AMONG foreign-educated nurses, Filipinos are still most persistent job seekers in the US.
Some 7,791 Filipino nurses hoping to practice their profession in America took the US licensure examination for the first time in 2017. The figure is up 23 percent versus the 6,322 Philippine-educated nurses that took America’s eligibility test, or the NCLEX, for the first time in 2016.
This is based on newly released statistics from the US National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. (NCSBN).
A total of 1,305 Indians, 820 Puerto Ricans, 749 South Koreans and 586 Jamaicans also took the NCLEX for the first time in 2017. Nigerians and Cubans also compete with Filipinos in the US nursing labor market.
Compared to other countries, many Filipino nurses still prefer the US because, apart from the superior hourly pay, they also find it easier to work and live there, considering our cultural affinity with America.
The median pay of registered nurses in America was $70,000 per annum, or $33.65 per hour in 2017, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Nurses in America work in hospitals, physician’s offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities, while others work in outpatient clinics and schools, or serve in the military, the BLS said.
Overall, job opportunities for nurses in America are expected to be good because of employment growth and the need to replace workers who retire over the coming decade.
However, the supply of new nurses entering the labor market has increased in recent years. This increase has resulted in competition for jobs in some areas of the country.
Employers also may prefer candidates who have some related work experience or certification in a specialty area.--Rep. John Bertiz III, ACTS-OFW