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July – September 2021 |
| PHILIPPINES750 PH nurses needed in Germany The German Federal Republic has job opportunities for 750 qualified Filipino nurses under its Triple Win Project, a government-to-government project supervised by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd disclosed that Germany preferred to hire additional Filipino nurses to address its need for healthcare professionals. Since 2013, more than 1,000 nurses have been deployed to Germany under the government-to-government hiring scheme that provides a streamlined application process and ensured protection of Filipino nurses as administered by the POEA, an attach agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE). Interested applicants must be Filipino citizens, a permanent resident of the Philippines with Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and must possess an active Philippine Nursing License with at least one year related experience in hospitals, rehabilitation centers or any health care institutions. Source: Manila Times | CANADAGuidance for Nurse Practitioners Regarding Medical Exemptions for COVID-19 Vaccinations The authorized COVID-19 vaccines in Canada have been shown to be safe and effective against symptomatic COVID-19, and protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. Throughout Nova Scotia, many organizations are requiring that all staff and visitors be vaccinated against COVID-19. It is not unreasonable to expect that, in response, nurse practitioners may be asked to provide medical notes for clients who have chosen not to be vaccinated. As nurse practitioners continue to work to mitigate any further spread of COVID-19, NSCN aims to support their leadership with clear guidance on their responsibilities in this circumstance. Nurse practitioners must only support requests for a medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination for clients with a legitimate medical condition that would warrant an exemption. Source: Nova Scotia College of Nursing |
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123,515Registered Nurses (RNs) in Ontario, Canada as of December 31, 2020. Source: College of Nurses of Ontario |
| | 61,103Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) in Ontario, Canada as of December 31, 2020 Source: College of Nurses of Ontario | |
| 4,079Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in Ontario, Canada as of December 31, 2020 Source: College of Nurses of Ontario |
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USAANA urges US department of health and human services to declare nurse staffing shortage a national crisis The American Nurses Association (ANA), representing the interests of the nation’s 4.2 million nurses, urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to declare the current and unsustainable nurse staffing shortage facing the country a national crisis. “The nation’s health care delivery systems are overwhelmed, and nurses are tired and frustrated as this persistent pandemic rages on with no end in sight. Nurses alone cannot solve this longstanding issue and it is not our burden to carry,” said ANA President Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN. “If we truly value the immeasurable contributions of the nursing workforce, then it is imperative that HHS utilize all available authorities to address this issue.” Source: American Nurses Association | INDIAMedical ethics,simulation find place in revamped nursing syllabus |
India’s B.Sc (nursing programme) has undergone its first major overhaul after 1947, making it a competency-based nursing curriculum. To be implemented from January 2022, the revised curriculum has been standardised, updated and aimed at bringing in uniformity in nursing education across India. Medical ethics has been introduced for the first time. The new system now adopts a credit-based, semester pattern with more emphasis on acquiring competency in each area of study. Also, forensic nursing and nursing informatics have been introduced in the syllabus. The Indian Nursing Council (INC) has revised, and developed the syllabus under Section 16 of the Indian Nursing Council (INC) Act, to ensure uniform standard of nursing education in the country. The changes will add quality and standardisation to the programme. Based on the new curriculum, simulation based training is given specific importance in practical (10% of the practicals are in the simulation lab). The revised rules also state that no institution or university will modify the syllabi prescribed by the Council for a course or program. However they can add units or subjects if required. Source: The Hindu |
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ENGLANDEngland drives record rise in student nurses despite falls in devolved nations |
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A record number of students have been accepted onto nursing courses across the UK for 2021, but a breakdown of the latest data shows a drop in incoming students in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England, 20,930 students have been placed onto nursing courses for 2021 – a rise of 11.5% from 2020 when 18,770 students were accepted. |
The latest numbers are also 17% higher than 2016 levels (17,980 acceptances), which was the last year when courses were free for student nurses before the bursary was axed, leading to a subsequent decline in numbers. Meanwhile, data on the age of those placed onto nursing courses showed an increase in mature students, but a slight drop among those in their early 20s. Across the UK, there was a 22% increase in the number of 18-year-olds placed on nursing courses – up from 5,850 in 2020 to 7,150 in 2021. But there was a 8% drop among those aged 20, and a 2.5% fall among those aged 21-24, when compared with 2020 figures. Source: Nursing Times | |
