PHILADELPHIA, PA — MARCH 5, 2007 — The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) Board of Trustees President Dr. Lucille Joel, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Barbara Nichols, and counsel to CGFNS John Ratigan met in extended discussion with the Philippine Task Force organized by Congressman Monico Puentevella on March 5 at CGFNS headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. They heard the Task Force present its concerns about CGFNS's decision to deny VisaScreen® certification to the June 2006 passers of the Philippine Nursing Licensure Exam. In addition to Congressman Puentevella, the Task Force was composed of Dr. Leonor T. Rosero, Chair of the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission, Dr. Remigia Nathanielz, representing the Commission on Higher Education and Philippine Nurses Association, and the leader of a group of June 2006 nursing licensees, Renato Aquino. After listening to and reviewing the concerns of the delegation, Joel and Nichols explained that CGFNS's decision was based on the requirements of U.S. law and was not subject to re-negotiation or further review.
Dr. Joel and Dr. Nichols explained the following to the Philippine delegation that:
This decision was based on U.S. law, and what U.S. law required of CGFNS in the circumstances of the June 2006 examination. The key question was not what Philippine authorities did, but what U. S. authorities would have done in similar circumstances.
CGFNS determined that in the case of the June 2006 Philippine license examination, the compromise situation was handled in a way that was not comparable to the way it had been handled in the U.S.
CGFNS has been gathering information on this matter almost since it occurred. Dr. Nichols led a fact-finding team to Manila in September 2006 for exactly that purpose. CGFNS has been well and thoroughly informed of developments throughout this process.
As Dr. Nichols advised Dr. Rosero, the decision on this issue made and announced by the CGFNS Board of Trustees on February 14 was unanimous. That decision is final, and will not be reconsidered. The Philippine delegation accepted that fact.
We hope that is the message the delegation will take back to the Philippines -- that the time for challenges and delegations is past.
The sooner the responsible authorities in the Philippines move forward to implement the steps for a re-take of Tests 3 and 5, without the need for Philippine nurses to surrender their current licenses in order to do so, the better it will be for all concerned.
CGFNS announced on October 26, 2006 that it was questioning the eligibility for VisaScreen certification of the Philippine nurses who passed the Professional Regulation Commission's (PRC) June 2006 nursing licensing exam based on the widespread allegations that the June 2006 Philippine Nursing Licensing Exam had been compromised.
The CGFNS Board of Trustees directed its staff and counsel to review and assess whether the licensure process based on the challenged results of the June 2006 exam is "comparable" with that required for nurses licensed in America, as required by U.S. law. CGFNS then made a final determination on February 14, 2007 that the licensure process was not comparable and moved to deny VisaScreen certification for Philippine Nurses Who Passed the Compromised June 2006 Philippine Licensure Examination.
The CGFNS VisaScreen Program, administered by the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS, is a federal screening program mandated by U.S. immigration law. U.S. law designates CGFNS to determine whether internationally-educated healthcare professionals who wish to obtain a visa to practice in the U.S. possess education, training, license and experience that is "comparable with that required for an American healthcare worker of the same type."
The CGFNS decision provided a remedy by which the June passers could regain their eligibility for VisaScreen certification by re-taking and passing the compromised Tests 3 and 5 with a passing score of 75. CGFNS urged the Philippine authorities to authorize a re-take of those tests without surrender of licensure.
The integrity of foreign licensing systems ultimately affects the health and safety of patients in the United States, a primary consideration of CGFNS in its role in evaluating foreign-educated healthcare workers under U.S. immigration law. The decision that was made final on February 14, 2007 supports this critical mission of CGFNS.
CGFNS International is an internationally recognized authority on credentials evaluation and verification pertaining to the education, registration and licensure of nurses and healthcare professionals worldwide. CGFNS International is an immigration-neutral, nonprofit organization with 30 years of experience in certifying the credentials of over 450,000 internationally educated nurses and other healthcare workers.
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Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Most Filipinos trust competence of June 2006 nursing passers
By Kate V. Pedroso
Inquirer
Last updated 09:54pm (Mla time) 02/20/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- While most Filipinos would trust passers of the controversial June 2006 nursing board exam to take care of them in sickness, they also agreed that opportunities for the nurses to work abroad would decrease as an aftermath of the cheating that marred the exams, recent surveys from the Social Weather Stations found.
The US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) recently decided not to issue VisaScreen certificates to passers of the nursing licensure examinations in June 2006, unless they would retake and pass two parts of the tests which were allegedly leaked.
The US CGFNS said "the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals."
In a September 2006 survey, the SWS asked the respondents if they agree or disagree with the following statement: "Even if there was leakage in the recent Nursing Board Exam, I would trust someone who passed that exam to take care of me in case I would get sick."
Fifty three percent of adult Filipinos interviewed nationwide during the Third Quarter SWS survey in September 2006 said they agreed, while 25 percent disagreed and 19 percent said they were undecided.
This sentiment was shared across all socio-economic classes (60 percent in classes ABC, 54 percent among members of Class D and 50 percent in class E). Majority also agreed with the statement in the rest of Luzon (62 percent) and in Metro Manila (53 percent ), whereas 45 percent in both Visayas and Mindanao likewise trusted the competency of the June 2006 exam passers.
During the November 2006 Fourth Quarter SWS survey, the SWS asked respondents if they agreed with the following statement: "Because of the cheating that happened in the recent nursing board exam, from now on there will probably be a drop in the opportunities for nurses trained in the Philippines to get jobs abroad."
Fifty-three percent agreed with the statement, only 20 percent disagreed, while 24 percent said they were undecided.
Most Filipinos followed the issue closely -- 55 percent said they followed news on the leakage controversy "very or somewhat closely" in September 2006, and 52 percent said so in November.
Among those who followed the issue "very or somewhat closely," 60 percent agreed that there would probably be a drop in career opportunities abroad for Filipino nurses as a result of the event, whereas among those who followed the news "just a little or not at all," 46 percent expressed the same sentiment.
Both Social Weather Stations surveys used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults divided into samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Third Quarter SWS survey was conducted from September 24 to October 2, while the Fourth Quarter survey was done from November 24 to 29. Both had a margin of error of plus-minus 3 percentage points.
Inquirer
Last updated 09:54pm (Mla time) 02/20/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- While most Filipinos would trust passers of the controversial June 2006 nursing board exam to take care of them in sickness, they also agreed that opportunities for the nurses to work abroad would decrease as an aftermath of the cheating that marred the exams, recent surveys from the Social Weather Stations found.
The US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) recently decided not to issue VisaScreen certificates to passers of the nursing licensure examinations in June 2006, unless they would retake and pass two parts of the tests which were allegedly leaked.
The US CGFNS said "the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals."
In a September 2006 survey, the SWS asked the respondents if they agree or disagree with the following statement: "Even if there was leakage in the recent Nursing Board Exam, I would trust someone who passed that exam to take care of me in case I would get sick."
Fifty three percent of adult Filipinos interviewed nationwide during the Third Quarter SWS survey in September 2006 said they agreed, while 25 percent disagreed and 19 percent said they were undecided.
This sentiment was shared across all socio-economic classes (60 percent in classes ABC, 54 percent among members of Class D and 50 percent in class E). Majority also agreed with the statement in the rest of Luzon (62 percent) and in Metro Manila (53 percent ), whereas 45 percent in both Visayas and Mindanao likewise trusted the competency of the June 2006 exam passers.
During the November 2006 Fourth Quarter SWS survey, the SWS asked respondents if they agreed with the following statement: "Because of the cheating that happened in the recent nursing board exam, from now on there will probably be a drop in the opportunities for nurses trained in the Philippines to get jobs abroad."
Fifty-three percent agreed with the statement, only 20 percent disagreed, while 24 percent said they were undecided.
Most Filipinos followed the issue closely -- 55 percent said they followed news on the leakage controversy "very or somewhat closely" in September 2006, and 52 percent said so in November.
Among those who followed the issue "very or somewhat closely," 60 percent agreed that there would probably be a drop in career opportunities abroad for Filipino nurses as a result of the event, whereas among those who followed the news "just a little or not at all," 46 percent expressed the same sentiment.
