DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines — The 492 new registered nurses who recently took their oath were urged to stay and work in public and private hospitals in the Philippines.
“Our new nurses, please pause and hear the cry of our country. We need you. Serve our country first before searching for greener pastures,” Board of Nurses member Merle Salvani told the new nurses during an oath-taking ceremony.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Region 1, in coordination with the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) Pangasinan chapter and members of the Board of Nursing, spearheaded the ceremony at the CSI Stadia on Jan. 19.
The newly inducted nurses were from Pangasinan, Baguio, Manila and Bacolod.
Salvani said the Philippines is experiencing a nurse shortage.
PNA-Pangasinan chapter president Maria Cecilia Biascan said the new nurses could help meet the demand if they work in local hospitals.
PRC-Region 1 director Arl Ruth Sabelo said 415 examinees from Pangasinan passed the November 2023 Professional Nursing Licensure Examination (PNLE).
A total of 32,023 nursing graduates took the PNLE and 25,761 of them passed, resulting in a national passing rate of 80 percent.