Letter to the Editor — No retake of nursing board exams

We are recent board passers from different nursing colleges and universities demanding that the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) uphold its initial decision not to nullify and conduct a retake of the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE).

We, the newest batch of Filipino nurses, maintain that we passed the NLE honestly, legitimately, on our own hard work and merit, without the use of alleged leakage.

Certain institutions and groups, like the Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing (ADPCN), are calling for a retake of the June 2006 NLE in the interest of justice. But what about justice for all of us examinees who passed fairly and squarely? What about justice for all of us who completed the requirements patiently, who put in so much time and effort in reviewing for the exams, who answered the test questions honestly, who went through the 27-day agony of waiting for the results? What about justice for our families whose hopes and dreams we carry?

The members of the ADPCN say that there is a need for a retake to re-establish the tainted credibility of Filipino nurses here and abroad. They discourage us by saying that local and international health institutions will not hire us because our batch will forever be tainted with allegations of cheating. We insist that calling for a retake is tantamount to saying that all Filipino nurses are incompetent cheats! The ADPCN should defend us instead and uphold the good track record of Filipino nurses locally and internationally.

The PRC has already issued statements that the effects of the leakage were factored in the computation of our grades and so we assert that our grades are statistically valid. Many of us have also been issued certifications that we passed the NLE. It is unfair that we will all be punished for the mistakes of a few. It is the greatest injustice for all of us who worked so hard to qualify for and pass the exams!

We call on our fellow board passers, nurses, nursing faculty, and all nursing students to uphold justice and enjoin the PRC to uphold its decision.

No retake of the Nursing Board Exams! Justice to the majority nursing board passers who passed the exams fair and square and their families!

References:

Paul Michael M. Grageda ([email protected])
Marie Andrea H. Enriquez ([email protected])
Muriel Antoinette M. Grageda
Nicole P. Reyes ([email protected])