decline in nursing enrollees
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NURSING: Number of Students Declined
By Unah08
@Unah08 (671)
Philippines
August 2, 2011 9:53pm CST
This is not a shocking news and it was expected even before it happen. The craze of taking up the nursing course in the Philippines is finally come to a halt. I'm not surprise by this, I mean with the recession and all that is happening in a lot of countries abroad especially in the US, the nursing community was greatly affected most often those whoonly took nursing to fulfill a dream in the greener pasture (as what they it).
Most parents werw already discounraging their children and even the students, soon-to-be-college are not inspired to pursue the course because of the less demand for the nursing career and to many competitions out there, since the supply overwhelmingly exceeded the demand.
Here in our country alone, we produce thousand of graduates every year and not even half of them could pass in their local licensure examination.
I am a fresh nursing graduate myself, I took the board exam just recently, it was unbelievably hard and I don't know if I will pass it with flying colors. All I know now and I believe that if God wants me to serve Him as me being a nurse then I will surely pass it.
Moving on, enrollees nowadays declined by almost 50-70% in most schools. Other school can even barley produce a single section. My alma mater was not spared either cause despite them providing a quality nursing education with an exceptional faculty's, from 10 or more sections before, to our batch graduating with only 4 sections and currently students who enrolled under the nursing department was composed of only 1 single section.
How about you would you still go for nursing career given the situation of our local nurses and nursing students. Would you still encourage your child to pursue the path leading to a nursing job if you were a parent? I would surely want to know.
14 responses
@06MLam (620)
•
3 Aug 11
If I am living in philippines, I would not become a nurse. However, if I am in other parts of the world, like the US, australia, hong kong, I will because the demand for nurses in those places is very high and it is easy to get into a degree studying nursing than some other subjects which require professional knowlegde. Also, the welfare for nurses in Hong Kong is quite good and the starting salary is quite high comparing to graduates from some other degree such as business and account.
@ellebj (784)
• Philippines
4 Aug 11
but you can take Nursing as a course in the Philippines also, but you don't want to work here. Nurses in hospitals have so many tasks to do.. the ratio of nurse and patient in the hospitals is like 1:4.. unlike in other countries like us, london, canada, etc is 4:1.. that is a total opposite right?
@06MLam (620)
•
4 Aug 11
There is shortage in other countries as well and nurses in Hong Kong has to qutie a lot as well. Not sure whether the ratio is as high as that in philipine, but I think being a nurse should be a very harsh job in every places because they have to shift duty and take care of the patients including cleaning them up sometimes if they are lacking of other workers. Therefore, those who are capable in academic do not usually choose nursing degrees in the university but instead may be doctor, lawyer, global business, accounting.
@katrinapaz (2436)
• Philippines
4 Aug 11
i also discourage my relatives to take up nursing. There are already a lot of nurses. Almost all the families has 1 or 2 family members who are nurses. There are many jobless ones even if they are board passers. i pity those who took up nursing because their parents said so and ended up without nothing. i think the government has done a good move to discourage nursing to the people.
@ellebj (784)
• Philippines
4 Aug 11
i am a fresh graduate of psychology and for me nursing is an impractical course, sorry to say.. but if my kids in the future would like to take nursing i would not stop them..
it is expected to decline because of the money spent in this course and also of the number of nurses in the philippines.. it is actually huge that it is depreciation. more so, some people who took nursing do not really like it but just took the course because of the connotation that there is big money in nursing.. and what about the courses? it could not give you money?
my sister is now studying as BSN and now they only have 3 sections is university of st lasalle bacolod from 7 sections.. it is not because that the students back out but they have not passed the exams given to them after the end of the semester and they have a passing grade to go on to the next semester.
The government is discouraging nursing because of the fact there are so many people taking nursing but only a few would be a RN and some other do not even continue to pursue their course but take another field instead so the money spent while they were studying was not well used because they haven't used what they have studied..
@Bharathbelli (1)
• India
3 Aug 11
this is not a shocking news and it was expected even before it happen.
@sweet_pea (3322)
• Philippines
4 Aug 11
I have 3 cousins who recently passed the Nursing Board Exam. One of them ended up as a sales person in SM while the other was fortunate enough to have a job training at a local hospital. I feel so sorry for the one who got the job at SM, since his family depends on him for support and he has smaller siblings who are still in school. I just wish they didn't follow the trend then or they would find better job opportunities.
I think it is but right that they stop for the mean time the nursing course. We are producing too much graduates without producing job opportunities. Schools should have that social responsibility to enlighten students about what courses will give them better job opportunities after graduation and not just think about the money that they can get from the tuition fees of their students. There are so many opportunities for skilled laborers. Usually these courses would only go for 2 years the most to finish, but they have a big chance to get you employed overseas or even make way for them to start their businesses.
@bouncybug (614)
• South Africa
3 Aug 11
This is interesting that you feel too many people are taking up nursing as a profession - in my country, we are terribly short of nurses and would be thankful for each and every student that decided to study nursing! Nursing is such an incredibly important profession and we are always in need of caring, selfless people to take up this job. So I think that we should still be encouraging as many people as possible to study nursing!