Both Social Weather Stations surveys used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults divided into samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Third Quarter SWS survey was conducted from September 24 to October 2, while the Fourth Quarter survey was done from November 24 to 29. Both had a margin of error of plus-minus 3 percentage points.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
DoLE plans to administer nursing board retake
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 08:40pm (Mla time) 02/20/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) plans to administer the retake of the tainted portions of the June 2006 nursing licensure exams, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said Tuesday.
This came following a decision of the United States' Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to deny VisaScreen Certificates to the 17,000 passers of the controversial board examinations.
“Our alternative plan is for the Department of Labor, through the Board of Nursing, to administer the re-examination of Tests 3 and 5, utilizing the administrative processes of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) such as those on application,” Brion told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
Matthew Lussenhop, spokesman of the United States embassy in Manila, said the VisaScreen Certificate is needed before a health professional who wants to travel to the US can get the appropriate visa.
The CGFNS has indicated the alternative plan was possible, Brion said, adding he only needed to formalize the proposal in writing.
“The results will go directly to DoLE, and the labor department is there because the re-examination is for purposes of enhancing employability, not licensing,” he said.
“The licenses issued by PRC are valid. The re-exam will not have anything to do with the license issue,” Brion said, adding that his office will monitor all stages of the examination.
The labor chief said the retake will be administered together with the regular licensure exams scheduled this June and December 2007.
“These exams are voluntary on the part of the re-takers who want to be eligible for the VisaScreen certificates,” he said.
Brion said he was considering waiving the fees for those who will retake the exams. “The fees for those who did so and took Tests 3 and 5 were waived.”
The controversial June 2006 nursing licensure exams spawned Senate inquiries and court cases after it was exposed that some review centers got test leaks.
At least 19 people -- two nursing board examiners and 17 officers of test review centers -- are facing criminal charges in connection with the leaks.
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 08:40pm (Mla time) 02/20/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) plans to administer the retake of the tainted portions of the June 2006 nursing licensure exams, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said Tuesday.
This came following a decision of the United States' Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to deny VisaScreen Certificates to the 17,000 passers of the controversial board examinations.
“Our alternative plan is for the Department of Labor, through the Board of Nursing, to administer the re-examination of Tests 3 and 5, utilizing the administrative processes of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) such as those on application,” Brion told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
Matthew Lussenhop, spokesman of the United States embassy in Manila, said the VisaScreen Certificate is needed before a health professional who wants to travel to the US can get the appropriate visa.
The CGFNS has indicated the alternative plan was possible, Brion said, adding he only needed to formalize the proposal in writing.
“The results will go directly to DoLE, and the labor department is there because the re-examination is for purposes of enhancing employability, not licensing,” he said.
“The licenses issued by PRC are valid. The re-exam will not have anything to do with the license issue,” Brion said, adding that his office will monitor all stages of the examination.
The labor chief said the retake will be administered together with the regular licensure exams scheduled this June and December 2007.
“These exams are voluntary on the part of the re-takers who want to be eligible for the VisaScreen certificates,” he said.
Brion said he was considering waiving the fees for those who will retake the exams. “The fees for those who did so and took Tests 3 and 5 were waived.”
The controversial June 2006 nursing licensure exams spawned Senate inquiries and court cases after it was exposed that some review centers got test leaks.
At least 19 people -- two nursing board examiners and 17 officers of test review centers -- are facing criminal charges in connection with the leaks.
Appealing to CGFNS ‘useless,’ says Gordon
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 06:02pm (Mla time) 02/20/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- The government's plan to appeal the decision of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) requiring nurses who passed the June 2006 board examination to retake two leak-tainted tests if they want to acquire US visas is useless, Senator Richard Gordon said Tuesday.
Gordon, whose Senate resolution was the basis of the inquiry into the leakage in the June 2006 board, said the CGFNS is not going to consider the personal appeal of Professional Regulation Commission chair Leonor Tripon-Rosero.
Rosero is set to leave for the United States to ask the CGFNS to reconsider its decision not to give VisaScreen certificates to the 17,000 or so nurses who passed the June exam unless they retake tests 3 and 5, the questions to which had been leaked ahead of the exam.
“I hate to rain on their parade but [the CGFNS] is not going to do that [reverse its decision]. I feel for their [nurses’] parents. They [PRC] are giving false hopes to the passers and their parents,” he said.
Gordon said the solution to the problem of credibility -- the retaking of the exam in areas where the leak was proven to have happened.-- had been proposed long before,
“I don't like to say ,‘I told you so.’ Now every one of the 17,000 must retake the exam because the taint is still there,” he said.
“As a former salesman for the country, we should solve the problem so that our problem with credibility is solved along with it,” Gordon, who once served as tourism secretary, said.
Rene Tadle of the University of Sto. Tomas' College of Nursing Faculty, who spearheaded the filing of a court case seeking a retake of the June licensure exam, agreed with Gordon.
Instead of appealing the CGFNS decision, he asked the PRC to work for the retake.
“We should now channel all our efforts so that the retake may be given at the soonest possible time, with governmental intervention as far as fees and review [are] concerned. But of course, it's the PRC's call,” Tadle said.
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 06:02pm (Mla time) 02/20/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- The government's plan to appeal the decision of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) requiring nurses who passed the June 2006 board examination to retake two leak-tainted tests if they want to acquire US visas is useless, Senator Richard Gordon said Tuesday.
Gordon, whose Senate resolution was the basis of the inquiry into the leakage in the June 2006 board, said the CGFNS is not going to consider the personal appeal of Professional Regulation Commission chair Leonor Tripon-Rosero.
Rosero is set to leave for the United States to ask the CGFNS to reconsider its decision not to give VisaScreen certificates to the 17,000 or so nurses who passed the June exam unless they retake tests 3 and 5, the questions to which had been leaked ahead of the exam.
“I hate to rain on their parade but [the CGFNS] is not going to do that [reverse its decision]. I feel for their [nurses’] parents. They [PRC] are giving false hopes to the passers and their parents,” he said.
Gordon said the solution to the problem of credibility -- the retaking of the exam in areas where the leak was proven to have happened.-- had been proposed long before,
“I don't like to say ,‘I told you so.’ Now every one of the 17,000 must retake the exam because the taint is still there,” he said.
“As a former salesman for the country, we should solve the problem so that our problem with credibility is solved along with it,” Gordon, who once served as tourism secretary, said.
Rene Tadle of the University of Sto. Tomas' College of Nursing Faculty, who spearheaded the filing of a court case seeking a retake of the June licensure exam, agreed with Gordon.
Instead of appealing the CGFNS decision, he asked the PRC to work for the retake.
“We should now channel all our efforts so that the retake may be given at the soonest possible time, with governmental intervention as far as fees and review [are] concerned. But of course, it's the PRC's call,” Tadle said.
Swallow the bitter pill, exec tells June ‘06 nursing passers
By Leila Salaverria
Inquirer
Last updated 07:17pm (Mla time) 02/19/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Swallow the bitter pill if your request is rejected.
In case the US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools would deny the government’s appeal, passers of the tainted June 2006 nursing licensure examination must accept the American organization’s decision not to give them VisaScreen certificates unless they comply with certain requirements, Dante Ang of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas said.
The US-CGFNS earlier said the June 2006 passers would not be eligible for VisaScreen certificates, a federally approved screening program for foreign health workers seeking an occupational visa in the US, unless they retake and pass Tests 3 and 5, which were earlier tainted by the leakage.
Ang said he spoke with the US Embassy's non-immigrant visa, and confirmed that "everybody has to go through the VisaScreen," which was different from the CGFNS examination not required in all US states.
"The solution is to take the bitter pill, retake. If not, then apply elsewhere. It's as simple as that," Ang said.
But Ang said he believed the government was correct to appeal the CGFNS decision out of concern and compassion for the Philippine nurses' welfare since many of them wanted to work in the US, though he was not optimistic about it.
He also said the country could not impose its own standards on the US.
He said the CGFNS stance was not a form of pressure on the Philippine government to change its decision on how to handle the leakage controversy that marred the licensure examination, which was to allow the oath-taking of about 17,000 passers and order a selective retake.
"It's not pressure. We're talking of two countries. They have their own set of laws, we have our own standards. If you don't subscribe to their standards, you have an option not to go there. It's like they're saying what you did in the Philippines falls short of our standards. They are not telling us to change," he said.
