‘Poor nursing education taking its toll on RP’

The deteriorating quality of nursing education due to the proliferation of second-rate schools may soon take its toll on the country’s edge in competitiveness, the Philippine Nurses’ Association (PNA) warned yesterday.

PNA president Ruth Padilla raised the alarm that "in five to 10 years," Filipino nurses might no longer be the favorites of foreign hospitals.

Padilla said some 400 nursing schools are now operating across the country whereas five years ago, there were only 140.

"We are known all over the world to produce very good nurses. That’s why we are really sought globally, but we don’t maintain that image," she said in an interview during the first Philippine Medical Summit over the weekend.

The PNA took part in the summit to address the exodus of Filipino doctors. Most of the physicians leave home because they are more in demand in developing countries.

At present, there is a moratorium on new nursing schools and the PNA wants the government to closely monitor the performance of those currently operating.

Citing records of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Padilla said there are 38 nursing schools nationwide that have "very, very poor" performance while 23 others do not even have permits to operate.

She added that CHED had attempted to close down the 23 unlicensed schools, but this failed because of some "resistance."

"Probably they (school owners) have connections. Probably they have influence or power," Padilla said.