Most Pinoy nurses jobless, underemployed - PNA

MANILA, Philippines - For two years now many licensed nurses are unemployed or underemployed due to policy change in destination countries, oversupply, and quality problems, the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA) revealed on Tuesday. In an interview, PNA National Capital Region Zone II National President Governor Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz revealed that the significant drop with the employment of professional nurses started in 2006 when demand for Filipino flat-lined due to US visa retrogression and UK policy change, which signaled the shift of home grown health workers instead of recruiting one from overseas. Paquiz claimed that the domestic demand is not also increasing. “In the US alone, the quota for visas has been filled up resulting in delayed processing of visas with current efforts focused on 2006 accepted applicants. While the domestic market is now oversaturated with nursing pools in major hospitals as high as 1500 and with employment waiting times ranging from six to 12 months," Paquiz explained. Nursing pools refer to those considered qualified by hospital employers but waiting to be formally employed. In St. Luke’s Hospital alone, an average of 20 applicants per day applied as walk-in and 10 per day applied through email. With a nursing pool of 300 nurses who finished 3 months pre-hire training, while vacancy is 6-10 persons per month since Oct 2007. In the Philippine Heart Center, hiring has slowed down due to turn over rates decrease to 10% since 2006. In 2007, turnover rates remained with nursing pool of 1,500. Meanwhile, in the Philippine General Hospital, waiting time is 10-12 months with a nursing pool of 200-250. There are 100 applicants per exam conducted every 2 months- only about 20-25% pass and still go over interviews. In 2007, PGH turnover rate is .83%. Paquiz said that the current nursing employment market is “a buyer’s market", which allows current employers to be highly selective and quality job seekers are closely scrutinized. - GMANews.TV