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A couple of years ago, the demand for nurses abroad enticed a lot of fresh high school graduates (or their parents in particular) to take BS Nursing in college. I myself was “advised” by relatives to shift from my chosen course to what then was “the course of the decade”.
In order to get through until the last year of the Nursing program, you need hundred thousands of pesos to make it. And it doesn’t end there. Of course you have to make it through the board exam as well to achieve the professional license every nursing grad covets.
Then what happens next? A two-year experience before you could actually get a placement on the hospital you want to work for. That dream of working abroad only becomes a reality after what, two, three or four years? And I think there are still a lot of requirements you have to comply with which may hurt both your aspiring heart and your soon-to-be exhausted pocket.
This past few days, news had been talking about the unemployment of thousands of Nursing graduates in the country. One problem raised was the decreasing demand of overseas health care professionals. If there are low demands abroad, they have to settle on working for our hospitals here. We know these nurses would want to work for big hospitals and get big pay. But if these big hospitals are open only for trainees, how will these nurses get a regular job?
Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona announced the RN HEALS program they set for nurses who would want to be deployed on poor rural communities around the country. Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Services or RN HEALS will deploy 10,000 unemployed nurses to communities which are in need of better health care services. These communities will be identified by DOH with the help of DSWD.
So it’s like hitting two birds with one stone. Poor rural communities get the health services they deserve and these unemployed nurses will have a job. Nurses who will qualify for the RN HEALS program will receive an allowance of P8,000 and the local government unit they will be serving will give them a minimum of P2,000 plus board and lodging.
The RN HEALS program aims to produce more competent nurses who will be absorbed by health facilities later on and at the same time, increase the nurses’ employment.
Interested nurses may apply online on the DOLE website starting on January 17 to February 4. Successful applicants and their area of assignment will be posted on the DOLE website as well on February 7-10.
In the end, we all hope for the success of the RN HEALS.
