Senator seeks more benefits for nurses

MANILA, Philippines — Increasing the ranks of well-trained and better compensated nurses will play a vital role in achieving a more efficient access to universal healthcare for every Filipino, Sen. Francis Tolentino said in filing a measure proposing a comprehensive nursing law.

Tolentino has filed Senate Bill 1447 or the proposed Philippine Nursing Practice Act of 2022. It introduces a new provision on the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), which he said would be the “prime mover” of the nursing profession in relation to the Universal HealthCare Law.

“This will give qualified nurses expanded and collaborative roles that will aid in the delivery of a comprehensive healthcare service to Filipinos,” the bill’s explanatory note read.

Under the bill, an APN refers to a nurse “who has acquired substantial level of theoretical knowledge and decision-making skill in a specialty area of nursing practice and demonstrated proficiency in clinical utilization of such knowledge in providing expanded and collaborative expert care” from a recognized higher educational institution, aside from being a board passer.

The measure authorizes the practice of the “Agreed Upon Based Care,” a mutually agreed upon patient care made by an APN and approved by the primary physician in charge, through teleconsult or other means of communication, after evaluation of the case referred, but limited only to circumstances “during an emergency” such as the absence of a physician in the area to physically assess the patient, or lack of an available doctor due to inaccessibility of the area.

The bill also seeks to provide improvements in the practice of the nursing profession by instituting measures to promote comprehensive and relevant nursing practice standards, ensure decent working conditions and support the professional growth of nurses.