our country. My eldest daughter decided to take up Nursing course in one of the prestigious nursing schools here in Davao City five years ago. She started her college journey with high hopes that her nursing course would someday land her to a good job in the nursing profession. But what a big disappoinment not only for her but also for me as parent. I really don't know why our government is not doing measures to solve this pathetic situation wherein our nurses have found themselves now. My daughter passed the nursing licensure exams last February this year. We were elated and somewhat gratified. But the feeling was only for a short while. She is busy at present looking for other 'options'. She has tried working at a call center while she was yet waiting for the board exams result. She considered at first to be a volunteer nurse but got discouraged when she met her classmates before who are also new board passers, who shared their sad plight as volunteers nurses who stopped after six months straight working without pay and without hope of getting employed even as casuals only. Now,she is still looking for other options. Like me,my daughter also appreciates this point of discussion you have put up. Thanks and we wish all the nurses in the Philippines, good luck.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
That is the saddest part here in our country, our government haven't done any actions to provide our nurses a better job. Two months ago the media is told that public schools is lacking of medical personnel and it might be an option for us nurses, but I dare you to visit one public school near your house and ask for the school clinic, it's either closed and full of dust or open but without medical materials and paraphernalia.
Like your daughter even though it was my parents who forced me to took up nursing for the hope having a better life and career outside our country. That disappointment began after my graduation and now my dad is always mad at me because I can't find a job as a nurse, talk about anger management. I always explain to him that most hospitals here doesn't have any vacancy and they only accept volunteer and that mean no pay at all. Right now, I am just trying to look for a job that is related with my field.
@diala84 (138)
• United States
18 Jul 11
I didn't need more convincing not to be a nurse. =) I have been a CNA for years and I have seen the stressful environments that many nurses work in. They work long days, bad hours and are run to the brink of exhaustion. Every nurse I have met is a smoker in order to deal with the long shifts and stress of the job. I would never want to take their place even if they do make more money. Most of the jobs are in nursing homes so good luck with finding the nice relaxing nursing jobs.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
That's what I am talking about, work as a nurse is very stressful and the pay is not so good here in my country. Imagine how are you going to work if your ward is a 400 bed capacity and there is only 4 nurses in the ward. I was wondering if there are nursing homes here in my country that has a good pay and not stressful.
@FullTimeMom (48)
• United States
18 Jul 11
I understand exactly how you feel! I am nurse and i just got laid off along with 20 other nurses. The hospitals complain about budget cuts, etc, so they cut back half there staff that makes them money and customer care! I am now a stay at home mom, and back in school to get a certification. For example, im in school right now to get my Surgical "nurse" certificate.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
That is the worst case scenario especially if you work so hard every shift and you gave all your time for your work and then they will just going to fire you due to cost cutting. I never thought hospitals in your country do budget cuts too. I hope you find another work again soon
