Temporary license for nursing board flunkers not allowed by law

MANILA – There is no provision in the Philippine Nursing Act that allows the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) or any government agencies to issue temporary licenses to nursing graduates who failed the licensure examination.

In a televised public briefing on Thursday, PRC commissioner Dr. Jose Cueto Jr. said that practice through special or temporary permit applies only for licensed nurses for foreign countries as stated in Section 21 of Republic Act 9173 or the nursing law.

"Naiimbita sila na maging faculty ng mga College of Nursing or involved sila sa mga medical missions or humanitarian missions," he said. "O kaya naman nai-invite sila para maging eksperto sa mga diskusiyon ng mga issues involved dito sa nursing profession."

(They are invited to be a faculty member of Colleges of Nursing or they are involved in medical missions or humanitarian missions. Or they are invited to be experts in the discussion of issues involved in the nursing profession.)

Cueto noted that nursing board examinees must obtain an average of 75 percent without any subjects lower than 60 percent to get a professional license.

"Kapag hindi po napapalitan ang provision sa batas eh hindi po pwede gamitin 'yung percentage na lower than 75," he said.

(Unless the provision in the law is amended, we cannot consider the average that is lower than 75.)

Earlier, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said among the plans to solve the shortage of nurses in hospitals nationwide was by providing temporary license to nursing graduates with 70 to 74 percent grade in the board exam.

They would be allowed to work in hospitals under the direct supervision of registered nurses but unlike board passers, they do not have the privilege to independently practice their profession, Cueto said.

"Hindi sila covered doon sa strikto na provision ng batas. They will be supervised all the way," Cueto said.

(They are not covered in the strict provision of the law. They will be supervised all the way.)

All their tasks should be monitored by their supervisors as part of a quality assurance mechanism to ensure patient safety and welfare.

They will be assigned in areas in the hospitals with easy load and not in the intensive care units and recovery rooms immediately.

In May 2023, the PRC reported about 14,000 examinees took the licensure test for nurses. Of the tally, about 10,764 or 74.94 percent have passed.

Cueto noted that the figure is one of the highest passing percentages in the nursing licensure examination history in recent years, including the 74 percent rate in November 2022 where almost 70,000 or 60 percent out of the 113,000 nursing graduates passed the licensure examination. (PNA)