A total of 7,119 Filipino nurses hoping to practice their profession in America took the U.S. licensure examination for the first time from January to September this year, the party-list group ACTS-OFW said Sunday.
“The number is up 26.5 percent versus the 5,624 Philippine-educated nurses who took America’s eligibility test, or the NCLEX, for the first time in the same nine-month period in 2017,” said Francisco Aguilar Jr., ACTS-OFW spokesperson.
A total of 812 Indians, 715 Puerto Ricans, 563 South Koreans and 412 Nigerians also took the NCLEX for the first time from January to September, according to Aguilar.
The NCLEX refers to the licensure examination either for registered nurse (RN) or for practical nurse (PN) administered by the U.S. National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. (NCSBN).
Because the NCLEX is usually the final step in the U.S. nurse licensure process, the number of foreigners taking the test for the first time is considered a good indicator as to how many of them are trying to enter the profession in America.
Citing newly released NCSBN statistics, Aguilar said Jamaicans, Canadians and Cubans also compete with Filipinos in America’s nursing labor market.
“Many young Filipino nurses still wish to practice in America mainly due to the superior hourly pay there,” Aguilar said.
“Admittedly, many Filipino nurses also find the Western culture far more attractive, thus their preference to live and work in America compared to other foreign countries,” Aguilar added.
An aggregate of 183,920 Filipino nurses have taken the NCLEX for the first time, without counting repeaters, since 1995, Aguilar said.
The median pay of registered nurses in America was $70,000 per annum, or $33.65 per hour in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Nurses in America work in hospitals, physician’s offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities, while others work in outpatient clinics and schools, or serve in the military, the BLS said.
Overall, the BLS said job opportunities for nurses in America are expected to be good because of employment growth and the need to replace practitioners who retire over the coming decade.
“However, the supply of new nurses entering the labor market has increased in recent years. This increase has resulted in competition for jobs in some areas of the country. Employers also may prefer candidates who have some related work experience or certification in a specialty area,” the BLS said. (House of Representatives)
