Gov’t not pushing ‘practical’ nursing abroad

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) clarified yesterday that the government is not pushing the employment of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) abroad.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said the government created an inter-agency committee to conduct consultations with the nursing industry and stakeholders in preparation for the National Workshop on LPNs.

“DOLE is hosting the national workshop to take a look, for policy purposes, at LPN as an employment possibility locally and overseas,” Brion said in a statement.

Brion pointed out that the current Nursing Act does not recognize practical nursing and that the practical nursing curriculum cannot replace the recognized nursing curriculum.

Malacañang earlier said that LPN would provide more overseas employment opportunities for Filipinos, particularly nursing students who are undergraduates and those who have not taken the nursing board exams.

The government is convening a workshop to tackle the issue of LPN and come up with recommendations to President Arroyo.

An LPN could easily work in the United States and other countries abroad after undergoing 15-month training and upon passing the National Commission on Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

There are 74 schools nationwide offering LPN courses  but the graduates are having problems on where they can secure certificates of competency required abroad since the course is still unrecognized in the country.      – Mayen Jaymalin