Govt scraps mass oath-taking for new nurses

The government had scrapped the practice of mass oath-taking of new nurses to save money, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Sunday. “While the oath-taking is a requirement of law, the Board [of Nursing] decided to simplify it to save on costs and other expenses relevant to the holding of the traditional mass oath-taking," said DOLE in a statement, quoting Teresita Manzala, head of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Instead, oath-taking ceremonies will be undertaken either individually or by groups upon their registration for nurse licenses with the PRC. The Board of Nursing is the regulatory board for nursing professionals under the PRC, which is an attached agency of the DOLE. According to DOLE, the Board of Nursing cited “practicality" in doing away with the traditional ceremony for new nurses. It said the move aims to save money not only for the government, but for the families of the board passers as well. DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the PRC and the Board of Nursing cited the current socio-economic condition being experienced by Filipino families, “especially the income class, where majority of the nurses belong." Aside from saving costs for the nurse’s families, the government will likewise save thousands of pesos since they will no longer print souvenir programs, which are traditionally part of the expenses. A total of 37,513 passed the July 2011 nursing board exams, with Jomel Garcia Lapides for the University of the Philippines–Manila topping the list. — KBK, GMA News