He also said the issue with the CGFNS decision was not sovereignty, but competency and public health and safety.
"Much that we hate to be imposed upon, let's not impose our set of standards on another country," he said.
"We have to help the nurses, but my request is for people to be sober," he added.
Ang, who earlier pushed for a retake to preserve the integrity of the nursing licensure examination, also denied he was responsible for the CGFNS' decision not to issue VisaScreen certificates to the June 2006 passers without a retake.
"I did not create the mess. Who leaked the questions?" he said.
He lambasted his critics, saying their statements worsened the image of the country.
"It is that kind of talk that makes matters worse for us. It gives the impression that some people are perpetuating a culture of mediocrity," he said.
He said he went to the US to meet with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to show them that "the government does not condone mediocrity and we have a policy of excellence."
Ang said he informed the American boards the government had charged the people involved in the leakage and had placed the Professional Regulation Commission, which administers the nursing exam, under the labor department.
Ang also said he suspected that the anti-retake groups were being funded, without their knowledge, by those responsible for or involved in the leakage who wanted to cover up their deeds.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, who was against a retake of the nursing exam when the leakage issue broke out, said the Philippines cannot force the US to take in the June 2006 nursing exam passers.
"We can't compel them to accept us. We can't be forced to retake, but we have to accept the consequences," he said.
Inquirer
Last updated 07:17pm (Mla time) 02/19/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Swallow the bitter pill if your request is rejected.
In case the US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools would deny the government’s appeal, passers of the tainted June 2006 nursing licensure examination must accept the American organization’s decision not to give them VisaScreen certificates unless they comply with certain requirements, Dante Ang of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas said.
The US-CGFNS earlier said the June 2006 passers would not be eligible for VisaScreen certificates, a federally approved screening program for foreign health workers seeking an occupational visa in the US, unless they retake and pass Tests 3 and 5, which were earlier tainted by the leakage.
Ang said he spoke with the US Embassy's non-immigrant visa, and confirmed that "everybody has to go through the VisaScreen," which was different from the CGFNS examination not required in all US states.
"The solution is to take the bitter pill, retake. If not, then apply elsewhere. It's as simple as that," Ang said.
But Ang said he believed the government was correct to appeal the CGFNS decision out of concern and compassion for the Philippine nurses' welfare since many of them wanted to work in the US, though he was not optimistic about it.
He also said the country could not impose its own standards on the US.
He said the CGFNS stance was not a form of pressure on the Philippine government to change its decision on how to handle the leakage controversy that marred the licensure examination, which was to allow the oath-taking of about 17,000 passers and order a selective retake.
"It's not pressure. We're talking of two countries. They have their own set of laws, we have our own standards. If you don't subscribe to their standards, you have an option not to go there. It's like they're saying what you did in the Philippines falls short of our standards. They are not telling us to change," he said.
He also said the issue with the CGFNS decision was not sovereignty, but competency and public health and safety.
"Much that we hate to be imposed upon, let's not impose our set of standards on another country," he said.
"We have to help the nurses, but my request is for people to be sober," he added.
Ang, who earlier pushed for a retake to preserve the integrity of the nursing licensure examination, also denied he was responsible for the CGFNS' decision not to issue VisaScreen certificates to the June 2006 passers without a retake.
"I did not create the mess. Who leaked the questions?" he said.
He lambasted his critics, saying their statements worsened the image of the country.
"It is that kind of talk that makes matters worse for us. It gives the impression that some people are perpetuating a culture of mediocrity," he said.
He said he went to the US to meet with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to show them that "the government does not condone mediocrity and we have a policy of excellence."
Ang said he informed the American boards the government had charged the people involved in the leakage and had placed the Professional Regulation Commission, which administers the nursing exam, under the labor department.
Ang also said he suspected that the anti-retake groups were being funded, without their knowledge, by those responsible for or involved in the leakage who wanted to cover up their deeds.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, who was against a retake of the nursing exam when the leakage issue broke out, said the Philippines cannot force the US to take in the June 2006 nursing exam passers.
"We can't compel them to accept us. We can't be forced to retake, but we have to accept the consequences," he said.
Nursing groups form task force to appeal visa hold
By Margaux Ortiz
Inquirer
Last updated 10:33pm (Mla time) 02/19/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Various nursing associations and stakeholders formed on Monday a task force that would appeal the recent decision of the US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to refuse the issuance of VisaScreen Certificates to June 2006 board passers.
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) chair Leonor Rosero said the members of the task force would leave for Philadelphia, where the CGFNS is based, on February 26.
"We have agreed to appeal to the CGFNS in behalf of the Filipino nurses who passed the June licensure examinations," Rosero said in a press conference at the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA) office in Manila.
Rosero added that she would head the delegation, which the PRC chief said was independent of the group directed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week to appeal for reconsideration of the CGFNS decision.
Dr. Remigia Nathanielz, president of the Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing, and the PNA president, Dr. Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz would form part of the task force.
"We would show the CGFNS officials how the examination results were computed, together with the decision of the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court on the issue," Rosero said.
The US CGFNS announced on its website last Wednesday that the June 2006 passers would not be eligible for VisaScreen Certificates unless they would take and pass the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 "on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities" and obtained a passing score.
The CGFNS urged Philippine authorities to "provide an opportunity for a retake" for the passers "without surrender of licensure" for them to qualify for the VisaScreen Certificate.
The US-based group made their announcement a day after the high tribunal rejected with finality, on a technicality, the plea of groups to order a retake of the tainted portions of the exam.
Nursing professors led by those from the University of Sto. Tomas questioned before the high court the Court of Appeals decision to order only a selective retake of the examination, paving the way for the oath-taking of the passers.
The appellate court had ruled that those affected by the PRC's recomputation of grades, which the commission nullified, should retake Test 3 (medical-surgical nursing) and Test 5 (psychiatric nursing).
Rosero said 17,000 Filipino nurses who passed the board examinations could benefit from their move to appeal directly to the CGFNS at the end of the month.
"We will likewise ask Secretary Dante Ang to come with us," Rosero said. Ang, chairman of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), had been staunchly for the retake of the June 2006 licensure examinations.
Rey Salud, who passed the June licensure examinations, said they attended Monday's meeting to ask the PNA to help them appeal the CGFNS decision.
"We are the ones suffering here. It would be unfair for the board passers to take the examinations again," Salud said.
The Alliance of New Nurses (ANN), on the other hand, stressed that the government should exhaust all means to appeal for the June 2006 board passers.
"The government and the nursing industry owe that to us," ANN spokesperson Renato Aquino said in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Inquirer
Last updated 10:33pm (Mla time) 02/19/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Various nursing associations and stakeholders formed on Monday a task force that would appeal the recent decision of the US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to refuse the issuance of VisaScreen Certificates to June 2006 board passers.
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) chair Leonor Rosero said the members of the task force would leave for Philadelphia, where the CGFNS is based, on February 26.
"We have agreed to appeal to the CGFNS in behalf of the Filipino nurses who passed the June licensure examinations," Rosero said in a press conference at the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA) office in Manila.
Rosero added that she would head the delegation, which the PRC chief said was independent of the group directed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week to appeal for reconsideration of the CGFNS decision.
Dr. Remigia Nathanielz, president of the Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing, and the PNA president, Dr. Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz would form part of the task force.
"We would show the CGFNS officials how the examination results were computed, together with the decision of the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court on the issue," Rosero said.
The US CGFNS announced on its website last Wednesday that the June 2006 passers would not be eligible for VisaScreen Certificates unless they would take and pass the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 "on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities" and obtained a passing score.
The CGFNS urged Philippine authorities to "provide an opportunity for a retake" for the passers "without surrender of licensure" for them to qualify for the VisaScreen Certificate.
The US-based group made their announcement a day after the high tribunal rejected with finality, on a technicality, the plea of groups to order a retake of the tainted portions of the exam.
Nursing professors led by those from the University of Sto. Tomas questioned before the high court the Court of Appeals decision to order only a selective retake of the examination, paving the way for the oath-taking of the passers.
The appellate court had ruled that those affected by the PRC's recomputation of grades, which the commission nullified, should retake Test 3 (medical-surgical nursing) and Test 5 (psychiatric nursing).
Rosero said 17,000 Filipino nurses who passed the board examinations could benefit from their move to appeal directly to the CGFNS at the end of the month.
