Salute to the Globalpinoy Nurses is a project that intends to highlight the need for trained and experienced nurses in the Philippines. This project was initiated by Dr. Delia Figueiredo, a highly sought out academic medical expert, and held in the month of March this year. It has been accepted by the Health Ministry as an official mission, and as of now, it is underway. This is the first-ever community-based nursing program in the Philippines. Through it, nurses from all over the country will have the opportunity to work under the guidance of experienced and trained community health organizers. In the process, they will be able to broaden their social circle and experience working with other community members in the area.
Dr. Figueiredo is the Medical Director of the Global Philippine Health and AIDS Prevention and Control Program (PHAPPC), an organization that coordinates various community development projects aimed at preventing health problems. He is also a consultant for the Philippine government’s Health Insurance Risk Management Program (HIP). According to his qualifications, he has served as a nursing professor for the Kenyatta National University, and he currently serves as a consultant for the Global Pinoy Nurses Association. The organization says that Dr. Figueiredo “has extensive training in HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, nutrition, and psychology.” All these fields are essential to help him lead the community in its endeavor to strengthen the nation’s health system.
The program has garnered endorsements from various medical organizations in the Philippines. Among these are the Commission on Health Quality Education and Training (CHPT) and the National Health Information Center (NHI) – both of which are nationally recognized bodies. The Manila Medical College, also known as the MGC, welcomes nurses who have completed their training and are already practicing. They say that this is a major step forward in improving the quality of the healthcare system in the country. Other medical institutions, however, were not quite as excited about it.
The reason? Most believe that it is still very much too early to promote someone who has just completed a training program for nurses. “I’m not against the idea of introducing new people here if they have proven themselves worthy of being in the healthcare system and they have a track record to show us,” said Dr. Ramon Magno, president of the Filipino Nurses Association of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, there are several issues that concern most health experts.
First, as a nurse, one is required to complete a minimum number of hours of continuing education every year. “This is done to maintain licensure [or certification] in the field of nursing,” explains Magno. Second, there is the matter of continuing care, especially for nurses already on the job. ” Ongoing professional growth is important for practitioners because they need that to keep up with technological advancements in the field of nursing,” adds Magno. One can avail of continuing education programs offered by the Health Profession Institute, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and the American Association for Nursing Continuing Education or AANLEX.
However, Dr. Jay Calvert, assistant executive director for communications and public policy for the American Association for Nurses, says that promoting an aspiring nurse should be done after he or she has already proven himself. “After all, there is no such thing as a perfect candidate until the person has successfully passed the evaluation process and is certified by the relevant state board. Promotions should only come after the accomplishment of certain milestones in the career of the nurse,” says Calvert. This way, nurses will have something to lean on when the time comes to apply for promotions or other opportunities.