A recent survey conducted by a high-impact research company found that 83 percent of respondents believe that the hiring of unlicensed nurses could serve as a viable option provided that these nurses would practice their profession under the guidance and supervision of their licensed counterparts.
Dr. Guido David, Capstone-Intel Corporation Chief Data Scientist, discussed this in a recent radio program.
“’Yung need natin sa nurses, hindi natin napi-fill itong kakulangan natin. Hindi natin napupuno iyan dahil maraming graduates natin ay nagsisialisan, especially ’yung board passers. Kasi sila rin ang nakakapasa ng licensure [exams] sa ibang bansa,” said Dr. David.
The scarcity of nursing professionals is one of the pressing issues facing the country.
It can be noted that the Department of Health (DOH) has formulated a plan to fill the vacancies of manpower in public hospitals by recruiting a substantial number of unlicensed nurses.
The DOH’s initiative is a response to the immediate need to fill a total of 4,500 nursing positions nationwide.
During the radio interview, Dr. David was asked about the results of the survey conducted from August 1, 2023 to August 10, 2023.
He was further questioned regarding the competency of the public to assess whether unregistered nurses could provide quality services, mainly if the public is unaware of the nursing student’s curriculum.
“Opinion naman nito ng mga kababayan natin. Gusto ko rin i-clarify na hindi naman nila sinasabi na itong nurses ay puwedeng magtrabaho na as nurses, kasi may follow up question na, ‘In your opinion should nursing graduates be given an opportunity to work in health-care settings under supervisions of a licensed nurse,” explained Dr. David.
Dr. David said legislators might want to consider the findings of this study as a means of addressing the issue of lack of nurses faced by the country.
“So klaro ito. Ang context nito ay puwede silang magtrabaho sa hospitals or health-care service, pero under the supervision ng isang licensed or registered nurse. Sa ibang bansa, ginagawa rin ito, in fairness. May nursing aids at nursing assistants na hindi pa board passers na nakapagtrabaho sa hospitals,” he added.
Also, the study is noteworthy and highlights the importance of a result-focused approach in the nursing profession.
In his initial statement, Dr. David presented an argument involving non-licensed nurses in health-care facilities can contribute positively to their chances of passing the board examination. This, in turn, can enhance the country’s health-care system.
“Working in a health-care setting would help improve their chances of passing the board exam,” said Dr. David.