Certain VisaScreen® Renewal Applicants Exempt from Re-Taking English Exam

VisaScreen® renewal applicants who can demonstrate employment in the United States in the health care profession that is designated on their International Commission on Healthcare Professions VisaScreen® certificate are exempt from taking another approved English exam for renewal of their VisaScreen® certificate provided that they meet the following criteria:

1. The period of employment must be for at least 27–36 months — including nine months of the year before the date an applicant submits the renewal application.

2. The employer of the applicant submits an employment summary on corporate letterhead with the appropriate signature.

A VisaScreen® certificate is required for health care professionals, including nurses, who are educated outside the United States under section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

PNA Seminars for the Month of March

Just a quick heads up to our fellow nurses out there.

If you are looking to improve your nursing skills, here are the nursing seminars lined up by the Committee on Continuing Education of the Philippine Nurses Association for this month.

March 12 » Patient Safety Goals: Focus on Patient Identifiers
8:00 am - 12:00 nn
Registration Fee: Php 300 Member
Php 350 Non-Member

March 15-17 » End of Life Nursing Education Consortium
8:00 am - 5:00 pm

March 19 » Care of the Premature Infants
8:00 am - 12:00 nn
Registration Fee: Php 300 Member
Php 350 Non-Member

March 22-25 » Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Registration Fee: Php 4,000

March 26 » Acute Stroke
8:00 am - 12:00 nn
Registration Fee: Php 300 Member
Php 350 Non-Member

Venue for all seminars listed, unless otherwise stated, is at the PNA Auditorium at 1663 F.T. Benitez Street, Malate, Manila

For further inquiries and confirmation, please contact Mr. Nicole at tel. nos. 4004430 / 5210937 loc. 1006

NOTE: Scheduled seminars are subject for cancellation without prior notice.

Initial Registration Schedule for New Nurses in CEBU

New nurses in Cebu may begin registering at the Professional Regulation Commission - Cebu Regional Office beginning February 17, 2010.

To ensure an orderly registration, registrants are advised to observe the following registration schedule.

Cebu Registration Sked - www.PinoyRN.co.nr

Registration schedules for other areas will also be posted here at Pinoy R.N. once it is made available by PRC regional offices.

New NCLEX-RN Test Plan and Raised Passing Standard Take Effect on April 1, 2010

In a press release published on its website, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) announced that effective April 1 this year, the NCLEX-RN examination will have a new passing standard and a revised test plan.

After much deliberation, it has been determined by the NCSBN Board of Directors that for entry-level nurses to render safe and effective client care, they should possess a greater level of knowledge, skills, and abilities.

 

Before voting to raise the passing standard of the NCLEX-RN examination, the Board of Directors assembled a nine-person panel of nurses to perform a standard-setting procedure. 

The panel’s findings along with results of surveys conducted on nursing professionals indicated that there is a need to increase the passing standard to -0.16 logits which is 0.05 higher than the current passing standard of -0.21 logits. The current passing standard was implemented in 2007. 

The NCSBN evaluates the passing standard every three years in conjunction with the evaluation of the NCLEX-RN test plan.

A comparative table of the current test plan and the soon to be implemented test plan is posted below for reference:

Click on the table to enlarge figure 

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing is a non-profit organization of the boards of nursing in the United States and four U.S. territories.

Related Links: 

• 2010 NCLEX-RN Detailed Test Plan for Examinees
• 2010 NCLEX-RN Detailed Test Plan for Educators 

UPDATED: Oathtaking Schedule for Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Lucena, Zamboanga, and Other Areas

NOTE: Schedule as of February 13, 2010 

The Professional Regulation Commission - Board of Nursing has announced the Regional Oathtaking schedule of new nurses. Please refer to the following table for guidance.