"We will likewise ask Secretary Dante Ang to come with us," Rosero said. Ang, chairman of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), had been staunchly for the retake of the June 2006 licensure examinations.
Rey Salud, who passed the June licensure examinations, said they attended Monday's meeting to ask the PNA to help them appeal the CGFNS decision.
"We are the ones suffering here. It would be unfair for the board passers to take the examinations again," Salud said.
The Alliance of New Nurses (ANN), on the other hand, stressed that the government should exhaust all means to appeal for the June 2006 board passers.
"The government and the nursing industry owe that to us," ANN spokesperson Renato Aquino said in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
US nursing group, RP mull flexibility on VisaScreen
By Jerome Aning
Inquirer
Last updated 07:27pm (Mla time) 02/19/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine government may open informal talks with the United States’ Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to ask for a "flexible implementation" of its policy requiring nurses who passed the June 2006 board exams to retake disputed portions of the test to be eligible for visas, an official said Monday.
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said he met with CGFNS representatives on Sunday and asked them if they would be flexible about the retake for nurses who would want to work in America.
"'We can talk,' they said; we talked about some options, which I cannot yet make public," he told reporters. "We'll explore possibilities of flexible implementation during the informal talks because I think our chances are better if we use this option."
The Secretary said he also met officials of the Professional Regulatory Commission Monday morning to relay the "options" he discussed with CGFNS representatives.
"I think these options could solve our problem with CGFNS," Brion said.
For her part, PRC chair Leonor Rosero said she and other labor officials were set to meet on Monday afternoon with the Philippine Nursing Association and the Board of Nursing, together with the 17,000 examinees or their representatives.
All legal implications of the CGFNS announcement were supposed to be discussed so that PRC, PNA and BON could formulate a single stand on the issue.
Brion said he had asked CGFNS to make public announcements explaining the VisaScreen process. He said CGFNS representatives were planning to put up a "public bulletin" to explain the policies of their group and to clarify the "retake" requirement for June 2006 NLE takers.
In an earlier radio interview, the labor secretary said he consulted with the Department of Labor and Employment's legal department and found out that the possibility of a formal appeal as ordered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week was dim.
"I don't see any chance of success with a formal appeal; I've asked our lawyers to look into the matter but so far they are not too happy about a formal appeal and say there is not much we can do about a US law," he told radio station dzEC.
Last week, CGFNS required successful examinees in June 2006 to retake Tests 3 and 5 of the exam for a VisaScreen certificate, a requirement to apply for nursing and other health care jobs in the US.
The Commission said the certificate would not be issued to applicants unless they would re-take the test modules, whose results were allegedly leaked to board takers during the June 2006 nursing licensure exam.
At least 20 states in the US do not require Visascreens, Rosero said.
Meanwhile, Brion admitted the government was still not sure how it could assist the affected nursing examinees in getting work in the US, at least for now.
Malacañang had promised to extend assistance to the examinees in getting work abroad, including the US.
The labor secretary said most of the country's nurses had been going to the Middle East. Those who go to the US and other Western countries only do so because they have a chance to immigrate later on and bring their families, according to him.
Inquirer
Last updated 07:27pm (Mla time) 02/19/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine government may open informal talks with the United States’ Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to ask for a "flexible implementation" of its policy requiring nurses who passed the June 2006 board exams to retake disputed portions of the test to be eligible for visas, an official said Monday.
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said he met with CGFNS representatives on Sunday and asked them if they would be flexible about the retake for nurses who would want to work in America.
"'We can talk,' they said; we talked about some options, which I cannot yet make public," he told reporters. "We'll explore possibilities of flexible implementation during the informal talks because I think our chances are better if we use this option."
The Secretary said he also met officials of the Professional Regulatory Commission Monday morning to relay the "options" he discussed with CGFNS representatives.
"I think these options could solve our problem with CGFNS," Brion said.
For her part, PRC chair Leonor Rosero said she and other labor officials were set to meet on Monday afternoon with the Philippine Nursing Association and the Board of Nursing, together with the 17,000 examinees or their representatives.
All legal implications of the CGFNS announcement were supposed to be discussed so that PRC, PNA and BON could formulate a single stand on the issue.
Brion said he had asked CGFNS to make public announcements explaining the VisaScreen process. He said CGFNS representatives were planning to put up a "public bulletin" to explain the policies of their group and to clarify the "retake" requirement for June 2006 NLE takers.
In an earlier radio interview, the labor secretary said he consulted with the Department of Labor and Employment's legal department and found out that the possibility of a formal appeal as ordered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week was dim.
"I don't see any chance of success with a formal appeal; I've asked our lawyers to look into the matter but so far they are not too happy about a formal appeal and say there is not much we can do about a US law," he told radio station dzEC.
Last week, CGFNS required successful examinees in June 2006 to retake Tests 3 and 5 of the exam for a VisaScreen certificate, a requirement to apply for nursing and other health care jobs in the US.
The Commission said the certificate would not be issued to applicants unless they would re-take the test modules, whose results were allegedly leaked to board takers during the June 2006 nursing licensure exam.
At least 20 states in the US do not require Visascreens, Rosero said.
Meanwhile, Brion admitted the government was still not sure how it could assist the affected nursing examinees in getting work in the US, at least for now.
Malacañang had promised to extend assistance to the examinees in getting work abroad, including the US.
The labor secretary said most of the country's nurses had been going to the Middle East. Those who go to the US and other Western countries only do so because they have a chance to immigrate later on and bring their families, according to him.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Visa realities
Inquirer
Last updated 04:05am (Mla time) 02/19/2007
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, WE WOULDN’T NEED TO send our nursing graduates abroad, especially to the United States, to find a job commensurate with their skill and knowledge. While we should all work to make that ideal state of affairs a reality, we should also be ready for—in fact, we should fully come to terms with—the less than ideal conditions that govern the nursing profession in the Philippines.
One such condition is the profession’s current dependence on work in hospitals and clinics abroad, especially in the United States. In the last several years, the wave of registered nurses leaving the country for assignments in foreign shores has turned into a tsunami. Even if the national government were to try to stop the flood, like King Canute it would quickly discover the limit of its considerable powers. The best it can do, in simplified terms, is first to ensure that enough nurses remain in the country to man our own hospitals and clinics; and second, to provide support to the nurses who are hired abroad.
We are happy to note that, unlike most other overseas Filipino workers, the Filipino nurse enjoys the privilege of legally immigrating with her family; social costs are still incurred, but these are mitigated—subsidized, so to speak—by a host country’s open-minded immigration policy. We also note, with a quickening sense of hope, that the new policy of medical tourism is already making a difference in the country’s best hospitals. This can only lead to better jobs for more nurses here at home.
But there is no denying the outbound orientation that now marks the nursing profession. That is why the decision of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing in the United States to designate Manila as a new site for the administration of licensure examinations is welcome and bracing news.
That is also why the decision by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools to deny the (US) VisaScreen certificate to Filipino nurses who passed the June 2006 board exams is deeply worrying.
On the CGFNS website, the first Frequently Asked Question is answered in this manner: “The passage of the NCLEX or the CGFNS Examination is only one of four general VisaScreen requirements. Under normal circumstances, passage of either examination will fulfill this particular requirement. However, the license of those Philippine Nurses who passed only the June 2006 Exam has been determined to be ‘not comparable’ to a US nursing license due to the fact that the licensing examination given by the PRC was compromised. Therefore, the VisaScreen certificate cannot be issued, as required by US immigration law and its implementing regulations to those participating in only this compromised examination.”
The CGFNS is referring, of course, to the leakage scandal that rocked the June 2006 examinations. An indecisive response from the Arroyo administration helped lead to a protracted legal battle and eventually a Solomonic ruling. With the latest CGFNS announcement, however, a retake for all nurses who took the June 2006 exams, at least those who wish to work in the United States, seems to be in order.
Unfortunately, much of the initial reaction to the CGFNS decision has been spectacularly beside the point. “It’s really unfair because the Supreme Court has already arrived at a decision,” said Renato Aquino, president of the Alliance of New Nurses. “The high court has already ruled against the retaking of the exams due to lack of evidence.”
Well, yes. But the CGFNS was careful to limit the scope of its own decision. “The CGFNS decision to deny the VisaScreen to the June 2006 passers of the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination relates only to US immigration law.”
