Hard work. Determination. Perseverance. Focus. Faith in God.

These are just some of the keys which made the topnotchers of the recent Nurse Licensure Examination (NLE) stand out.

Given by the Board of Nursing in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan. Davao, Iloilo, La Union, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga last July, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced that out of 91,008 takers, 37,679 passed the NLE.

Rayan Abogado Oliva of Ateneo De Naga University is this year’s topnotcher with 86.80 passing percentage.

The 21-year-old Oliva made history when he broke a three-year trend wherein female nursing graduates dominated the previous NLEs given by PRC from June, 2007 to November, 2009.

Oliva learned that he topped the exams when a radio station called him up for an interview. “It was mixed emotions – happy, excited, and proud.

But the most rewarding part was when my mom told me how proud she was!” he said.

The only son in a brood of four, Oliva came from a family of professionals.

His late father was a mechanical engineer, while his mother is a dentist. “All my sisters are nurses.

My eldest sister is here in the country, while the others are working in New Zealand,” he said.

After learning the results of the exam, Oliva said he would take up medicine next school year. “When I was in high school, I really wanted to be a doctor. When I got to college, I was a bit unsure so I took up nursing. Now, I really want to pursue medicine,” he said. But he said his final decision would depend on the results of the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT).

Oliva said that hard-work is the key why he became a topnotcher. “Time management also helped me a lot. By planning my study schedule, I made sure that I have time for everything,” he said.

Meanwhile, second placer Aileen Ancanan-Austria from De Los Santos-STI College, Inc. learned the result when a classmate called her up. “I just learned that I passed and when I called up another classmate, that’s when I found out I was Top 2. I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

The 37-year-old Austria almost got the top spot with 86.40 passing percentage. “Yes, I felt that it could have been better if I was Top 1 but this is what God has given me, so I am very happy,” she admitted.

A mother of two boys with ages nine and four, taking Nursing as a course and preparing for the examination was difficult for Austria. In fact, as preparation for the examination, she had to seclude herself from her family for three months.

“I had to leave my two kids and my husband with my mother and live elsewhere so I could focus on my review,” she said. Austria admitted that it was very painful for her to be separated from her family, especially her kids who were very close to her, but “I had to endure it to be able to excel.”

Anna Vanessa Ang Gan and Allyce Joana Toledo De Leon from the University of Santo Tomas were third placers with 86.00 percent passing percentage.

According to 22-year-old Gan, she had no expectations to be among the topnotchers. “I was just expecting to pass,” she said. Gan learned the results of the exams when she received a text message from a friend.

She also felt that all hard work paid off. “At home or during my spare time, I would review all my notes even when I was in second and third years,” she said. Gan also mentioned that the UST College of Nursing – especially the professors – were very helpful during the review.

Perseverance is the major key why Alyssa Leonila Dela Silva Guiam of Centro Escolar University-Manila to get the Top 4 slot.

Guiam, who has an older sister who is also a nurse, said that the result of the exam also came as a shock to her. “When I learned about it, I was very, very happy because I did not only pass but I was among the topnotchers!” she exclaimed.

The 20-year-old Guiam, along with other passer from CEU Makati Jodellene Fernandez Perocho (10th), said that she had to through intense preparation for the exams. “I would wake up as early as 8 a.m. and review for the whole day,” she said.

Despite the exodus of nurses abroad, she reveals that she has no intentions of leaving the country.

When she was younger, Guiam wanted to be an ordinary office girl. “But that changed when I was exposed to various communities during our outreach projects back in high school,” she said.

Aside from intense review, she made it to the top for exerting so much effort. “You just have to believe in yourself and have faith in God,” she added.

She told future takers not to be afraid of the exam. “Many don’t pass because they are so afraid of the examinations and they lose focus.

Although it is hard, you just have to do your best,” she said.

Guiam said that nothing could compare to the satisfaction of helping out others. “I thought I could be of more help to other people, especially to the poor, if I become a nurse,” she explained.