Pinoy R.N.

President Arroyo Appoints New Nursing Board Members

Posted by Lyle, RN

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita today said that appointments of five (5) new members of the Board of Nursing were approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Newly appointed board members were Carmencita Abaquin (acting chairperson), Leonila Faire, Betty Meritt, Perla Po, and Marco Antonio Sto. Tomas.

They replaced Eufemia Octaviano, Remedios Fernandez, Letty Kuan, Estelita Galutira, Anesia Dionisio, and Virginia Madeja who resigned en masse following the discovery of a leakage in the June 2006 nurse licensure examinations.

Pinoy RN Copyright 2006
Dionisio and Madeja were charged for their involvement in the test leak.
Pinoy RN Copyright 2006

CGFNS Issues Statement on VisaScreen® Eligibility of June 2006 Nurses

Posted by Lyle, RN

PHILADELPHIA, PA — OCTOBER 26, 2006 — The Board of Trustees of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) met October 22-23, 2006 and considered whether Philippine nurses who have passed the Professional Regulation Commission's (PRC) June 2006 nursing licensing exam are eligible for VisaScreen® Certification.

Read full statement HERE.

RP Bid to Host NCLEX Put on Hold

Posted by Lyle, RN

Officials of the United States National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) led by its newly elected president, Faith Fields, met with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday amid renewed government efforts to establish an NCLEX testing center in the Philippines.

NCLEX (National Council on Licensure Examination) is the US equivalent of the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination.

Fields admitted that the country's application for inclusion on the list of international testing centers of the US National Council on Licensure Examination (NCLEX) has been put on hold after the leakage scandal broke out.

"Obviously it has affected the application because we were set to make a decision on that when the leakage occurred. We decided to back off to get the results of how you handle that," Fields said.

She added that the international nursing community is closely following the developments in the nursing leakage issue and the government’s investigation.

"We are very interested to see how you handle the crisis and I think it’s something that you don’t want to waste opportunity to make your own system better. But how you handle is really up to the Philippines," she said after meeting with President Arroyo in Malacañang.

Commission on Filipinos Overseas chair Dante Ang said the NCSBN is set to decide on the country’s application to become an international NCLEX testing center on December.

Also in attendance were NCSBN's Ruth Ann Terry, treasurer; Cassey Marks, assistant executive director, and Fraser Cargill, director for Asia Pacific.

NCSBN Releases New NCLEX-RN Test Plan

Posted by Lyle, RN

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has released a new test plan for the NCLEX-RN which will replace the current test plan being used in administering NCLEX-RN examinations.

A comparison between the 2004 test plan and the soon to be adopted 2007 test plan show that nothing has changed on the percentage of items alloted for each category/subcategory.

The new test plan will take effect April of next year. Click on the link below for complete details: 2007 NCLEX-RN Test Plan (PDF format)

Oathtaking for Nurses to Resume on Saturday

Posted by Lyle, RN

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said that the Court of Appeals (CA) decision allowing the oathtaking of new nurses will take effect on Saturday, October 28, 2006. He added that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has made up her mind on the issue and will obey the court order.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, last week, ordered the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to stop the oathtaking pending the identification of examinees who benefited from the final coaching session of Gapuz, INRESS, and Pentagon review centers.

Meanwhile, former senator Rene Saguisag has asked the Court of Appeals to cite Labor Secretary Arturo Brion in contempt for ordering the stoppage of the oathtaking despite a court decision allowing it.

Bahrain to Hire Filipino Nurses

Posted by Lyle, RN

Filipino nurses will soon find themselves working in Bahrain Hospitals as the Foreign Affairs derpartment announced tuesday that an agreement between the Philippines and Bahrain is set to be signed late this year or early next year.

The agreement on medical health services has been on the negotiation table since January this year and is said to be in its final phase.

The Philippines earlier inked agreements with member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan on sending nurses to their respective countries for long-term employment.