In other words, the Supreme Court ruling remains fully applicable to Philippine practice. But it cannot be, it was not meant to be, a substitute for another country’s requirements. The best it could have done was assuage CGFNS concerns about the integrity of the June 2006 exams. Unfortunately, those concerns about a “compromised” test remain.
By all means, the Arroyo administration should act decisively and appeal to the CGFNS to reconsider its decision. But, at the same time, it must already prepare those who want to work in the United States for the probability of a distasteful but necessary retake. It is bitter medicine, and we must swallow it.
Last updated 04:05am (Mla time) 02/19/2007
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, WE WOULDN’T NEED TO send our nursing graduates abroad, especially to the United States, to find a job commensurate with their skill and knowledge. While we should all work to make that ideal state of affairs a reality, we should also be ready for—in fact, we should fully come to terms with—the less than ideal conditions that govern the nursing profession in the Philippines.
One such condition is the profession’s current dependence on work in hospitals and clinics abroad, especially in the United States. In the last several years, the wave of registered nurses leaving the country for assignments in foreign shores has turned into a tsunami. Even if the national government were to try to stop the flood, like King Canute it would quickly discover the limit of its considerable powers. The best it can do, in simplified terms, is first to ensure that enough nurses remain in the country to man our own hospitals and clinics; and second, to provide support to the nurses who are hired abroad.
We are happy to note that, unlike most other overseas Filipino workers, the Filipino nurse enjoys the privilege of legally immigrating with her family; social costs are still incurred, but these are mitigated—subsidized, so to speak—by a host country’s open-minded immigration policy. We also note, with a quickening sense of hope, that the new policy of medical tourism is already making a difference in the country’s best hospitals. This can only lead to better jobs for more nurses here at home.
But there is no denying the outbound orientation that now marks the nursing profession. That is why the decision of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing in the United States to designate Manila as a new site for the administration of licensure examinations is welcome and bracing news.
That is also why the decision by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools to deny the (US) VisaScreen certificate to Filipino nurses who passed the June 2006 board exams is deeply worrying.
On the CGFNS website, the first Frequently Asked Question is answered in this manner: “The passage of the NCLEX or the CGFNS Examination is only one of four general VisaScreen requirements. Under normal circumstances, passage of either examination will fulfill this particular requirement. However, the license of those Philippine Nurses who passed only the June 2006 Exam has been determined to be ‘not comparable’ to a US nursing license due to the fact that the licensing examination given by the PRC was compromised. Therefore, the VisaScreen certificate cannot be issued, as required by US immigration law and its implementing regulations to those participating in only this compromised examination.”
The CGFNS is referring, of course, to the leakage scandal that rocked the June 2006 examinations. An indecisive response from the Arroyo administration helped lead to a protracted legal battle and eventually a Solomonic ruling. With the latest CGFNS announcement, however, a retake for all nurses who took the June 2006 exams, at least those who wish to work in the United States, seems to be in order.
Unfortunately, much of the initial reaction to the CGFNS decision has been spectacularly beside the point. “It’s really unfair because the Supreme Court has already arrived at a decision,” said Renato Aquino, president of the Alliance of New Nurses. “The high court has already ruled against the retaking of the exams due to lack of evidence.”
Well, yes. But the CGFNS was careful to limit the scope of its own decision. “The CGFNS decision to deny the VisaScreen to the June 2006 passers of the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination relates only to US immigration law.”
In other words, the Supreme Court ruling remains fully applicable to Philippine practice. But it cannot be, it was not meant to be, a substitute for another country’s requirements. The best it could have done was assuage CGFNS concerns about the integrity of the June 2006 exams. Unfortunately, those concerns about a “compromised” test remain.
By all means, the Arroyo administration should act decisively and appeal to the CGFNS to reconsider its decision. But, at the same time, it must already prepare those who want to work in the United States for the probability of a distasteful but necessary retake. It is bitter medicine, and we must swallow it.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Nurses to meet on US visa crisis
By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer
Last updated 06:54pm (Mla time) 02/18/2007
MANILA, Philippines--The top official of the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA) has called on all Filipino nurses and their organizations to unite in facing the crisis resulting from a United States board decision not to clear June 2006 Filipino nursing license passers for US visas.
"We want to hurdle it as one nursing profession," Dr. Leah Paquiz, PNA president, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview on Sunday.
Paquiz was referring to the decision announced last week by the US-based Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to deny VisaScreen Certificates to the passers of the controversial June 2006 board exams.
Asked if the leakage in last year's exam was the biggest crisis to hit the country's profession, Paquiz replied: "Since I became a nurse, yes." That was in 1974.
More than three decades later, Paquiz is leading the PNA in finding solutions to salvage the beleaguered profession that has brought international recognition and pride to the Philippines.
Paquiz said the PNA would meet with "all specialty groups and all nursing leaders" on Monday afternoon to discuss what to do in light of the CGFNS decision.
"We don't want to divide the profession anymore, that's why we will be discussing this first before we issue an official statement," Paquiz said.
She stressed: "We will be making one stand. Masyado nang nasira ang nursing profession natin." (The image of our profession has been damaged.)
The CGFNS decision came as a blow to the June 2006 nursing board passers who wanted to pursue careers in the United States.
A majority of the US states require foreign nurses to obtain CGFNS-issued VisaScreen Certificates, Paquiz said.
"This is really important for our nurses wanting to go to the US," she said.
Paquiz also said that June 2006 passers can re-take Tests 3 and 5-as advised by the CGFNS--"regardless of the Supreme Court resolution" which rejected the petition of the UST Faculty Association that questioned the Appellate Court's decision to allow the oath-taking of last year's board passers.
"It's their [nurses] decision if they want to re-take. And they should be allowed because that's their human right," Paquiz said.
"Remember there were those who re-took (Tests 3 and 5). They all passed. Magaling talaga ang mga bata (The students are really good)," she said.
On Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), the CGFNS announced on its website that the June 2006 passers would not be eligible for VisaScreen Certificates unless they take the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 "on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities" and obtain a passing score.
The CGFNS urged Philippine authorities to "provide an opportunity for a re-take" for the passers "without surrender of licensure" for them to qualify for the VisaScreen Certificate.
The CGFNS is a Philadelphia-based "non-profit", "immigration-neutral organization."
On its website, the CGFNS explained that US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires non-US educated healthcare professionals seeking temporary or permanent occupational visas, as well as those seeking Trade NAFTA (TN) status, to obtain a CGFNS/ICHP VisaScreen Certificate as part of the visa process.
These include registered nurses, licensed practical or vocational nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants among others.
The CGFNS explained this requirement was contained in section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP) is a division of CGFNS International that administers its VisaScreen program.
According to the CGFNS website, the VisaScreen program is a "federally approved screening program for foreign healthcare workers seeking an occupational visa in the United States."
On the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page of the CGFNS website, the following are the questions and answers pertaining to its decision to deny the June 2006 passers are posted:
"Does passage of the NCLEX or the CGFNS Exam make someone who passed only the June 2006 Exam eligible for a VisaScreen certificate?"
"No. The passage of the NCLEX or the CGFNS Examination is only one of four general VisaScreen requirements. Under normal circumstances, passage of either examination will fulfill this particular requirement. However, the license of those Philippine Nurses who passed only the June 2006 Exam has been determined to be "not comparable" to a U.S. nursing license due to the fact that the licensing examination given by the PRC was compromised. Therefore, the VisaScreen certificate cannot be issued, as required by
U.S. immigration law and its implementing regulations to those participating in only this compromised examination."
"Does the CGFNS decision have an effect on the validity of the Philippine nursing licensure?"
"No. The CGFNS decision to deny the VisaScreen to the June 2006 passers of the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination relates only to U.S. immigration law."
The CGFNS itself investigated the reports of the controversial nursing board exam by sending a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September last year.
It concluded that the "licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals."
The CGFNS added that it would not be able to "certify that the licensure is comparable to a U.S. license."
"In this instance, applicable U.S. immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination."
"The integrity of foreign licensing systems ultimately affects the health and safety of patients in the United States, a primary consideration of CGFNS in its role in evaluating candidates under U.S. immigration law. The decision announced today is made in support of this critical mission of CGFNS," the CGFNS said.
