June 2007 Nurse Licensure Examination Results Due in Three Weeks

The labor department said Saturday that they plan to release the results of the June 2007 two-day Nurse Licensure Examiantion three weeks from today.

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Labor Secretary Arturo Brion added that four lawyers, representing the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), will be observing the partial retake of tests III and V by approximately 11,000 examinees of the compromised June 2006 Nurse Licensure Examination.

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The CGFNS, in February, announced that June 2006 Nurses will only be issued VisaScreen Certificates after a successful retake of tests III and V.

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The CGFNS/ICHP VisaScreen Certificate is a US immigration requirement for healthcare professionals educated outside the United States.

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Meanwhile, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Chair Leonor Rosero assured that security measures are in place to avoid a repeat of the incident. “All security measures, all precautions have been emphasized to the new BON and PRC employees. Huwag nila pabayaan para hindi magkaroon ng problema uli (We stress to them they should not let their guard down so there will be no problem)," Rosero said in an interview on dzRB radio, a government-run station.

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78,797 nursing graduates registered for this year's Nurse Licensure Examination held in various cities across the country.

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June 2007 Nurse Licensure Examination Relevant Links

Relevant links for the examinees of the upcoming June 2007 Nurse Licensure Examination.

• Last Minute Reminders for Local Board Exam Takers
• Animated Human Atlas (Med-Surg Animated Lectures)
• Notes in Pharmacology
  
• Notes in Psychiatric Nursing
  
• Notes in Med-Surg: Orthopedics

Retrogression Drags On As US Senate Withdraws Controversial Immigration Reform Measure

Retrogression Update ...

The debates in the United States Senate on the proposed Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) bill bogged down less than three hours ago after Democratic leader Harry Reid withdrew the controversial measure.

The move came after Republican Senators voted twice within nine hours to block the measure from moving towards a final vote.

"A group of Senate Republicans has irresponsibly turned its back on border security and the 12 million people who are living in the shadows of our society," said Reid.

Republican leader Mitch McConnell meanwhile complained, "I think we are giving up on this bill too soon."
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Reid pointed out that the bill was not dead yet. He pledged to carry on working to pass an immigration reform bill but added, "We are finished with this for the time being."

"We are very close, at some point we are going to do this."

But a crowded Senate calendar and the looming Presidential elections complicates its prospects of being passed this year. The measure's chances are even murkier in the House, where Democratic leaders have warned that they don't plan to act on the divisive issue until the Senate has finished work on it.

ANA and NYSNA Throw Support Behind Embattled Filipino Nurses

The 26 filipino nurses and 1 physical therapist, facing criminal charges in New York for child endangerment, got the support of the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA).

In a press statement released June 1, 2007. ANA and NYSNA jointly condemned the exploitation of immigrant RNs by unscrupulous U.S. employers and called for better enforcement of immigration laws.

ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, RN, MSN, CNOR said, "These brave nurses deserve the nursing community’s full support because they refused to remain in a situation where patients were being denied the kind of care and staffing they deserved."

She added, "The real patient endangerment lies in the deplorable conditions that led the nurses to leave."

NYSNA interim chief executive officer, Tina Gerardi, RN echoed Patton's sentiments. "This case may be just the tip of the iceberg. Nurses who come to the U.S. deserve to have their rights protected," said Geradi.

The NYSNA learned about the nurses’ plight last month and assisted them in getting a hearing before the New York State Board for Nursing after Sentosa Care, LLC accused them of professional misconduct.

"Those charges were dismissed by the state board. We are greatly concerned these RNs are now being prosecuted for the same actions." Gerardi added.

The ANA is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of America's 2.9 million registered nurses through its 54 constituent member nurses associations.

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The 'Sentosa 27' are expected to participate in the New York Philippine Independence Day parade on June 3 (June 4 in the Philippines), where they will receive support from both the Filipino and American nursing communities.

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Related Link:

American Nurses Association Press Statement

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Related News:

Online Petition for 'Sentosa 27'

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Proposed CIR Bill to Abolish 'Schedule A Category'

RETROGRESSION UPDATE

Good News: A few days ago, the US senate announced that they have reached a 'deal' on the polarized issue of Immigration Reform.

