Nursing exam retake on hold pending CA ruling

By GENALYN D. KABILING
Manila Bulletin

The planned mandatory retake of last June ‘s nursing licensure examinations has been put on hold until the Court of Appeals (CA) issues a final decision on the leakage scandal, Malacañang announced yesterday.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the scope of the retake will depend on the coming CA ruling on a petition seeking to invalidate the scandal-tainted 2006 nursing board exams.

The PRC said out of a total of 42,006 candidates who took the June 11-12 nursing tests, only 17,821 passed.

"We can’t make the final action up to the extent of the retake and who should take again because we will see how the Court of Appeals’ decision will bear upon such a decision," Ermita said in an interview with reporters.

In explaining the latest government move, Ermita said the Professional Regulation Commission has reminded the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) about the pending case in the CA seeking the invalidation and retaking of two leaked subjects in the June tests.

The two agencies had earlier been ordered by President Arroyo to work out the details of the retake of the nursing board exams, including whether this would be full or partial.

Ermita said the government must abide by the judicial process before a retake of the nursing board exams is conducted.

"Going by the rule of law, we have to consider that there is such a case in the CA, which could very well bear on the decision on the level of retake," he said.

The suspension of the mandatory retake came a day after President Arroyo announced that only Tests 3 and 5 of the 2006 nursing tests will be covered in the retake of all nursing board examinees before December. The two tests on medical/surgical nursing and Neuro-Psychiatric Nursing were suspected to be tainted with leakages as many review centers alegedly obtained copies of test questions a few days before the scheduled exam.

The President had said the retake of the nursing board exams was the "best decision at the moment" to repair the damage done to the reputation and integrity of Filipino nurses and the professional board exams.

In a petition before the CA, the faculty members the University of Sto. Tomas College of Nursing and several groups of nurses have sought a retake of the examination as they questioned the actions taken by the PRC to cleanse the examination of leaked test questions.

Pending its decision on the petition, the appellate court issued a temporary restraining order stopping the Aug. 22 oathtaking of new nurses.