The CGFNS decision came less than a week after American officials approved the Philippines' application to be a testing center for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
The NCLEX exam, taken by some 9,000 Filipinos annually, is a key requirement for nurses to be able to work in the US.
Inquirer
Last updated 06:54pm (Mla time) 02/18/2007
MANILA, Philippines--The top official of the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA) has called on all Filipino nurses and their organizations to unite in facing the crisis resulting from a United States board decision not to clear June 2006 Filipino nursing license passers for US visas.
"We want to hurdle it as one nursing profession," Dr. Leah Paquiz, PNA president, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview on Sunday.
Paquiz was referring to the decision announced last week by the US-based Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to deny VisaScreen Certificates to the passers of the controversial June 2006 board exams.
Asked if the leakage in last year's exam was the biggest crisis to hit the country's profession, Paquiz replied: "Since I became a nurse, yes." That was in 1974.
More than three decades later, Paquiz is leading the PNA in finding solutions to salvage the beleaguered profession that has brought international recognition and pride to the Philippines.
Paquiz said the PNA would meet with "all specialty groups and all nursing leaders" on Monday afternoon to discuss what to do in light of the CGFNS decision.
"We don't want to divide the profession anymore, that's why we will be discussing this first before we issue an official statement," Paquiz said.
She stressed: "We will be making one stand. Masyado nang nasira ang nursing profession natin." (The image of our profession has been damaged.)
The CGFNS decision came as a blow to the June 2006 nursing board passers who wanted to pursue careers in the United States.
A majority of the US states require foreign nurses to obtain CGFNS-issued VisaScreen Certificates, Paquiz said.
"This is really important for our nurses wanting to go to the US," she said.
Paquiz also said that June 2006 passers can re-take Tests 3 and 5-as advised by the CGFNS--"regardless of the Supreme Court resolution" which rejected the petition of the UST Faculty Association that questioned the Appellate Court's decision to allow the oath-taking of last year's board passers.
"It's their [nurses] decision if they want to re-take. And they should be allowed because that's their human right," Paquiz said.
"Remember there were those who re-took (Tests 3 and 5). They all passed. Magaling talaga ang mga bata (The students are really good)," she said.
On Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), the CGFNS announced on its website that the June 2006 passers would not be eligible for VisaScreen Certificates unless they take the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 "on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities" and obtain a passing score.
The CGFNS urged Philippine authorities to "provide an opportunity for a re-take" for the passers "without surrender of licensure" for them to qualify for the VisaScreen Certificate.
The CGFNS is a Philadelphia-based "non-profit", "immigration-neutral organization."
On its website, the CGFNS explained that US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires non-US educated healthcare professionals seeking temporary or permanent occupational visas, as well as those seeking Trade NAFTA (TN) status, to obtain a CGFNS/ICHP VisaScreen Certificate as part of the visa process.
These include registered nurses, licensed practical or vocational nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants among others.
The CGFNS explained this requirement was contained in section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP) is a division of CGFNS International that administers its VisaScreen program.
According to the CGFNS website, the VisaScreen program is a "federally approved screening program for foreign healthcare workers seeking an occupational visa in the United States."
On the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page of the CGFNS website, the following are the questions and answers pertaining to its decision to deny the June 2006 passers are posted:
"Does passage of the NCLEX or the CGFNS Exam make someone who passed only the June 2006 Exam eligible for a VisaScreen certificate?"
"No. The passage of the NCLEX or the CGFNS Examination is only one of four general VisaScreen requirements. Under normal circumstances, passage of either examination will fulfill this particular requirement. However, the license of those Philippine Nurses who passed only the June 2006 Exam has been determined to be "not comparable" to a U.S. nursing license due to the fact that the licensing examination given by the PRC was compromised. Therefore, the VisaScreen certificate cannot be issued, as required by
U.S. immigration law and its implementing regulations to those participating in only this compromised examination."
"Does the CGFNS decision have an effect on the validity of the Philippine nursing licensure?"
"No. The CGFNS decision to deny the VisaScreen to the June 2006 passers of the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination relates only to U.S. immigration law."
The CGFNS itself investigated the reports of the controversial nursing board exam by sending a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September last year.
It concluded that the "licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals."
The CGFNS added that it would not be able to "certify that the licensure is comparable to a U.S. license."
"In this instance, applicable U.S. immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination."
"The integrity of foreign licensing systems ultimately affects the health and safety of patients in the United States, a primary consideration of CGFNS in its role in evaluating candidates under U.S. immigration law. The decision announced today is made in support of this critical mission of CGFNS," the CGFNS said.
The CGFNS decision came less than a week after American officials approved the Philippines' application to be a testing center for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
The NCLEX exam, taken by some 9,000 Filipinos annually, is a key requirement for nurses to be able to work in the US.
Friday, February 16, 2007
‘Visa hold the worst we expected’ -- nursing group
By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer
Last updated 10:31pm (Mla time) 02/16/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- It was the worst case scenario they had wanted to avoid.
"That was our point from the start. That's what we were worried about. That's what we wanted to prevent," Pia Bersamin-Embuscado, lawyer of the University of Sto. Tomas Faculty of Nursing Association said on Friday.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer sought Bersamin-Embuscado's comment following the recent decision of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to deny last year's passers of the VisaScreen Certificates.
But now, there was nothing that could be done anymore except to abide by the CGFNS decision, the lawyer said.
"It took an international body to tell us that there was something wrong with the exam," she added.
Bersamin-Embuscado expressed hope that with the future of so many Filipino nurses at stake, the Supreme Court would give them another chance.
Ironically, she noted, the high court's decision to deny the UST Faculty Association's motion for reconsideration to allow the board passers to re-take portions of the exam came a day before the CGFNS announced its own decision.
Bersamin-Embuscado said she received several feedbacks that employers had been accepting the applications of several June 2006 passers.
But they remain just that -- applications.
"No one is hiring them," she said.
Leonor Rosero, Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) chair, declined to comment on the CGFNS decision until after she had met with the Board of Nursing and the PRC's legal department.
"We will study what we'll do about it," she said in a phone interview.
Rosero said they were having an initial meeting on Saturday, to be followed by another meeting on Monday.
Inquirer
Last updated 10:31pm (Mla time) 02/16/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- It was the worst case scenario they had wanted to avoid.
"That was our point from the start. That's what we were worried about. That's what we wanted to prevent," Pia Bersamin-Embuscado, lawyer of the University of Sto. Tomas Faculty of Nursing Association said on Friday.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer sought Bersamin-Embuscado's comment following the recent decision of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to deny last year's passers of the VisaScreen Certificates.
But now, there was nothing that could be done anymore except to abide by the CGFNS decision, the lawyer said.
"It took an international body to tell us that there was something wrong with the exam," she added.
Bersamin-Embuscado expressed hope that with the future of so many Filipino nurses at stake, the Supreme Court would give them another chance.
Ironically, she noted, the high court's decision to deny the UST Faculty Association's motion for reconsideration to allow the board passers to re-take portions of the exam came a day before the CGFNS announced its own decision.
Bersamin-Embuscado said she received several feedbacks that employers had been accepting the applications of several June 2006 passers.
But they remain just that -- applications.
"No one is hiring them," she said.
Leonor Rosero, Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) chair, declined to comment on the CGFNS decision until after she had met with the Board of Nursing and the PRC's legal department.
"We will study what we'll do about it," she said in a phone interview.
Rosero said they were having an initial meeting on Saturday, to be followed by another meeting on Monday.
Other countries may also demand nursing board retake
May take cue from US
By Jerome Aning
Inquirer
Last updated 10:26pm (Mla time) 02/16/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said on Friday he was worried that other countries might imitate the United States in requiring those who passed in the 2006 nursing licensure tests to retake portions whose results were allegedly leaked to exam takers.
"This is okay to me since the retaking would be for those going to the US only, but what if other countries also doubt the results and demand a retake?" Brion said in a press conference.
The labor secretary said it would be up to the Professional Regulatory Commission to provide a system for those who wanted to retake. He said he would meet with PRC chair Leonor Tipon-Rosero, the nursing board, and representatives of the graduates to determine what the government's next move should be.
"Any decision reached should remove once and for all the cloud of doubt that continues to hang over the exams but without putting the Court of Appeals decision in a bad light," he added.
