Why Filipino Nurses are the first choice among foreign employers?
The Philippines is considered as the largest exporter of Filipino Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) to developed countries. While the country is struggling to give the right amount of salary to the Filipino Nurses, doors are opening for foreign employers to hire Filipino Nurses as a solution to fill the nursing shortage gap. In the past decade, the trend of employing Filipino Nurses have shifted from the English speaking countries (the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) to non-English speaking countries in the European Union such as the Nordic Region (Finland and Sweden).
Associated in the recruitment of foreign nursing migrants to the Nordic Region is the question of ethics as the Philippine health system itself is frail to losing competent nurses while the government continues to send healthcare professionals abroad. However, migration is a human right. The reason for migration is not plainly for monetary purposes but also for professional growth and development and seek better opportunities to enhance nursing career.
But why do foreign employers are attracted to hiring Filipino Nurses? The following are the most common reasons why Filipino Nurses are the first choice among employers and recruitment agencies.
Education. The Philippine nursing curriculum is patterned under the American System. It is a four-year university level that contains courses such as chemistry, biology and physics. Nursing students are intensively trained with a strong theoretical background in nursing for the first two years before they are exposed to the clinical fields. Part of the curriculum is the maternal and child health nursing which includes assisting maternal clients under labour and delivery. It is also required to assist surgeons in both major and minor surgeries before they can graduate. After graduation, nursing students also need to take the National Licensure Examination (NLE) and pass the examination before they can practice as nurses in the country.
Language. The second unofficial language used in the education system is English. Students are taught to learn English and use it in everyday learning and conversations in school. Textbooks and language of instructions are also in English. This makes it easy for Filipino Nurses to integrate into the health systems when they migrate to English-speaking source countries. Medical terminologies are easy to follow and comes naturally when they use it in practice. As the phenomena in recruiting Filipino Nurses to the Nordic region is a new trend, learning Nordic languages can be very challenging but these nurses can learn fast once taught and are integrated properly.
Clinical Competencies. Filipino Nurses during their nursing studies are assessed through checklist methodology during their return demonstrations (skills laboratory) in school. The step-by-step procedure of each nursing interventions is to be followed. After passing the board examination, they recite the Florence Nightingale pledge to main the set standards of the code of ethics and dedicate the nursing profession to the public.
Respect to Authority. The Philippine culture is designed to give high-regards and respect to people in position. They have high expectations and respect to nurse managers, supervisors and leaders and look at them as experienced individuals who can guide them throughout their nursing careers. When these nurses go abroad, they genuinely want to base their actions on the set organizational standards, policies and procedures.
Family-oriented culture. The importance of family in society is fundamental in shaping good values among Filipinos. The culture of respect to elderly people and parents are taught both at home and in school at a very young age. The family remains as the centre of priority despite the trials and obstacles in life. No matter how economically challenged Filipinos are, if the family is intact, everything can be endured. So, when they work in the clinical field, patients are treated like their own family especially the vulnerable groups of the society including the elderly, women and children.
Professional Development. Filipino Nurses give high value to education as nursing education is not free mostly in all tertiary school levels. It is important for Filipinos to seek professional growth and that they are given responsibilities in the workplace. Filipinos give importance to continuing education and are open to a culture of change most especially to the new trends and updates in nursing. This is to maintain their clinical skills and competencies.
Despite the growing concern of Filipino nurses leaving the country to seek for greener pasture abroad, migration is inevitable. Recruitment agencies and employers will remain kin in hiring Filipino Nurses because of the value they give to the nursing profession. For most Filipino nurses, the profession remains a calling that can change so many lives in the society.
Filipino Nurses Association-Nordic (FiNAN)
Copyright © Filipino Nurses Association-Nordic
