Private sector backs government program to address nursing shortage

MANILA, Philippines — The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) on health care and jobs sectors has expressed support for the new government initiative that aims to address the shortage of nurses in the country.

The recent joint administrative order signed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Health (DOH) provides for the implementing guidelines for the nurse workforce complementation and upskilling program for clinical care associates.

“I commend the DOH and CHED for co-creating this program with us, which institutionalizes and develops clinical care associates to receive training in health care facilities and assume vital non-core functions. This complements the required staffing in both public and private hospitals,” PSAC Healthcare Sector member Dr. Nicanor Montoya, president and CEO of MediCard Philippines, said in a statement.

The new policy will enable nursing graduates who have yet to pass the licensure examination to serve as nursing associates in health care institutions. They will also receive support, including a nursing review program, delivered by identified higher education institutions, to help them pass the licensure test.

“Only about 50 percent of nursing students pass the licensure exam, we have to look for the other 50 percent. How can we help them pass the licensure exam? We have to give them opportunities for re-skilling and upskilling, and assist them pass the licensure test,” CHED chairman J. Prospero De Vera III said during the ceremonial signing last month.

“If we are able to do this, we can immediately produce new nurses, we don’t have to wait for four to five years to increase the nursing manpower. We can have more nurses within the year,” he added.

De Vera said the program is part of the different initiatives launched by CHED to address the shortage of nurses. It earlier lifted the moratorium to allow more colleges and universities to offer nursing programs.