PRC, nursing groups to meet on CGFNS issue

The Philippine Regulatory Commission on Friday said that only a few nurses will be affected by the US-based agency's recommendation for a retake of some parts of the controversial June 2006 board exams. PRC chairwoman Leonor Rosero said that she will meet with nursing industry leaders and get a consensus before deciding on a course of action. "Ang PRC at Board of Nursing at nursing leaders ay maguusap-usap para pagusapan kung ano ang dapat gawin (The PRC and Board of Nursing will talk with nursing leaders on what to do)," Rosero said in an interview on dzRH radio. For the moment, she said the Philippine government will abide by the decision of the Court of Appeals that only 1,687 examinees will have to retake Tests 3 and 5 of the exam. The retake was held last December. "In the meantime the PRC is abiding by the decision of the CA that only 1,687 will retake Tests 3 and 5," she said. She added only those not yet applying for CGFNS will be affected by the edict as many passers have already taken the CGFNS and passed. Besides, she said the CGFNS edict applies only to the US and not other countries accepting Filipino nurses. "Magbibigay kami ng pahayag as soon as meeting kami para pag-usapan ano ang gagawin namin (We will give an announcement as soon as we arrive at a decision)," she said. The Philadelphia-based Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) announced Thursday that Filipino nursing graduates who passed the leakage-marred June 2006 nursing licensure examination are not eligible for a VisaScreen Certificate. VisaScreen Certificate is a requirement to apply for a nursing or related job in the US. CGFNS is an internationally recognized authority on credentials evaluation and verification pertaining to the education, registration and licensure of nurses and healthcare professionals worldwide. All 17,323 passers in the June 2006 nursing licensure exam have been sworn in as licensed nurses on the basis of a decision by the Court of Appeals in October last year. On the other hand, Rosero said the CGFNS requirement may apply to only those applying for immigrant visas. She said those seeking work visas are not affected by the CGFNS requirement. Rosero said that of the 1,687 whom the CA said will have to retake Tests 3 and 5, "only" 1,200 have actually retaken the exam and 90 percent of them had passed. "Kakaunti ang sa retake ng Test 3 and 5, iilan na lang, almost 400 na lang (Only a few need to retake Tests 3 and 5, only about 400)," she said. - GMANews.TV