More and more Philippine-educated nurses are seeking greener pastures in the United States, according to Cebu Rep. Gerald Gullas Jr.
At least 1,377 took the US licensure examination for the first time from January to March this year, in the hopes of practicing their profession in America, Gullas said Sunday.
The number was up by 16.4 percent from the 1,183 Filipino nurses that took the US licensure test, or the NCLEX, for the first time in the same three months in 2015, said Gullas, vice chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education.
The number of Filipino nurses taking the NCLEX for the first time (excluding repeaters) is considered a reliable indicator as to how many of them are trying to obtain US licenses and seek gainful employment in America.
“Filipino nurses are among the hardest-working staff in American hospitals today. In fact, on weekends and holidays, Filipino nurses are readily available for additional work, when other nurses prefer to take the dayoff,” Gullas said.
America itself has been producing a large number of nursing graduates every year, but Gullas said many of them choose to pursue other occupations.
“Many US-educated nurses practice their profession only for a few years. They easily get tired of tough hospital work and simply shift to other careers,” Gullas pointed out.
In the last 20 years, an annual average of 8,134 nurses educated in the Philippines took the NCLEX for the first time.
Among foreign-educated nurses, Filipinos remain the most zealous job-seekers in America, where registered nurses receive a median annual pay of $66,640 (P3.1 million), or an hourly rate of $32.04 (P1,492), according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
From January to March this year, a total of 287 Indians, 171 Puerto Ricans, 103 South Koreans and 93 Jamaicans also took the NCLEX for the first time.
In occupational outlooks, the BLS said the US would need 439,300 additional RNs plus 53,400 advanced practice nurses between now until 2024.
The BLS said employment growth will occur for a number of reasons, including the surge of newly insured patients due to Obamacare, or the US Affordable Care Act; the stronger emphasis on preventive care; and the rapidly increasing number of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.
The bureau also cited the robust demand for healthcare services from America’s aging baby-boom generation, as they live longer and more active lives.
Statistics from the US National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. show that a total of 53,297 US-educated nurses, including repeaters, took the NCLEX for RNs in the first quarter.