PRC backs closure of 80 nursing schools

MANILA, Philippines - The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is fully supporting the planned closure of 80 nursing schools nationwide.

Carmencita Abaquin, PRC’s Board of Nursing (BON) head, said the plan of the Commission on Higher on Education (CHED) would help ensure the quality of nursing graduates in the country.

Abaquin said the closure of poor performing nursing schools would also address the rising number of unemployed Filipino nurses.

 “That would be good in a way, because eventually there will be fewer unqualified nursing graduates. If we’re talking about quality education, makakabuti naman, (it would be of help),” Abaqion said.

She added the move would promote quality rather than quantity of nursing graduates in the country.

CHED executive director Julito Vitriolo earlier reported that at least 80 nursing schools are at risk of having their degree programs closed due to low passing rates in the licensure examinations.

Aside from their low passing rates, the 80 nursing schools also failed to meet government regulations governing issues like the quality of their faculty and the school’s facilities.

The government has been discouraging incoming college students from taking up nursing course in an effort to resolve the oversupply of nurses in the country.

The PRC had also expressed concern over the low passing rate in the nursing licensure examinations.

Abaquin said nursing schools should meet the standards set by the government and the PRC BON to enable the country to produce competent nurses.