Japan Opens Doors to Filipino Nurses and Caregivers

Nursing Exam Mess Far From Over

Posted by Lyle, RN

Video courtesy of PROBE TV

Malacañang today announced the postponement of the scheduled registration and oathtaking of new nurses pending a final decision by the Court of Appeals on its ruling for a "selective retake" of the June 2006 licensure exam.

The announcement came after Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita met with Labor Secretary Arturo Brion and Solicitor General Eduardo Nachura.

Ermita pointed out that CA's friday decision is not yet final as the order has not been duly served to all parties and that the 15-day period has not yet lapsed.

The postponement outraged nursing graduates who went to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) office today after PRC Chair Leonor Rosero announced that the PRC would start administering oaths today.

Meanwhile, Rene Luis Tadle, president of the University of Sto. Tomas Faculty of Nursing, the League of Concerned Nursing and the Binuklod na Samahan ng mga Student Nurses asked the Court of Appeals to reconsider its friday ruling.

The group is advocating for a full nationwide retake of the exams.

However, the group said they are open to "conciliatory" talks with Labor Secretary Arturo Brion and other stakeholders in the nursing exam who is said to be brokering a "win-win" solution to all parties.

Court of Appeals Orders Selective Retake

Posted by Lyle, RN

The Court of Appeals (CA) today ordered that only 1,687 successful examinees retake tests 3 and 5 of the leakage-marred June 2006 Nurse Licensure Examination.

The 1,687 examinees are said to have benefited from the recomputation made by the PRC.

The decision nullified the recomputation done by PRC which added 1,687 passers to the original list of board exam passers. It also ordered the PRC to include 1,186 names to the list of passers which it initially removed after exam scores were recomputed.

The CA also said that board passers on the original PRC list may begin taking their oaths and get their nursing licenses.

Copyright 2006. Pinoy RN
It added, however, that the licenses can be revoked if it is proven that a nursing board passer benefited from the final coaching of the Gapuz, INRESS, and Pentagon Review Centers.

The appellate court also clarified that its decision is without prejudice to the cases filed by the NBI and PRC against those involved in the leak as well as the President's retake order.

Meanwhile, Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor described the Court of Appeals ruling as "fair" to all concerned.

Review Center Officials Rapped

Posted by Lyle, RN

In a press briefing held at the Malacanang Palace, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) today announced the filing of appropriate charges against 17 nursing review center officials for their involvement in the nursing exam leak.

The NBI refused to identify the 17 but Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita hinted that they were officials of the 3 review centers implicated in earlier media reports.

Meanwhile, NBI chief Nestor Mantaring said that their investigation revealed that the leak was limited only in the cities of Baguio and Manila.

NCLEX RESULTS: The Agony of Waiting

Posted by Lyle, RN

So you finally took the NCLEX exam but you don't know whether you passed or failed. You feel like the questions were impossible to answer but you know you gave it your best. You have feelings of ambivalence, you feel relieved that your exam is finally over and done with but you also feel anxious knowing that it may not be over afterall.

If you can relate to the statements above, then this article is for you.

This article will attempt to answer common questions that examinees often ask after taking the NCLEX exam.

Does the level of difficulty vary from state to state?

Quick Answer: NO

Explanation: The level of difficulty of the NCLEX exam is the same in all states. Questions are pooled in a test bank where a computer determines which question to ask next depending on the candidate's performance on the previous questions given.

Does the number of questions asked indicate whether I passed or failed the exam?

Quick Answer: NO

Explanation: The number of questions asked does not in any way indicate pass or fail status. If the exam ended at 75 questions, it simply means that the computer has determined the candidate's ability to answer 50% of the questions correctly with just 75 questions. If it reached 265 questions, it simply means that more questions were needed to evaluate the candidate's competency level.

How many questions should I answer correctly to pass the NCLEX
exam?

