Addressing the critical shortage of nurses
THE Philippines, renowned for its highly skilled and compassionate nurses, has long been a vital supplier of health care professionals worldwide. However, the country is currently grappling with a critical shortage of nurses, posing significant challenges to both the domestic health care system and the international nursing industry. To overcome this shortage and ensure sustainable health care delivery, we must devise strategic measures that promote the nursing profession and address the root causes of the problem.
The first step toward resolving the nursing shortage is to improve the quality and accessibility of nursing education in the Philippines. This can be achieved by increasing the number of nursing schools and programs. Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera 3rd has said that the CHEd has lifted the 10-year moratorium on creating new nursing programs. Fifty-four universities have applied to open nursing programs, and once approved, we would have 2,052 students by the academic year 2027-2028.
There is also a need to strengthen the curriculum and clinical training. Our nursing curriculum should be aligned with international standards and provide adequate clinical training opportunities.
Another suggestion is to invest in nursing faculty development. Attracting and retaining experienced and qualified nursing faculty members is essential for producing competent graduates. Offering competitive salaries and providing opportunities for professional growth will encourage experienced nurses to pursue teaching careers. Toward this end, de Vera said that CHEd is also developing a fasttracked master’s program, since only teachers with advanced degrees can teach, which is ironically a CHEd requirement.
For the immediate goal, CHEd will also hold special review classes for unlicensed nurses. Only about 50 percent of nursing graduates pass the licensure test. Thus, we have the other 50 percent who have been trained in hospitals and have gone through the program but are unable to work because they did not pass the licensure exam.
CHEd is now working with the Department of Health and the private hospitals and universities with very good track records in review classes to hold special review classes for those employed in private hospitals as nursing aides or assistants to increase their chances of passing the licensure exams.
CHEd will be providing grants to good universities. A private hospital has also stated that it will pay for the review classes of its nursing aides who did not pass the licensure exams.
To attract more Filipinos to pursue nursing careers, it is crucial to raise awareness and promote the benefits of the profession. Key strategies include a public awareness campaign to highlight the significant role of nurses in health care and their positive impact on society. This will inspire young Filipinos to consider nursing as a rewarding and fulfilling career choice.
Offering scholarships and financial support programs for aspiring nurses, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, will make nursing education more accessible and encourage a diverse range of individuals to enter the profession.
We also need to offer competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits packages and incentives to nurses to improve their job satisfaction and increase retention rates. Ensuring safe working conditions, manageable workloads and reasonable shift schedules are essential to preventing burnout and improving overall job satisfaction. Providing proper staffing levels and appropriate resources will enhance the quality of care and attract nurses to work in local health care facilities.
Investing in health care infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, will create more opportunities for nurses to work in their own communities. This can be achieved by building new health care facilities, improving existing ones and expanding telehealth services to reach underserved areas.
The government should also develop comprehensive workforce plans that project future nursing needs, taking into account population growth, health care demands and global market trends. This will enable proactive strategies to mitigate future shortages.
Lastly, providing incentives such as tax breaks or subsidies to health care facilities that invest in nurse retention programs and contribute to nursing education will encourage private institutions to help solve the shortage of nurses.
Addressing the shortage of nurses in the Philippines requires a multi-faceted approach that includes improving nursing education, promoting the profession, retaining local talent and implementing supportive policies. By investing in strategic solutions, we can meet our domestic health care demands and also continue to supply highly skilled and compassionate nurses to the international health care industry. We cannot prevent people from leaving for higher salaries overseas, but we can also ensure that we have enough nurses for Filipinos, especially in the faraway islands and rural areas.