DoLE Opens Registration for 2nd Special Nursing Review Classes

The registration for the second Special Nursing Review Classes initiated by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the voluntary retake examinations of the equivalent of Tests III and V of the Nursing Licensure Examination of 2006 started Today, September 25, 2007.

...

Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo D. Brion said the registration process is expected to benefit, through the provision of free review classes, the remaining estimated 4,000 of the total 17,000 expected to voluntarily retake the said equivalent tests this year.

...

"All that a registrant has to do is to open an online computer and access the website provided for the Special Review program, www.specialnursingreview.dole.gov.ph, and follow the pertinent instructions in order to successfully register," Brion said.

...
Registration ends on October 10 in time for the review proper that will start on October 13, 2007. Apart from the on-line registration, the DOLE regional offices and the participating nursing schools are also open for manual registration.

...
The following are the participating schools and their respective schedule of review classes:

• St. Louis University in Baguio (Oct. 15-21 / Oct. 22-28)
• University of the Philippines-Manila (Oct. 13, 14, 22-26 / Nov. 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10-12)
• University of Sto. Tomas (Oct. 16, 17, 22-27, 29-30 / Nov. 10, 11, 17-19)
• University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (Oct. 29-Nov. 4)
• St. Paul University Manila (Oct. 15-Nov. 18)
• PCU Mary Johnston (Nov. 5-11, 12-18)
• Trinity University of Asia (Oct. 22-28, Oct. 29-Nov. 4 / Nov. 5-11)
• St. Paul University Iloilo (Oct. 22-28)
• Cebu Normal University (Oct. 15-21, 22-28)
• San Pedro College in Davao (Oct. 22-29, 30-31 / Nov. 5-9)
  ...

Brion said that both on-line and manual registrants to the Special Review Classes are advised to present during the first day of the review classes their Proof of Confirmation of Registration and PRC License.

...
During the first nationwide online and manual registration for the special review program from March 21 until April 4 this year the University of the Philippines College of Nursing served as the national coordinating center.

...
The Labor Secretary said that the participation of some 23 nursing Centers of Excellence (COEs) and schools nationwide facilitated the successful online and manual registrations of 11,272 voluntary registrants from March 21 until April 4 this year, about three-fourths of whom, or 8,284, attended the special reviews.

...
Subsequently, some 13,338 of the 17,000 nursing graduates and passers of the NLE 2006, majority of them benefited by the special review, took the June 2007 voluntary retake examinations of the equivalent of Tests III and V, and more than two thirds (68.96 percent or 9,198) successfully passed.

...

Brion advised all those who have not yet registered to do so in the allotted registration period. The voluntary special review may be availed of only once, and after the estimated 17,000 have voluntarily retaken the equivalent of Tests III and V, the special review program shall already conclude.

...

For further information, please contact the DOLE Help Desk at 527-8000 or the UP Manila Coordinating Center Help Desk at 523-14787 / 523-1478 or directly visit the DoLE Website.

...
Source: DoLE Information and Publication Service

Rachell Allen Reviewers - Kalaw Branch Opening Soon

Another Rachell Allen NCLEX Review Center in Manila will open at the TM Kalaw Center next month.

As the leading US Reviewer for NCLEX, Rachell Allen Reviewers USA brings yet another world-class branch to the Philippines. Acclaimed as one of the country's most reliable educational providers in the healthcare industry, Rachell Allen Reviewers USA has created the 25-Day Integrated Review Program, the most innovative NCLEX review program yet in the history of NCLEX education and BRAIN RN™ which teaches revolutionary easy-to-follow study techniques that could get ordinary students pass the NCLEX.

The newly-remodeled facility is a trendy centerpiece with its own signature interior style that features state-of-the-art lounge, spacious classrooms, dedicated computer room and internet access. It will open on October 2007 at 5th Floor, TM Kalaw Avenue near the Manila Doctor's Hospital at the TM Kalaw Avenue.

