Thursday, May 01, 2008 Ched mulls changing nursing curriculum
THE Commission on Higher Education (Ched) is planning to revise the nursing curriculum this year to adapt to international standards, acting Ched chairman Romulo Neri said.
Neri said the changes in the curriculum for nursing are also expected to ensure a better passing rate for the Filipino nursing graduates so they can compete in the market.
Neri did not, however, specify the changes that will be made in the curriculum.
"It is premature to discuss details at this time. Besides, the plan to change the curriculum is sharply met with criticism from the schools,” he said.
"If we cannot implement it this year, we will try to implement it next school year,” he added.
Neri said the Ched technical committee will meet with the school administrators to extensively discuss the matter.
Some Ched officials believed that the planned changes in the nursing curriculum will be based on the results of the recent exams of nursing graduates. The commission, they said, will look at which area the students failed or got low marks.
Ched records, however, showed that many nursing examinees failed in basic English and oral and written communications.
A Ched official, who asked not to be named, said less than 50 percent of nursing examinees pass the licensure examinations.
"Nursing graduates want to work abroad, so a mastery of the English language is a must," he said.
The official said English is one subject in the nursing curriculum that will have to be improved along with Science and Mathematics.
To date, Filipinos are still the top source of labor for Western countries due to their ability to communicate in the English language. Recent studies, however, point out that the country may lose its advantage to other countries unless Philippine authorities intensify its program on the use of English.
Ched has assured it will intensify efforts to improve nursing schools in the country.
As of 2007, there are 60,199 new nurses in the Philippines. Of this number, 28,924 took the exams in December 2007 while the 31,275 new nurses took the test last June 2007.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said the figure is the highest of new nurses in any given test-year. The previous highest result was in 2006 when 37,821 nurses passed the exams.
The PRC said they expect about 80,000 to 100,000 examinees to take the two Nursing Licensure Exams this year. (AH/Sunnex)