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
3 Aug 11
I have noticed the same. The nursing course is not such a trend anymore considering the decline in demand. So many nurses now have no work. But I think that end the long run the demand will rise again. Just like before, there was a decline, yet it raise up again. I am very much confident with our nurses, they are really great workers and I am sure that wherever they are assigned, they will surely excel. With respect to my child, he is still in elementary level, no one is sure yet as to what he will pursue. But when the moment comes, I will fully support him on what course he is going to take.
@moonchild117 (1987)
• Philippines
3 Aug 11
First of all, good luck to you. Hopefully the results of the board exam will be positive for you.
To your question whether or not I will encourage my child to pursue nursing (since I've already graduated from college), all I can say is that if my kid wants to take up nursing, then by all means she can. If that is her desire, it would be mean for me to discourage her. But what I'll do is to tell her the pros and cons of taking up nursing and the situation of the graduates (if ever, in 20 years' time it would still be like this) who failed to pursue their jobs as nurses because of the decreasing demand in the country and around the world.
I have a cousin who passed the board 2 years ago. She now works as a resident nurse for a call center company here in Manila. She would've wanted to work in a hospital, but I guess this is as close as she can get for now. At least she's still employing what she learned in school.
@nytrisco (567)
• Philippines
3 Aug 11
It is really about time! Same to as my previous discussion about nursing, parents have major participation about this, since most decision comes from them. It's about time that people especially PARENTS to realize that NURSING ERA is over. Every year almost 100,000 nurses pass the board exam (July and December) and only 1%-2% of those will have a career as a nurse.
My school only has one section for fourth year, which is the lowest that they had. And my other CIs either quit their job or moved to another school since my alma mater cannot give them loads for duty.
I hope you pass the board exam, I know it's hard but if you really study hard and didn't rely on review centers only you will pass it with flying colors. I was just got lucky when I passed the board exam, I kinda blame myself that I didn't study hard especially psych part, I just rely on the review center and I didn't learn at all from them. For me, I will definitely tell my future kids not to take nursing as their college course, hell no. I will not let them suffer what I'd already experience, after receiving my license last Feb 2011, I still can't find a job as a Hospital nurse or Company nurse since they don't have any vacancy or if they do have almost 2,000 nurses will apply for one vacancy, hows that to discourage my child? lolz.
@strawberrychocodahi (4818)
• Philippines
3 Aug 11
I will be supporting whatever my child wants to pursue in College. But the government itself is really discouraging the students to take nursing and also to take note of other courses since nursing course are really abound and they don't have jobs. Most nurses even if they pass with flying colors (passed the board exams) they end up with a different job because there are no more available jobs for nurses in our country and abroad it is also limited.
So what will happen to nursing grads of today? they will eventually end up choosing a different path when it comes to career. Most of them are now in Call Centers, I don't have problems with that, good that they have a job. But it is still better to see them continue the path they chose as a nurse.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
3 Aug 11
When I was a naive girl in my preparatory school, I had no idea what I wanted to be but there is a tradition in yearbook to state your 'dream' or what profession one wanted to have in the future. I was a t loss and I copied my seatmate's answer which was a nurse. My family got a laugh when they did see me with that caption since they never imagined me with that career.
Thankfully, I grew up and discover that I love writing rather than dressing in whites and handling bloods and other bodily fluids. I never like nurses, an extension since I don't like hospitals but I have friends who took this degree. I can say that I felt their pain when they took the nursing course in its heyday and found no suitable hospital work in the end.
They found jobs sure but I cannot say that they love their situation where they are not practicing the knowledge they accumulated for at least four years of studying and going for a license exam.
If I had a kid, I'll tell to go where he or she wanted to go and play to the strengths. For me, talent and skill is wasted if it not nourished by the Epson and his support group. I don't care what degree he took or how long he studies as long as he remains decent and following his heart.
@BannedHelsing (693)
• Philippines
3 Aug 11
No, I didn't take nursing because I am afraid of blood. There are other courses that can also be as rewarding as nursing. I think, whatever the course a child take, it is still the character of the child that will determine if he/she will be successful. So, I will support whatever course my child will take. But as a parent I will make sure that my child is equipped with the right attitude and discipline to make him/her through the highs and lows of life.
@nurseclare (2209)
• Philippines
3 Aug 11
I'm a registered nurse and i feel very depress now. I'm working in a real estate company as a front office staff and got no plans of applying in any hospital for I have to spend a lot for me to have the experience. I can't shoulder all the expenses for my brother needs my financial support.
But I'm still hoping and praying so much that time will come I will be able to pursue my nursing career and fulfill my dreams.
I hope to GOD that you'll be able to pass the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination.
Cheers future nurse!
@bluespygirl (2112)
• Philippines
3 Aug 11
Hello there. I have a 3rd year highschool son and if he would like to take nursing in college, I would tell him not to. I am aPhysical Therapy 4th year undergraduate myself and I have lots of friends who took up nursing. i know their flight. i mean, after graduating, nursing graduates needs to take board exam then are require to have some community works from government hospitals. What I am trying tosay is that I wouldnt really advice anyone to take the nursing course because there are many who graduated and has no job as a nurse. And I know that they have many ordeals after grad unlike the business course where you can start working after graduation.