This class "A" mid-town building is prominently located near the UN Avenue LRT station which offers easy access to student commuters. The high profile, high traffic location is on one of the busiest traffic arteries in Manila. Kalaw Avenue almost stretches from end of the city to the other and is the major nursing students commuter corridor into the downtown core. The avenue is also known throughout Metro Manila as the medical students hub and it is one of the most recognized street names in the country.

The new flagship branch will be the perfect review center for NCLEX students. It will provide the same excellent NCLEX education through the many programs offered including the award-winning 25-Day Integrated Review Program, BRAIN RN™, NCLEX Exam Secrets Revealed - Multiple Choice Strategies Course, Rachell Allen Q & A, Final Coaching and other exclusive Rachell Allen resources.

For more information and reservations,please visit the website at www.rachellallen.com

NCLEX Techniques in 5 Easy Steps

By Prof. Rachell Allen, RN, MSN, NP

Because of the long emphasis on traditional NCLEX learning, the science of learning involving the brain has long been forgotten, bypassed or overlooked.

There are lots of books out there giving you all the inside scoop on how to succeed in nursing. They tell you exactly what your professors tell you. Keep up on your reading, don’t miss a class, review your notes, study, study and study.

The bad news is that NCLEX students often find that preparing for the test takes a lot more time and effort than just making a stack of index cards and staying up a couple of nights a week. A typical full-time review program is about 45 hours of work in and out of class. That’s why it’s called “full-time” – it’s the equivalent of a full-time job. Surveys have shown that students who claim to have studied intensively often report 11 hours studying for a course per semester. So you ask, “that’s how much time it takes to learn one chapter in a typical textbook?”

So Why Is Reviewing For NCLEX a Problem?

Mostly because a lot of these students feel they need to know everything all at once.

Suppose you have an exam on let’s say, Pharmacological Agents in the Care of Patients coming up next week. What do you do? Chances are, you make a list of drugs to memorize, put them in your index cards until you can rattle off each list flawlessly. Now this may help you in this particular exam, but a week later, when you need these same information to learn the next chapter, you can’t perfectly recall them. You may even find that you did not retain as much in your memory.

So why, you ask.

The Science of Learning

Because real learning is not just about index cards and memorizing. You may already know that your brain is divided into front and rear lobes. The rear deals with passive sensory stimuli and memory retrieval (looking back). The front explores, learns new things and makes hypotheses. The interesting thing is that when new information is learned, it travels back and forth in a loop. This simply means that if you can recall what Cushing’s Syndrome is, then learning has effectively taken place. If not, you will have to re-learn it again. This is exactly the part of the loop that most nursing students focus on. Trying to learn over and over again by shuffling index cards. A little knowledge sticks here and there, but it should be clear by now, why most does not. Learning never occurred in the first place.


Learning Techniques in 5 Easy Steps

So how does learning take effect? There are countless ways to learn information and for the purpose of this article, I will only outline five of these:

Make it interesting.
Our brain has limited capacity for processing loads of information when learning. Its attention span is extremely selective and the only information that does get retained are those it sees relevant and enticing enough.

Interesting helps. Can you recall the plot of the movie Titanic? If you’ve seen the film, you can, because it is interesting enough. I use “interesting” in my lectures all the time. The concepts become alive in the sense that they are fun to learn and therefore relevant and memorable.

Remember, not Memorize.
You may now have probably realized why a deck of cards didn’t work the last time you took a major exam. Because all you did was memorize so you can quickly store the list in your brain. The bad news is that when the finals came, you were back to zero. All that time and nothing showed.

Somehow, we still need to get that information from your short-term memory into long-term memory. This is what I call “remembering” not memorizing. And the good news is that you never lose anything from your long-term memory, just the ability to retrieve it. Remembering is connecting information with what you already have in your brain. Memorizing is learning information as is, like disconnected items. Do you see the difference?

Whenever you learn something new, you need to try to find a connection to whatever you already know. Because you won’t retain that information very long unless you see the relationships and the overall picture.

Use Memory Devices.
You might have recalled someone’s name by giving him a pet name like Jake Fake because his name is Jake and he wears mostly fake accessories. If it works for you, be my guest. You’re welcome.