Areas Identified BoN Assigned Date Specified/Requested 1. Baguio Hon. Amelia B. Rosales March 12, 2010 2. Lucena City Hon. Betty F. Merritt March 10, 2010 As per info from BoN BFM 3. Cebu City Hon. Perla G. Po March 16, 2010 4. Davao City Hon. Marco Sto Tomas March 10, 2010 5. Iloilo City Hon. Marco Sto Tomas March 19, 2010 6. Roxas City Hon. Yolanda C. Arugay March 16 or 17, 2010 7. Bacolod City Hon. Marco C. Sto. Tomas March 11, 2010 8. Cagayan de Oro City Hon. Yolanda C. Arugay March 15, 2010 9. Zamboanga City Hon. Yolanda C. Arugay March 12, 2010 10. Pagadian City Hon. Leonila A. Faire 11. Sulu Hon. Leonila A. Faire 12. Tacloban City Hon. Amelia B. Rosales 13. Tuguegarao Hon. Amelia B. Rosales March 18, 2010 14. Legaspi city Hon. Betty F. Merritt March 12, 2010 As per info from BoN BFM 15. Caraga Hon. Carmencita M. Abaquin March 12, 2010 16. General Santos City Hon. Marco Sto. Tomas March 14, 2010 17. Pangasinan Hon. Leonila Faire March 26, 2010 18. Bohol Hon. Betty F. Merritt March 21, 2010 As per info from BoN BFM 19. Laoag Hon. Leonila A. Faire March 13, 2010 20. Angeles, Pampanga Hon. Perla G. Po 21. San Fernando, La Union Hon. Carmencita M. Abaquin March 14, 2010 22. silliman university Hon. Perla G. Po March 13, 2010

The schedule will be updated as soon as new information becomes available.

PRC Announces Start of Filing of Application for July 2010 Nurse Licensure Examination

 PRC Press Release

The Professional Regulation Commission announces that application to the July 3 & 4, 2010 Nurses’ Licensure Examination is now open until April 14, 2010 for Repeaters and May 14, 2010 for First Timers. Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Duly accomplished Nurses’ Application Form (NAF);
• NSO issued Certificate of Live Birth;
• NSO issued Certificate of Marriage (for married women);
• Transcript of Record with scanned picture and remarks: “For Board Examinations Purposes”;
• Record of OR-DR Cases (for 1st timers only);
• Summary of Related Learning Experience – (for 1st timers only);
• Four (4) pieces passport size (1 ½ x 1 ½) colored picture with complete name tag in white background;
• Community Tax Certificate;
• Examination Fee of P900.00;
• One (1) window mailing envelope; and
• Valid Identification Card.

Applications can be filed at PRC Manila, PRC Regional Offices and its satellite offices. For those who intend to file in Manila, filing may be done at the PRC Central Office located at P. Paredes cor. N. Reyes Sts., Sampaloc, Manila or at the PRC Service Center in EVER Gotesco Mall - Recto Branch. One day campus processing of applications may also be done in some schools which will be scheduled according to zones. The venues and dates will be announced later.

There will be NO EXTENSION of the deadline. All applicants are enjoined to file early to avoid overcrowding and long queues. Only those with complete and appropriate documents will be accommodated. The Nurses’ Application Form can be downloaded at  www.prc.gov.ph.

Oathtaking and Registration Schedule for New Nurses in Baguio

The Professional Regulation Commission - Baguio Regional Office has published the Oathtaking and Initial Registration schedules for Baguio examinees who passed the November 2009 Nursing Board Exams.

Initial registration in Baguio will start on February 4, 2010 with the oathtaking at the CAP building in Camp John Hay on March 12, 2010. Complete details are posted below.

Initial Registration and Oathtaking Schedule for BAGUIO Passers

Schedules and announcement for other areas will also be posted here the moment it is made available by PRC regional offices.

Initial Registration Schedule for New Nurses (MANILA Examinees)

Successful examinees in the November 2009 Nurse Licensure Examination in Manila may begin registering with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

Initial registration will begin on February 15, 2010. The rest of the schedule for Manila is posted below.

Initial Registration for November 2009 Nurses (MANILA)

NOTE: The schedule for oathtaking and registration for all other areas such as Lucena, Baguio, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao will be posted at Pinoy R.N. once it becomes available.

Related Article:

• Oathtaking Schedule and Registration Instructions for New Nurses