For her part Rosero said PRC would abide by the appellate court’s decision on the alleged nursing test leak. She clarified that although a PRC license was not needed to practice in the US, it would be needed for those seeking an immigrant visa.
On October 13, 2006, the Court of Appeals ordered a "selective retake" of the Tests III and V of the licensure exams for 1,687 examinees who benefited from the PRC-ordered re-computation of the grades in the two parts whose results were allegedly leaked.
A group of students from the University of Sto. Tomas, which questioned PRC's re-computation before the CA and wanted all 17,000 passers to retake Tests III and V.
On October 16, the UST students asked the CA to reconsider its decision; their motion remains pending.
Another group of successful examinees represented by former senator Rene Saguisag also has a pending motion to cite Brion in contempt when he refused to allow the oath-taking of the passers until after the case is resolved with finality.
Rosero said that of the 1,687 whom the Court of Appeals said would have to retake Tests III and V, 1,200 actually did so and 90 percent of them had passed.
By Jerome Aning
Inquirer
Last updated 10:26pm (Mla time) 02/16/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said on Friday he was worried that other countries might imitate the United States in requiring those who passed in the 2006 nursing licensure tests to retake portions whose results were allegedly leaked to exam takers.
"This is okay to me since the retaking would be for those going to the US only, but what if other countries also doubt the results and demand a retake?" Brion said in a press conference.
The labor secretary said it would be up to the Professional Regulatory Commission to provide a system for those who wanted to retake. He said he would meet with PRC chair Leonor Tipon-Rosero, the nursing board, and representatives of the graduates to determine what the government's next move should be.
"Any decision reached should remove once and for all the cloud of doubt that continues to hang over the exams but without putting the Court of Appeals decision in a bad light," he added.
For her part Rosero said PRC would abide by the appellate court’s decision on the alleged nursing test leak. She clarified that although a PRC license was not needed to practice in the US, it would be needed for those seeking an immigrant visa.
On October 13, 2006, the Court of Appeals ordered a "selective retake" of the Tests III and V of the licensure exams for 1,687 examinees who benefited from the PRC-ordered re-computation of the grades in the two parts whose results were allegedly leaked.
A group of students from the University of Sto. Tomas, which questioned PRC's re-computation before the CA and wanted all 17,000 passers to retake Tests III and V.
On October 16, the UST students asked the CA to reconsider its decision; their motion remains pending.
Another group of successful examinees represented by former senator Rene Saguisag also has a pending motion to cite Brion in contempt when he refused to allow the oath-taking of the passers until after the case is resolved with finality.
Rosero said that of the 1,687 whom the Court of Appeals said would have to retake Tests III and V, 1,200 actually did so and 90 percent of them had passed.
Gov’t to appeal CGFNS decision on partial retake -- Arroyo
‘Other countries may doubt RP nurses,’ says Brion
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 07:09pm (Mla time) 02/16/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered an “appeal for reconsideration” of the decision of the Commission on Graduate of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) requiring nurses who passed the June 2006 licensure exams to retake two leaked portions before they can be eligible to migrate to the US.
But in the meantime, the government will comply with the CGFNS decision with Arroyo promising the nurses who will need to retake tests 3 and 5 of the June board, which were leaked ahead of the exams, financial assistance and a common review center.
She also ordered that "all officials involved in the nursing exam leakage” be “dismissed without benefits and criminally charged.".
"I have instructed the Secretary of Labor to immediately look into the findings of the Commission on Graduate of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and seek all forms of relief from the visa hold and appeal for reconsideration of the decision," she said in a speech at the 2007 International Science Conference of the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering in Manila.
"We shall uphold the prestige and excellence of the Philippine nursing profession as we also uphold the prestige and excellence of the Philippine nursing profession," Arroyo said in a separate statement issued in Malacañang, in which she also urged the Court of Appeals to speed up the resolution of a pending case involving the test leakage “so we can move forward on this issue.”
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion agreed that the scandal over the leak of questions to tests 3 and 5 ahead of the June board should be resolved once and for all to remove “any cloud of doubt hanging” over the licensure exam’s validity and integrity.
Brion’s office has oversight and control over the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), which administers the licensure exam. He worried that the CFGNS decision might also cause other countries to doubt the results of the June board exam.
Brion said he is meeting with all the involved government agencies and officials, including Dante Ang of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas and the task force to bring NCLEX to the Philippines, PRC chair Leonor Tripon-Rosero, and the Philippine Nurses Association, before deciding on the CGFNS recommendation.
Rosero earlier said a retake would be required only for those of the 17,000 nursing graduates who passed the June exam “who seek immigrant visas, unlike those who take the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) which is for those seeking working visas to the US.”
The CGFNS decision came less than a week after the US approved the Philippines' application to be a testing center for the NCLEX, which is expected to be given in Manila within the year.
“Although a PRC license is not needed to practice in the US, it is needed for those who seek an immigrant visa,” she stressed.
The labor chief's original position regarding the scandal was for a retake of the two tests, the questions of which were allegedly leaked to review centers. He then slightly varied his decision to require the retake of the two tests only for examinees in Manila and Baguio cities, where the leak allegedly occurred.
But the case went to court and the Court of Appeals ruled for no retake except for those proven by the National Bureau of Investigation to have benefited from the leak. The Supreme Court upheld the CA decision, but there is a pending motion for reconsideration.
For his part Ang said the government had no choice but to comply with the CGFNS decision.
Like Brion, Ang had also proposed a retake for all the board passers "to erase the stigma" brought by the leakage in the examinations of June 2006.
Brion said the retake might be taken voluntarily as not everyone wants to go work in the US. “The retake is not imposed by CGFNS. Hindi naman tayo inoobliga pero yun ang patakaran nila [We are not being obliged but those are their rules],” he said.
The former Court of Appeals justice said that should the PRC decide to abide by the CGFNS decision and administer the voluntary, partial retake, “it is within its jurisdiction” to do so.
“Our nurses are admired all over the world for their competence and their cariño [caring attitude]. Maliit na maliit na issue ito pero kailangang masolusyonan nang lubusan [This is a small issue but that which must completely resolved],” he said.
Asked if those who decide to retake must may any fee, the labor chief said, “Lagi namang may bayad [There's always a fee].”
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 07:09pm (Mla time) 02/16/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered an “appeal for reconsideration” of the decision of the Commission on Graduate of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) requiring nurses who passed the June 2006 licensure exams to retake two leaked portions before they can be eligible to migrate to the US.
But in the meantime, the government will comply with the CGFNS decision with Arroyo promising the nurses who will need to retake tests 3 and 5 of the June board, which were leaked ahead of the exams, financial assistance and a common review center.
She also ordered that "all officials involved in the nursing exam leakage” be “dismissed without benefits and criminally charged.".
"I have instructed the Secretary of Labor to immediately look into the findings of the Commission on Graduate of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and seek all forms of relief from the visa hold and appeal for reconsideration of the decision," she said in a speech at the 2007 International Science Conference of the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering in Manila.
"We shall uphold the prestige and excellence of the Philippine nursing profession as we also uphold the prestige and excellence of the Philippine nursing profession," Arroyo said in a separate statement issued in Malacañang, in which she also urged the Court of Appeals to speed up the resolution of a pending case involving the test leakage “so we can move forward on this issue.”
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion agreed that the scandal over the leak of questions to tests 3 and 5 ahead of the June board should be resolved once and for all to remove “any cloud of doubt hanging” over the licensure exam’s validity and integrity.
Brion’s office has oversight and control over the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), which administers the licensure exam. He worried that the CFGNS decision might also cause other countries to doubt the results of the June board exam.
Brion said he is meeting with all the involved government agencies and officials, including Dante Ang of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas and the task force to bring NCLEX to the Philippines, PRC chair Leonor Tripon-Rosero, and the Philippine Nurses Association, before deciding on the CGFNS recommendation.
Rosero earlier said a retake would be required only for those of the 17,000 nursing graduates who passed the June exam “who seek immigrant visas, unlike those who take the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) which is for those seeking working visas to the US.”
The CGFNS decision came less than a week after the US approved the Philippines' application to be a testing center for the NCLEX, which is expected to be given in Manila within the year.