Bad News: The supposed deal eliminates the 'Schedule A Category'

Passage of a long-overdue immigration reform law by the US legislature would mean resolution of the retrogression affecting thousands of filipino nurses awaiting deployment to the United States. At present, visa issuance is on hold due to a backlog in visa numbers. This is called retrogression.

Nurses and Physical therapists are listed as 'shortage occupations' by the US Department of Labor in a category called, Schedule A. As such, an employer may file an immigrant visa petition (I-140) directly with the (USCIS) without first going to the US Department of Labor for a labor certification as required by state regulations.

The compromise reached last week by the US senate, however, removes this category and replaces it with a new "merit-based" point system.

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Also, the proposed increase in the H-1 visa quota does not sufficiently meet real world demands. The bill allocates an additional 115,000 H-1 visas to the current cap with 20% annual buffers not exceeding 180,000. However, it can be recalled that 65,000 visa allocations were used up within just a day after the USCIS started accepting applications in April this year.

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Click HERE to read the draft of the proposed CIR bill.

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Related News:

Deal Is Reached in Senate on Immigration (NY Times)

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Advocacy Link:

AILA Advocacy: Oppose Unworkable Measures in Senate CIR Proposal

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Online Petition for 'Sentosa 27'

An online petition has been launched in an effort to rally support for the 26 filipino nurses and 1 physical therapist facing criminal charges in New York for child endangerment after the group resigned en masse due to inhumane working conditions, labor law violations, and breach of contract by employer Sentosa Care, LLC.

The 'Sentosa 27' last year filed a case against Sentosa Care, LLC which resulted to a suspension of Sentosa's recruitment activities in the Philippines. However, the suspension was immediately lifted when former presidential chief of staff, senatorial candidate Mike Defensor allegedly interfered in Sentosa's behalf.
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The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), a national alliance of Filipino organizations in the U.S. with international networks, is spearheading the 'Justice for the Sentosa 27' campaign along with said health workers.
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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has also stepped in. Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said his office will provide legal assistance to the 'Sentosa 27.'
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Click HERE to sign the Online Petition.

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Related news:
Sentosa-hired nurses decry abuses (Philippine News)

NCSBN Suspends NCLEX Administration in Korea

The US National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) suspended the administration of NCLEX in Korea after it discovered that previous exam questions were leaked and used in lectures conducted in a korean private school for nurses.

The suspension took effect April 16, 2007 after warnings from the American Nurses Association (ANA).

According to a report by korean news website ChoSun Ilbo, three (3) korean nurses leaked exam questions in the website of a private school in Korea after taking the test in March.

The test results of the three koreans were also nullified.

Korea's capital, Seoul, became an international testing center for NCLEX in January 2005.

The NCSBN, in February, chose the Philippines as the newest international testing center for the US nursing licensure exam after the asian nation satisfied all security policies and procedures required in the conduct of the exam.

Immigration Talks Underway Amidst US-Wide Rallies

RETROGRESSION UPDATE

United States Senator and Majority Leader Harry Reid has allocated the last two (2) weeks of the US Senate's May calendar solely for Immigration Debates in the wake of rallies on Tuesday (Wednesday in the Philippines) across the United States.

Although the turn-out was lower compared to a similar rally held the previous year, rallyists are confident they sent a clear message to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have been struggling, with little success, to come up with a compromise on the contentious issue of Immgration Reform

An Associated Press (AP) report quoted one of the marchers, Shaun Harkin, "There's no reason a pro-immigration bill can't be passed. That's one of the messages being sent today," Originally from Northern Ireland, he has lived in the United States as a legal resident for 15 years.

US President George W. Bush has been known to be pushing for Immigration Reform. He reiterated his desire to overhaul Amerca's broken immigration system in a speech to graduates of a Miami College on April 29. "Here at Miami Dade, you know firsthand the contributions that immigrants make to our country," Bush said.

In a speech addressed to the clergy in Washington on May 3, Bush said, "I'm looking forward to working with both Democrats and Republicans to get a comprehensive immigration bill done this year."

He added, "We have a good chance to get it done. After all, America is a land of immigrants. Immigration helps renew our soul. It helps redefine our spirit in a positive way. "

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Related News:

NY Times Sees Possible Compromise on CIR Debates