Unlike other exams, the NCLEX is not scored according to how many items were answered correctly. The test is designed so both passers and flunkers tend to score around the passing standard. If an examinee begins scoring above the passing standard, the questions become harder. If the candidate's percentage begins to go below the passing standard, the questions become easier.

The computer will continue to give questions until it is 95% certain that the candidate is above or below the passing standard, until 265 questions have been given, or until the alloted time rans out.

What determines the pass or fail status is the candidate's ability to remain above the passing standard which is based on consistency in answering questions correctly.

I ran out of time, does it mean that I failed the exam?

Quick Answer: NO

Explanation: If the candidate exceeds the allotted six (6) hours for the exam, the computer will evaluate the last 60 items given and determine whether the candidate is above or below the passing standard.
Copyright 2006 Pinoy RN
Are exam results accessible to Pearson VUE personnel / Test Center staff?

Quick Answer: NO

Explanation: Exam results are electronically encrypted and transmitted to the State Board where the candidate applied for licensure. Pearson VUE personnel have no access to the results.

I answered the last question wrong, does it mean that I failed?

Quick Answer: NO

Explanation: Pass/fail status is determined by the candidate's ability to remain above the passing standard which is based on consistency in answering questions correctly. One question is not enough to determine such.

How soon do I get my exam results?

Official exam results are sent by the state board where the candidate has applied for licensure. The process typically takes 3-4 weeks depending on the State. Some states have quick results (3 workings days from exam date) which is accessible online.

DISCLAIMER: Information posted are deduced from NCSBN materials. Care has been exercised in the preparation of this article to maintain accuracy.

Article Links:

NCSBN Website

NCLEX Quick Results

President Arroyo Firm on Nursing Exam Retake

Posted by Lyle, RN

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday said that President Arroyo is committed to settle the issue once and for all and redeem the integrity and good reputation of the nursing licensure system.

The statement came as the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and some nursing examinees scored the retake order with the former claiming that they were never consulted on the matter.

Rosero reiterated that the PRC is against a retake of the exams, saying it is not fair to punish innocent examinees who had no access to the leakage.

"Bakit paparusahan ang inosenteng examinees na walang access sa leakage? Ang dapat parusahan ay ang mga naglabas ng manuscript," Rosero said.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, meanwhile, said that since the president has already spoken, it should find a way to hasten the process, because the examinees and other nursing stakeholders will suffer.

Brion said waiting for the Court of Appeals (CA) to resolve the cases pending before it will lead to motions for reconsideration that may go all the way up to the Supreme Court virtually rendering the leakage issue unresolved for years.

Austin, Texas - A Great Place to Work and Live

Posted by Lyle, RN

SPONSORED ARTICLE
By Rodel Garcia, RN

For more than a year now, United Placement Services have been assisting fellow nurses wanting to relocate in Austin, Texas seeking new opportunity and a new life.

Austin, Texas which lies in the middle of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio has grown tremendously since the city was founded 170 years ago. Today, it is now the 17th largest city in United States, with a population of 670,000 within city limits and a whooping 1.30 million in its surrounding metropolitan region. That’s a lot of people and opportunity for nurses looking for a change.

Like any other cities in United States. Austin is also struggling to meet its nursing demand. Within the next 2 years alone, the area will have 4 brand new hospitals to augment the need of healthcare services for its growing population. Just imagine how many more nurses and allied healthcare professionals needed in the next few years to come.

Today, Austin also now dubbed as the “Silicon Hill” for IT’s (Information Technology) much like “Silicon Valley” in San Jose, California. Dell Computer, Samsung, IBM, AMD name it, they’re all here. So next time you have a problem with your PC, just ask your next door neighbor to come and help you fix it.

Annual Ranking for known magazine list Austin as:

“Best for Singles” Forbes Magazine
“Best-looking people and Friendliest place” Travel and Leisure Magazine
“Places of a lifetime” National Geographic Magazine.
“Best City for Family” Child.com
“Best place to Live” Men’s Journal

For more information about Austin, Texas visit: www.myRNconnection.com