A GROUP of nurses objected to the suggestion to do away with the professional licensure examinations, saying this would put public health at risk.
In a radio interview, Filipino Nurses United (FNU) secretary general Jocelyn Andamo said the existing educational system for nurses cannot be trusted yet to produce quality graduates, as indicated by the low passing rate in the licensure examinations.
“With the current situation, wherein the nursing education is highly commercialized with poor government regulation as to the standards and quality, it won’t be good to remove the licensure exams,” she said.
“The nurses licensure examination passing rate is only 43 percent, which makes it the lowest among PRC-regulated professionals. This may be an alarming indicator of low quality education,” she added.
She said removing the licensure exams would be acceptable once the government can ensure that the educational system can produce quality professionals.
“When the time comes that nursing education is already well regulated, we won’t be needing the board exams anymore. That is also our dream,” she said.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III earlier said he had asked the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to look into the possibility of recommending the removal of licensure examinations in the country.
He said aspiring professionals have had enough examinations during college.
Such a proposal, however, will need an amendment of the law, he said.
In a separate interview, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go doesn’t favor abolishing the professional licensure examinations as these validate the competency of professionals.
Go aired his opposition to the proposal of Labor Secretary Bello on Friday, July 9, 2021, in Cebu City while attending the groundbreaking ceremony of a government housing project.
Go said the board and bar examinations serve as a test for the individuals to check if they are capable of practicing their respective professions.
He also said most of those who are still studying, as well as the professionals, would prefer to have licensure examinations. (JJL / HDT / SunStar Philippines)