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CGFNS Raises Fees for its Services






CGFNS International will be raising its fees for all services effective January 1, 2010.


Applications for the Certification Program, the Credentials Evaluation Service, the VisaScreen®: Visa Credentials Assessment program, the Credential Verification Service for New York State and ancillary services received on or after January 1, 2010, will be the charged according to the new fee schedule.

Click here to view the updated fee schedule.


Happy Holidays from Pinoy R.N.








Happy Holidays to all the world-class Filipino nurses and student nurses out there!

Maligayang Pasko

Malipayon nga Paskwa

Maupay nga Pasko

Maogmang Pasko

Maayong Pasko

Naragsak a Paskua


....And to our friends from all over the world:


Merry Christmas!

Selamat Natal

نايا سال مبارک هو

聖誕快樂 新年快樂 [圣诞快乐 新年快乐]

Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr

ന വവത്സര ആശംസ

اجمل التهاني بمناسبة الميلاد و حلول السنة الجديدة (Ajmel altehani bemonasebt almīlad wa helol alseneh aljedīdah)

Bon Nadal

Joyeux Noël

Mele Kalikimaka

Buon Natale

С Рождеством Христовым

Bill Ending Retrogression Filed by Illinois Congressman






RETROGRESSION UPDATE



This week, Democratic lawmakers led by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) filed a new comprehensive immigration reform bill giving renewed hope to Filipino nurses.

The bill dubbed, "Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Safety and Protection" (CIR ASAP) brings forth the following if passed into law:

  • Recapture of unused visa numbers from fiscal years 1992 up to 2008; 
  • Automatic roll over of unused visa numbers to the next fiscal year. This will ensure that all unused visa allocations will become available for future use; 
  • Increase in the visa quota per country by allowing more visa numbers; 
  • Exemption of spouses and children from the annual quota. This means family members of an eligible nurse will no longer be counted against the visa quota allowing more visa numbers to be allocated for more nurses; and 
  • Nurses already in the United States (U.S.) may file for I-485 Adjustment of Status even when priority dates are not current provided the applicant pays a $500 supplemental fee. This means that nurses who are already in the United States on tourist visa, student visa, or any other lawful status including those out of status for a period of less than 180 days can proceed with the I-485 application and obtain work authorization and may remain legally in the U.S. while the application is being processed.

The CIR ASAP bill, similar in form and substance to previous immigration reform packages before it, faces tough challenges ahead. A few months back, Obama said he wanted to tackle immigration but not until next year adding that he wants healthcare reform addressed first.

But with a congress and an executive controlled by Democrats, things are looking up for those looking for Schedule A relief.

Pinoy R.N. will be following the progress of this bill closely. For updates on this topic and other nursing news, submit your e-mail address to our mailing list below.


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Effective Strategies in Reducing Stress in the Workplace







Occupational stress is a major concern in the workplace due to its impact on the workers and the organization. Studies have been conducted on the effects of occupational stress and results indicate that there is a relationship between stress, employee health, and overall work performance.


In the workplace, nurses may be subjected to negative stressors like excessive overtime, increased workload, poor work supervision, uncomfortable work environment, and poor relationship with co-workers. For example, a clinical supervisor may be asked to handle an extra class for a colleague on indefinite leave. Consequently, this necessitates a transition period as she adjusts to her new students. The extra workload also means that she will have extended work hours because her scope of responsibility increased.


Whether the source of stress is physical or social, it has a high impact on nurses' health and work performance. And on the personal level, nurses need to take care of themselves by instituting measures to reduce work-related stress. Here's how:


  • Identify the source of stress. Is it the excessive overtime? Do you have a poor relationship with the other nurses in the unit? Is it the high demands of your new job as a clinical instructor? First, you need to identify what stresses you in the workplace before you can effectively deal with it.
  • Improve your diet. Eat small meals of healthy amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats evenly spaced out during the day so that you will be able to maintain your energy levels at work. Also, remember to consume lots of fluids to keep you fresh and nourished through the grueling hours spent at work.
  • Exercise. Exercise is one of the most effective mood-lifting strategies out there. Stretch each limb for 15 seconds to improve circulation and relax yourself when you feel stressed out. Getting up from the nursing station or taking a short power walk during breaks will also help you recharge and disconnect yourself briefly from a stressful work environment.
  • Be assertive. If you have a hard time dealing with your workload because you can't cope with the excessive overtime, it is time to communicate with your supervisor regarding your concerns. In doing so, be assertive but stay positive and focus on the specifics. If your problem is the excessive overtime, perhaps you can suggest one or two ways on how to reduce overtime use.
  • Build working relationships. If you have a poor relationship with your fellow nurses, try making that extra effort to socialize with them. You can make use of a lunch hour or breaks to give and receive feedbacks on different matters and possibly enhance working relationships. Remember, communicating with others effectively is a surefire way to vent out your feelings and reduce occupational stress.
  • Develop coping strategies. When your job as a nurse makes you feel like the world is closing in on you, learn to develop personal coping strategies. Coping strategies may include calling a friend during breaks, organizing your tasks, maintaining a work journal, or even praising yourself for a job well done. Simple as they are, these effective coping strategies are extremely useful in reducing stress and anxiety at work.


High levels of occupational stress greatly affects nurses' overall health and productivity at work. In order to reduce work-related stress, sustained commitment is required not only from the organization but from the individual workers as well.


Nurses' Guide to Increasing Job Satisfaction






Are you suffering from work-related stress lately? Do you always find yourself wishing for a day off when it is just the first day of your workweek? Or are you thinking of a career shift so early in your nursing career?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are, you are starting to lose job satisfaction. You find it hard to cope with your workload either in the station, in the academe, or even in the community setting. Here then are some ways to help you improve job satisfaction in the workplace and reduce work-related stress:

  • Improve your nursing skills. You can improve your nursing skills by attending workshops and seminars, obtaining an advanced nursing degree, or by doing further reading on your own. It will also help you greatly if you'll have a mentor in your workplace as the person can help you greatly in areas you need to improve on.
  • Accept new challenges. If you do the same things 40 hours per week and suffer from boredom, then consider breaking the monotony by accepting new challenges. Talk to your nursing superior if there are opportunities in the organization available for you. If volunteers are needed in a different nursing unit or department in the nursing institution you are working for, go for it to combat the boredom. Plus, new learnings will always come handy in the future.
  • Put things in the proper perspective. No matter what path you have taken, always think that in the workplace, there are peak hours, peak days, and peak months. Supposing you work as a nursing educator, it is expected that the week before exams is stressful as lessons need to be wrapped up and test questions to be formulated. Develop a healthy perspective at work by thinking that a week spent at work is relatively fruitful despite the heavier than usual workload.
  • Learn from mistakes. For nurses who lose job satisfaction because they are always reprimanded by superiors due to errors committed at work, the best thing to do is to learn from those mistakes. Remember, committing mistakes doesn't mean that you are a failure. Committing mistakes at work simply means that there are areas you need to improve on so you just have to try harder next time.

The nursing profession may be very stressful and developing positive attitudes and behaviors towards your job doesn't happen overnight. However, taking simple and concrete steps like the ones mentioned above will help you restore meaning and find fulfillment in your job.



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