The human brain’s attention span is extremely selective, therefore it must depend largely on memory aids and shortcuts if it is to learn the desired information effectively. That’s why in my lectures, I use elaborate memory clues, mnemonics and some other variants to make nursing terminologies easier to understand and remember. Their relevance hook is that they are attention-grabber, funny and memorable.

Reduce Information Overload.
I mentioned previously that our brain has limited capacity for processing data. When confronted with a truckload of information, it becomes extremely discriminating.

Good news? It is easier for a learner to focus their attention on a subject if there is minimal information. Reducing information is reducing noise for the brain and therefore reduce the risk of experiencing information overload.

So if you are studying the full chapter on let’s say, Blood Administration, you should highlight only the key areas that would most likely come out in the NCLEX test. For example, a 25-Day Integrated Review Program on NCLEX would do just that. Safely assuming that you’re planning on passing the NCLEX, I suggest you take those out that’s not necessary to your learning goals. Highlight what’s most important when you review for NCLEX.

Use Top-Down Learning.
I personally find this an interesting technique to a better, longer memory retention. I use this method by pulling out concepts from my student’s past experiences and existing knowledge first before learning new topics in nursing. It accomplishes two things: First, it reinforces the long-term memory. Second, it fosters the new learning process.

In my class, I usually make it a priority to discuss what my students already know about a certain subject before introducing the new ones. If you haven’t used top-down method in your review preparation for NCLEX, I suggest you make an effort to make this a habit.



NCLEX Techniques in 5 Easy Steps is based on BRAIN RN™, the copyrighted work of Rachell Allen, RN, MSN, NP. Brain RN™, also a trademark of Rachellallen.net is an extremely powerful study method that teaches memory tricks and devices for easy learning and better memory retention. It is offered as part of the author’s 25-Day Integrated Review Program for NCLEX. For more information, visit at www.rachellallen.net

iKobo Money Transfer: The Safer Way of Sending Money Worldwide

iKobo Money Transfer is the worldwide leader in quick, easy, and safe "person to person" money transfers. Established in 2001, iKobo is powered by VISA®, a global leader and a trusted name in the payments industry.

Utilizing a network more than 1,000,000 ATMs wordwide, iKobo offers consumers the convenience, safety, and security of sending and receiving money in 145 countries. Unlike conventional money transfer services, iKobo users can send and receive money at the comfort of their own home or office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's 24/7 hassle-free service that only iKobo can offer.
...
Sending money through iKobo is as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Sign up with iKobo, add your recipient name and your funding source

2. iKobo sends your recipient a pin-protected VISA® prepaid debit card*
3. Once your recipient receives the card, they can use it to withdraw money from ATMs or use it as a debit card anywhere VISA® is accepted

...

Get $5 off on money transfer fees on your first transaction with this exclusive PinoyRN discount code: 400M8PG27F

* Shipping charges apply on first transaction ($ 1.99 - $ 24.95)

Total Lost Revenues From JPEPA Could Pay For Salaries Of RP Nurses

By IBON Media

REPUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION

.....

The Philippine government could actually keep Filipino nurses from going abroad by utilizing revenues it would otherwise have foregone under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).

The average monthly salary of a nurse in the public sector is some P10,000. Government employs around 20,000 nurses, and even if we increase their salaries to P50,000, it would only cost the government P1 billion. This is less than one-tenth of the estimated P10.6 billion in tariff revenues foregone annually with the target tariff eliminations for the Philippines under JPEPA.

Low salaries are the reasons why the country has become the leading exporter of nurses globally with 85% of all employed Filipino nurses actually working abroad. But this exodus of health workers has taken its toll on the health system, with 200 hospitals closing and 800 more partially closing in recent years due to lack of nurses.

The tariff revenues foregone under JPEPA could potentially go far in improving the salaries of public sector nurses and in the hiring of new ones. These would go a long way in improving the shortage of nursing care in the country.

.....

IBON Foundation, Inc. is an independent development institution established in 1978 that provides research, education, publications, information work and advocacy support on socioeconomic issues. It has become known locally and internationally for its in-depth researches that promote a better understanding of social concerns and explore alternative programs that serve the interests of the Filipino majority.

