PWU president Dr. Amelou Benitez Reyes in a speech recently made at the university’s Taft campus announced that innovative steps are being taken by the university, in partnership with Yantra Corporation, to raise the quality and qualification of Filipino nursing and healthcare graduates to internationally acceptable standards.
"We have long trained nurses for service in this country, but we have to recognize that not only has worldwide demand for competent nurses, Filipinos among them, dramatically increased, but the standards demanded of their professions have also risen," she said.
It has long been accepted that many of the functions that used to be carried out by attending physicians and surgeons are now the responsibility of the nurse, she said. "Such are the advances in medical technology that nurses now need extensive and continuing training to understand and operate new equipment."
Considering the opportunities that are opening for Filipino nurses overseas, and the very high standards demanded in overseas countries, particularly those in the European Union, such as those in the United Kingdom and Ireland, educational links with universities and training establishments in those countries are being negotiated to upgrade the PWU nursing curriculum, instructional methodologies, equipment and mentors.
Even more exciting for Filipino nurses are the graduate courses that will soon be made available in the country for those who wish to become "specialist nurses." These courses will be made open to all qualified nurses and not just restricted to PWU alumni, Dr. Reyes explained. Specialist nurses are those who are employed in Intensive Care Units, Operating Theatres, etc.
Also, graduate and registered nurses who qualify under the program will not only receive their training here but also overseas. Recognizing that many nurses would have difficulty in financing their tuition, airfares, visa fees, etc., PWU’s partner company, Yantra Corporation, has set up various funding strategies that make the situation much easier for the student.
The training and curriculum are being designed by Mr. Joseph Riley, a British nurse with a vast experience of being a Director of Nursing in the United Kingdom, Middle East and Australia.
"There is little doubt that Filipinos make the best nurses in the world." Joe said. "Their caring characteristics is unmatched by any in the world. What I intend to achieve, though, is to add to this by giving them the opportunity to be the very best in skill as well."
Nowadays, nurses intending to work overseas in English-speaking countries are required to demonstrate an acceptable proficiency in their use of the English language. They are rated by the British Council-conducted International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
To cater to this need the PWU has set up within its Manila campus an English coaching center where students intending to sit for their IELTS will receive coaching from English-speaking tutors, course director Alan Atkins said.
"A great deal of the problems of Filipinos speaking English is the fact that they are only used to the language when spoken with Filipino accent. By exposing them to English as spoken by foreigners, they can attune their listening and improve their comprehension, thus gaining confidence," he added.
Nurses needing more information regarding the overall training program package to raise their skills rating for greater overseas employment chances can obtain more information by opening pwunursing@pwu.edu.ph.