“Although a PRC license is not needed to practice in the US, it is needed for those who seek an immigrant visa,” she stressed.
The labor chief's original position regarding the scandal was for a retake of the two tests, the questions of which were allegedly leaked to review centers. He then slightly varied his decision to require the retake of the two tests only for examinees in Manila and Baguio cities, where the leak allegedly occurred.
But the case went to court and the Court of Appeals ruled for no retake except for those proven by the National Bureau of Investigation to have benefited from the leak. The Supreme Court upheld the CA decision, but there is a pending motion for reconsideration.
For his part Ang said the government had no choice but to comply with the CGFNS decision.
Like Brion, Ang had also proposed a retake for all the board passers "to erase the stigma" brought by the leakage in the examinations of June 2006.
Brion said the retake might be taken voluntarily as not everyone wants to go work in the US. “The retake is not imposed by CGFNS. Hindi naman tayo inoobliga pero yun ang patakaran nila [We are not being obliged but those are their rules],” he said.
The former Court of Appeals justice said that should the PRC decide to abide by the CGFNS decision and administer the voluntary, partial retake, “it is within its jurisdiction” to do so.
“Our nurses are admired all over the world for their competence and their cariño [caring attitude]. Maliit na maliit na issue ito pero kailangang masolusyonan nang lubusan [This is a small issue but that which must completely resolved],” he said.
Asked if those who decide to retake must may any fee, the labor chief said, “Lagi namang may bayad [There's always a fee].”
US shuts out ’06 nursing graduates unless …
By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer
Last updated 06:09am (Mla time) 02/16/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino nurses who passed the controversial June 2006 licensure examination can kiss their American dream goodbye unless they take new tests.
“After careful consideration, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) has decided that those Philippine nurses who were sworn in as licensed nurses in the Philippines following their passing the compromised licensure exam of June 2006 are not eligible for a VisaScreen Certificate,” the CGFNS said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.
The CGFNS decision came less than a week after American officials approved the Philippines’ application to be a testing center for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
The NCLEX exam, taken by some 9,000 Filipinos annually, is a key requirement for nurses to be able to work in the United States.
However, they would still need to have CGFNS VisaScreen Certificates, which refers to the program offered by the CGFNS’ International Commission on Healthcare Professions that helps foreign health care professionals qualify for certain occupational visas.
Fact-finding mission
The Philadelphia-based CGFNS noted that it sent a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September 2006 to investigate the reports of irregularities in last year’s nursing licensure exam.
The exam was hounded by accusations of a leakage of test questions.
“CGFNS has concluded that the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals,” it said.
“Therefore, CGFNS is unable to certify that the licensure is comparable to a US license,” it said.
“In this instance, applicable US immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination.”
Integrity of foreign licensing
Nevertheless, the CGFNS said that the June 2006 passers can qualify for a VisaScreen Certificate “by taking the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities and obtaining a passing score.”
The CGFNS urged Philippine authorities to “provide an opportunity for a retake” for the passers “without surrender of licensure” for them to qualify for the VisaScreen Certificate.
“The integrity of foreign licensing systems ultimately affects the health and safety of patients in the United States, a primary consideration of CGFNS in its role of evaluating candidates under US immigration law. The decision announced today is made in support of this critical mission of CGFNS,” it said.
On Sept. 28, 2006, Malacañang announced that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had ordered a retake of the June exams to redeem the image of Filipino nurses, but Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said two days later that this could not be done unless the Court of Appeals decided on a petition for the investigation of the Professional Regulation Commission.
Inquirer
Last updated 06:09am (Mla time) 02/16/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino nurses who passed the controversial June 2006 licensure examination can kiss their American dream goodbye unless they take new tests.
“After careful consideration, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) has decided that those Philippine nurses who were sworn in as licensed nurses in the Philippines following their passing the compromised licensure exam of June 2006 are not eligible for a VisaScreen Certificate,” the CGFNS said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.
The CGFNS decision came less than a week after American officials approved the Philippines’ application to be a testing center for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
The NCLEX exam, taken by some 9,000 Filipinos annually, is a key requirement for nurses to be able to work in the United States.
However, they would still need to have CGFNS VisaScreen Certificates, which refers to the program offered by the CGFNS’ International Commission on Healthcare Professions that helps foreign health care professionals qualify for certain occupational visas.
Fact-finding mission
The Philadelphia-based CGFNS noted that it sent a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September 2006 to investigate the reports of irregularities in last year’s nursing licensure exam.
The exam was hounded by accusations of a leakage of test questions.
“CGFNS has concluded that the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals,” it said.
“Therefore, CGFNS is unable to certify that the licensure is comparable to a US license,” it said.
“In this instance, applicable US immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination.”
Integrity of foreign licensing
Nevertheless, the CGFNS said that the June 2006 passers can qualify for a VisaScreen Certificate “by taking the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities and obtaining a passing score.”
The CGFNS urged Philippine authorities to “provide an opportunity for a retake” for the passers “without surrender of licensure” for them to qualify for the VisaScreen Certificate.
“The integrity of foreign licensing systems ultimately affects the health and safety of patients in the United States, a primary consideration of CGFNS in its role of evaluating candidates under US immigration law. The decision announced today is made in support of this critical mission of CGFNS,” it said.
On Sept. 28, 2006, Malacañang announced that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had ordered a retake of the June exams to redeem the image of Filipino nurses, but Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said two days later that this could not be done unless the Court of Appeals decided on a petition for the investigation of the Professional Regulation Commission.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
CGFNS Denies VisaScreen® Certificates for Philippine Nurses Who Passed the Compromised June 2006 Philippine Licensure Examination
CGFNS.org
PHILADELPHIA, PA — FEBRUARY 14, 2007 — After careful consideration, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) has decided that those Philippine nurses who were sworn in as licensed nurses in the Philippines following their passing the compromised licensure exam of June 2006 are not eligible for a VisaScreen Certificate. CGFNS began investigating this issue soon after the first reports of irregularities were received and sent a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September 2006. CGFNS has concluded that the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals.
Therefore, CGFNS is unable to certify that the licensure is comparable to a U.S. license. In this instance, applicable U.S. immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination. CGFNS notes, however, that the June 2006 passers are able to overcome this bar and qualify for a VisaScreen Certificate by taking the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities and obtaining a passing score.
Consequently, CGFNS urges the Philippine authorities to provide an opportunity for re-take of those tests without surrender of licensure so that the June 2006 passers may qualify for the VisaScreen Certificate. The integrity of foreign licensing systems ultimately affects the health and safety of patients in the United States, a primary consideration of CGFNS in its role in evaluating candidates under U.S. immigration law. The decision announced today is made in support of this critical mission of CGFNS.
CGFNS is an internationally recognized authority on credentials evaluation and verification pertaining to the education, registration and licensure of nurses and healthcare professionals worldwide. CGFNS is an immigration-neutral, nonprofit organization with 30 years of experience in certifying the credentials of over 450,000 internationally educated nurses and other healthcare workers.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — FEBRUARY 14, 2007 — After careful consideration, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) has decided that those Philippine nurses who were sworn in as licensed nurses in the Philippines following their passing the compromised licensure exam of June 2006 are not eligible for a VisaScreen Certificate. CGFNS began investigating this issue soon after the first reports of irregularities were received and sent a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September 2006. CGFNS has concluded that the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals.
Therefore, CGFNS is unable to certify that the licensure is comparable to a U.S. license. In this instance, applicable U.S. immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination. CGFNS notes, however, that the June 2006 passers are able to overcome this bar and qualify for a VisaScreen Certificate by taking the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities and obtaining a passing score.
Consequently, CGFNS urges the Philippine authorities to provide an opportunity for re-take of those tests without surrender of licensure so that the June 2006 passers may qualify for the VisaScreen Certificate. The integrity of foreign licensing systems ultimately affects the health and safety of patients in the United States, a primary consideration of CGFNS in its role in evaluating candidates under U.S. immigration law. The decision announced today is made in support of this critical mission of CGFNS.
CGFNS is an internationally recognized authority on credentials evaluation and verification pertaining to the education, registration and licensure of nurses and healthcare professionals worldwide. CGFNS is an immigration-neutral, nonprofit organization with 30 years of experience in certifying the credentials of over 450,000 internationally educated nurses and other healthcare workers.
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