1st Philippine Nursing Opportunities Conference and Expo 2007

Organized by Elite Consultancy Services and Co-Presented by Globe Telecom, The 1st Philippine Nursing Opportunities Conference and Expo 2007 will open a wealth of information and opportunities for all nursing stakeholders in the country.

The event, which will be held on September 28-30, 2007 at the Megatrade Hall 2 of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, will feature exhibits and conduct seminars on opportunities and challenges confronting the practice of the Nursing profession locally and globally.

Professional registered nurses, nursing graduates and student nurses stand to benefit from the event as resource speakers will be talking about career planning, licensure application requirements and procedures (CGFNS, NCLEX, IELTS) and test-taking strategies.

For more information on this must-see event, visit www.philnursingexpo.com

BusinessWeek: Are Nursing Shortages Causing Deaths?

A nonprofit group's report says more immigrant nurses and training programs are needed to ease patient suffering

By Moira Herbst

The U.S. is facing a severe nursing shortage, and it's causing increased death and illness for American patients, says a report released on Sept. 5 by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), a free market-oriented nonprofit group. As baby boomers are aging and require more care, the U.S. could face a shortage of one million nurses by 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Relieving patient suffering amid the growing crisis will require both investment in U.S. nursing training and boosting the numbers of immigrant nurses admitted to the country, says the NFAP study.

Read full story at BusinessWeek

Related Links:

Nursing Shortage in the Philippines Article

National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) Report

Revised PRC Registration Schedule for New Nurses

Revised Registration Schedule of New Nurses (JUNE 2007 NURSE LICENSURE EXAMINATION)

.....

AJOSE, Mona Rhina -- ALVARADO, Julie Ann (October 17)

ALVARADO, Maria Concepcion -- BACONAWA, Maria Cristina (October 18)

BACOS, Mardion May -- BERNAL, Valerie Joy (October 19)

BERNALDEZ, Cheyne Riz -- CALILONG, Ma. Corina (October 22)

CALILUNG, Jenny Pearl -- CHUA, Jay Anne (October 23)

CHUA, Jay-ann -- DAZA, Caridad (October 24)

DAZO, Mary Catherine - DITONA, Paula Marie (October 25)

DIUMANO, John Reynel - FACUNDO, Joanna Filipina (October 26)

FACUNLA. Gracelle Fatima -- GATBONTON, Vianca Mae (October 29)

GATCHALIAN, Alvin -- IGLESIA, Ma. Leonora Buna (October 30)

IGLESIAS, Viviel -- LAURENTE, Emil John (October 31)

LAURENTE, Ma. Therese Lonica -- MAGGAY, Pablito Benjamin II (Nov 2)

MAGHAMIL, Gilda Marilou -- MEDRANO, Jean S. (Nov 5)

MEDRANO, Joan May Aiza -- NG, Ruby Anne (Nov 6)

NGAN, Regina -- PANGAN, Maria Aromin (Nov 7)

PANGAN, Mariam -- QUESADA, Francis Leo (Nov 8)

QUESEA, Mark Koeman -- RODRIGO, Oliver Gil (Nov 9)

RODRIGO, Ralph -- SARMIENTO, Erin Kristelle (Nov 12)

SARMIENTO, Evelyn -- TALON, Gerard James (Nov 13)

TALON, Ma. Cecilia -- VALDEZ, Kelvin Jerick (Nov 14)

VALDEZ, Kenny Louie -- ZUÑIGA, Marie Bernadette (Nov 15)

.....

Submitted via E-mail by Noelito RN (Thanks!)

Pinoy RN (Manila Chapter) 1st EyeBall (EB)

The Manila Chapter of Pinoy RN will be having an EB on September 6, 2007 (Thursday) at Starbucks, TRINOMA at 3 PM. Everybody is invited to come.

...

Please see our shoutbox or ask our chatroom moderators for more details on the EB. The EB will also serve as a celebration for our new colleagues who passed the June 2007 Nurse Licensure Examination.

...

More details will be posted soon.