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450,000Registered Nurses & Midwives in Australia, make it the largest clinical workforce in the country, as of 2021. Source: Australian Government Department of Health | |
| 9%of rise recorded from 2019 to 2020, to the section of new entrants as per the NMC register Source: The UK Nursing Labor Market Review 2020 | |
| 39%of rise over the previous 10 years in the employment category of nursing auxiliaries & assistants in the UK. Source: The UK Nursing Labor Market Review 2020 |
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Being candid with our alumnus - Erwin Manzano |
Erwin Manzano, who is now a registered nurse in Canada, once started his journey as an international student with INSCOL. Depicting an iconic amalgamation of strength, leadership, and intelligence, Erwin shared with us his experience of being an Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) in Canada. January 2018 was the year when he moved from the Philippines to Canada and since then, the last three years for him have been about achieving personal and professional milestones. On being asked about his approach towards the initial hurdles coming his way, Erwin remarked, “I always told myself that there is no room for me to back out”. Just like how everyone decides to tread a path and find their discoveries on the way, Erwin too had moments where he realized that nursing is truly a calling for him. “There was a time when I wanted to shift my course from nursing but during the third year when I experienced patient exposure, something changed. I was caring for a very critical patient and I got attached to the patient and his significant others. That patient eventually died and as a student, that was a turning point for me. I decided to be the best nurse I could be to all my future patients”, says Erwin. | |
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From studying in the Philippines to working in the United Arab Emirates and eventually starting all over again in Canada, Erwin has experienced quite a few shifting patterns in his journey of becoming a Canadian Registered Nurse. Commenting on his decision of studying nursing in Canada Erwin stated that, “After experiencing working in the Philippines, I went to the UAE for four years. In the UAE there was an oil crisis resulting in salary cuts. It was during that time when I came back home and resumed my nursing career in the Philippines. During that year, I felt something is missing and that is when I realized I wanted to study further. My family wanted me to study in the Philippines but I wanted to study at top-notch colleges in Canada. It was a tough decision but after convincing my family I decided to pursue my nursing education in Canada”. It was then that Erwin had applied to study specialized nursing programs at Seneca College in Canada. He worked hard and honed his nursing skills to be a part of the Canadian healthcare workforce. Casting an example of his excellent academic performance at Seneca College, Erwin was chosen to be the valedictorian for his graduation ceremony. | |
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Telling us about what led him to being chosen he stated, “Perseverance and my love for education & learning. Apart from the academic qualities, I also believed in nourishing human qualities by doing acts of kindness, by being there to support my classmates”. While Erwin acknowledged the challenges and achievements that came as a part of his journey, he also addressed the role played by INSCOL to make his transition smoother. “My first job in Canada was with INSCOL where I coordinated with other international students to ensure their smooth transition. I learned to develop relationships with people, I learned to interact, all through my job at INSCOL. I also gained knowledge about preparing for my RN license exam. I am very grateful for all INSCOL has done for me.” On being asked about his strategy to crack the NCLEX-RN examination in the first attempt Erwin said, “First day I stepped in Canada, I started reading, be it one or two concepts in a day. Starting way ahead of time is what worked for me.” | |
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Erwin’s journey so far has emphasised on the importance of travelling as an international student. He even shared his insights on how travelling led him to new opportunities. “Travelling helped me realise a lot of things as it helped me meet a lot of people, know their journeys and develop a broader perspective leading to better decision making abilities”. We also got a chance to know about Erwin’s real-time experience of working as a nurse at the frontline safeguarding people during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was working at the St. Joseph's Health Centre, Toronto just when the pandemic hit. |
| On a signing off note, Erwin shared a word of advice for all future nurses. “I was employed during the pandemic as I got my RN license in January 2020. I was hired at the St. Joseph’s Health Centre as a registered nurse in the inter-professional resource team and had just started working in the beginning of the pandemic. Being assigned to COVID positive patients was very challenging and hard. Always wearing PPE kits was also tough. Working during the pandemic became challenging due to the additional things that had to be done to maintain the highest quality of patient care. The fact that I was alone and had to disinfect just myself and not being responsible for transmitting the virus to my family living in the Philippines was a relief. I made sure to continuously stay in touch with my family but the virus had isolated me from my significant others.
“Believe in the power of your dreams. All dreams are valid and very powerful. Grow them with perseverance and passion. One day you will wake up and realize that you’ve already achieved your goal, you’ve achieved your dream. Keep going”. |
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