Gov't to make nursingexam passers retake tainted tests

The government will accede to the request of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to let the passers of the June 2006 leakage-tainted licensure examination retake the test so they can obtain visas to the United States, President Arroyo said yesterday.

The Visa Screen certificate is required for tests leading to the practice of nursing in the US.

In her speech at the 2007 International Science Conference of the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering at the Century Park Hotel in Manila, Mrs. Arroyo also said she ordered Labor Secretary Arturo Brion to "seek all forms of relief from the visa hold, and appeal for reconsideration of the decision" of the CGFNS.

She was saddened that a visa hold was imposed on the deployment of Filipino nurses as a result of the cheating scandal in the nursing exams last year.

"If necessary, the Government shall provide financial assistance to 2006 nursing board passers for the retake of the exams as called for by the CGFNS, with the proper body to oversee the project, including having a common review center," she said.

The CGFNS urged the Philippine government "to provide an opportunity for the retake" of the test questions that were allegedly leaked so examinees who took the questioned exams may qualify for the Visa Screen certificates.

It earlier announced it would not issue Visa Screen certificates to those who took the cheating-tainted examinations.

Mrs. Arroyo also ordered Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita to follow up all reform measures mandated by the Cabinet for the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to uphold the integrity of the nursing institution.

She said all officials involved in the nursing exam leakage should be dismissed without benefits and criminally charged: "We shall resolve this controversy once and for all and uphold the prestige and excellence of the Philippine nursing profession."

The CGFNS insisted that passers retake Tests 3 and 5, where the answers were leaked: "The integrity of foreign licensing systems ultimately affects the health and safety of patients in the United States, a primary consideration of CGFNS in its role in evaluating candidates under US immigration law."

A CGFNS fact-finding team came to Manila in September last year to assess the effects of the nursing exam leakage scandal.

CGFNS said the June 2006 passers can still qualify for a Visa Screen Certificate by taking the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 on a future examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities and obtaining a passing score.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court stood by its earlier resolution and denied with finality a motion filed by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) College of Nursing Faculty Association asking the government to administer new tests to all the nursing graduates who passed the nursing board examinations last June.

"Considering that there is no compelling reason to warrant a modification of this Court’s (earlier) resolution the Court resolves to deny reconsideration with finality," the SC said in its one-page resolution.

On Nov. 15 last year, the SC dismissed the petition for certiorari "for being premature" a suit filed by the UST College of Nursing FacultyAssociation, which insisted that a ‘full retake’ for everyone was the only way to "erase the stigma that casts doubt on the competence of the nursing examinees and the integrity of licensure examination in the country."

Meanwhile, Brion said Filipino nurses who took the June 2006 licensure examination, will retake the test only if they want to.

Despite the CGFNS demand for retake, Brion said the government is inclined to do it on voluntary basis.

"It should be done on voluntary basis because there are other nurses who do not intend to work and stay in America so there is no need for them to take the examination again," Brion said.

He added that the PRC should now provide a system that would allow nurses to retake the tests 3 and 5 of the controversial licensure exam. -Paolo Romero, Mike Frialde, Mayen Jaymalin