Your Healthcare Facility Needs Filipino Nurses and Here's Why
It is no secret that the United States is experiencing a staffing shortage regarding nurses, and efforts to fill out gaps in hospitals and other medical facilities are in full force. It has been recommended to tap into the rich resources of foreign nurses everywhere, which not only does wonders to upping employment numbers of said health care workers but also contributes to a diverse and inclusive workforce. After all, with America being the Land of Opportunities, it won’t be much of a bother to attract more migrant nurses to seek career growth and possibilities here.
But in the plethora of healthcare professionals, a particular individual stands out: the Filipino nurse. Among different foreign nurses, Filipino nurses stand out, not only in number but in dedication and expertise. There is something in the Philippine waters that makes Filipino nurses one of a kind and a solid asset for any healthcare company. While different countries may indeed boast about their own set of professionals, find out why Filipino nurses are the best in the field of nursing and why we should welcome them in every hospital, not only in the US but the entire world.
The nursing background of Filipino nurses is based on American nursing education.
The main reason there’s a continuing culture of Filipino nurses is also to American colonization, which dates back to 1898. The Americans implemented their country’s nursing programs in their new colony to get them to practice American culture and prepare them to work in the United States or when their home country becomes a full-fledged colony. This was one of many efforts to introduce American education to the Filipinos and show them that the American way is the way to go, at least when it comes to nursing.
Fast forward to the modern era, and the competencies of Filipino nurses are at par with American standards. Filipino nurses learn through American-style education, with English as the primary medium. If your healthcare facility is hiring a Filipino nurse, imagine that their training is backed up by American influence and by American history and tradition. After all, when the Americans taught nursing to Filipinos, the goal was to send them to the US. The prophecy is just being fulfilled.
Filipino nurses will bring resilience and dedication to the operations floor.
It’s been said over and over: Filipinos are resilient. As a country frequented by storms, they know how to rise back up. But when it comes to their nurses, Filipinos know how to hold the fort when the going gets tough. You can see this primarily in how Filipino nurses braved the pandemic.
There are approximately 500,000 healthcare workers in the United States with Filipino heritage, most of whom are Filipino nurses. It was this population that the virus hit the hardest. According to a 2021 report by National Nurses United, nearly 32% of the 213 nurses who passed away due to COVID-19 are of Filipino descent.
But this wasn’t any reason for the Filipino nursing community of the USA to back down. In a National Geographic article, various interviewed Filipino nurses shared why they keep going, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Many shared how much their families had COVID-19 on them and knowing that someone back home is rooting for them as fuel to keep going. Others mentioned that they are, after all, earning good money, and the so-called American dream is worth pursuing and saving for a long time.
That’s one great reason right there why hire Filipino nurses. Their passion for the profession is uncanny that even the pandemic didn’t dampen the Filipino spirit. Imagine having a workforce of nurses with this level of dedication. You will be blessed with strong hearts and keen minds to keep going, pandemic or no pandemic.
Read more: How the Pandemic Has Affected Nurses’ Mental Health
Nursing education in the Philippines is top-notch.
Aside from nurses getting an education with American roots, deciding to become a nurse in the Philippines means going through grueling preparation, starting with their studies.
The Philippine nursing curriculum comprises 29 detailed courses, with top-notch and a strong focus on scientific knowledge and basic nursing theory. While a mandate of the Philippine education system shifted nursing from a 4-year to a 3-year course, there is still a required internship after college before being given a license to practice nursing.
Nursing education in the Philippines appears challenging, but for a good reason. In a study of the Philippine nursing curriculum and its impression from the standpoint of delivering faculty, the majority agreed that the curriculum is of a high rating, with a mean of 3.84 out of 4.00. There are even comments that the curriculum can rival those of international schools.
In another study conducted in 2021, among 185 nursing faculty members from 15 higher education institutions in the country, the impressive quality of nursing education was further identified across various factors, such as curriculum and instruction, admission standards for students, and faculty development. Furthermore, unlike in other careers, a Master’s degree is not required to become a great nurse. One’s base education and internship are enough for a Filipino nurse to be deemed ready to practice their craft.
Hiring Filipino nurses adds to the diversity of your workforce.
Many can attest to the many beautiful qualities of a Filipino nurse. Filipinos are generally happy people, and you’ll be experiencing this optimism in your hospital daily. They are naturally friendly, which explains why Filipino hospitality is a thing. Every Filipino nurse is caring, intelligent, dedicated, honest, reliable the list goes on! But one thing they can bring to the table is a sense of diversity and inclusivity that is much needed in any workplace.
Since the United States is a melting pot of cultures, it is more likely that patients will also be people of color. A study revealed that nurses without a grasp of cultural differences would most likely have difficulty handling culturally diverse patients, which is why employing nurses of color, like Filipinos, is a good move towards inclusivity. It also helps when a patient sees somebody is “just like them,” it makes them more comfortable to talk about their struggles and lets them feel relieved that a person of color, someone who thinks for them, is there by their side.
Read more: Why Focus On Diversity: A Global Nurse Pipeline Leads to Less Turnover and Improved Patient Safety.
Create a diverse and competitive workforce of nurses through PRS Global.
We at PRS Global have been working with Filipino nurses for a long time, and we are confident they will be some of the best healthcare workers you’ll ever find. But working with us to help find qualified applicants also lets you into an intuitive employment pipeline for international nurses that doesn’t stop at recruitment. At PRS Global, we monitor your hired nurses as they take their first steps into new working and living conditions. Care programs are in place to battle homesickness and worries about assimilating to a new environment, and we even help them with expenditures such as living expenses and licensure preparations.
Contact us because here at PRS Global; we don’t just look for the best nurses. We take care of them too.