Nurses' exam retake set for December 2 and 3

While thousands of other graduates were already sworn in as new nurses Friday, some 1,687 examinees will have to retake two test subjects with about five weeks to prepare. Chair Leonor Rosero of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced Friday that the retake of Tests 3 and 5 has been scheduled for December 2 and 3. The 1,687 nursing graduates will take the exam along with a batch of first-time test takers. "The retake has been scheduled for December 2 and 3, the same date as the next scheduled regular licensure exams," Rosero said in an interview on dzRH radio. The second-timers were earlier added to the list of passers after the PRC recomputed scores on the two tests, which were purportedly leaked to various review centers. Test 3 and 5 covers Medical Surgical Nursing and Psychiatric Mental Health, respectively. Each test subject has 100 questions.

Earlier this month, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said the retake would push through "on or before the regular exams for the Board of Nursing." The Court of Appeals on Thursday granted permission to 17,323 examinees to take their oaths as new nurses. These graduates make the 41.24 percent of all examinees who notched passing marks based on test scores before the recomputation. The appellate court deemed that there was "no legal impediment" for their oath-taking, noting that a 60-day temporary restraining order against this already expired. As of Friday noon, over 3,000 new nurses were already sworn in at the PRC main office in Manila City. Some regional offices were also reportedly able to administer oaths on the same day. The road ahead As this developed, PRC Board of Nursing chief Eufemia Octaviano challenged new nurses who took their oaths to redeem the honor of the profession. Octaviano said it is up to the new batch of nurses to show their would-be employers and patients that they are "competent and responsible." "It is up to you to show you are competent and responsible. Despite the doubts spread by some groups I am sure you can prove you can do your job," she said. On the other hand, an organization of nurses who are against the retake of the exams said that despite the oath-taking, the string of cases they are planning against a rival group will continue. Justice, vengance Colonel Josefino Lorenzo, head of the Alliance of Parents of New Nurses, said the suit against the group headed by Professor Rene Tadle of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) will be filed in the coming days. "We want to make them feel the mental torture we were made to feel along with our children during the last four months," Lorenzo said. Renato Aquino, head of the Alliance of New Nurses, called on Tagle to withdraw the motion for reconsideration filed before the Court of Appeals. "Tadle should withdraw that motion because many of his students at the UST were among those who took their oaths today," he said.-GMANews.TV