Every Pinoy, for sure, knows of at least one nurse planning or already working abroad; be it a relative, a friend, an acquaintance or a neighbor whom you see walking in white, from time to time. I call them the White Hustlers, no not the White Walkers, although they sometimes look like zombies after covering multiple shifts at the clinic or hospital!
They were once students bleeding to gobble up tons of information from the heavy books straight into their tireless brains, not to mention the jog of grueling completion of clinical and lab hours, and braving the saga of certifications and exams.
Where are you now?
1. Abroad, living their dreams as a doctor. Yes!
2. Abroad, living your dreams doing something else. Wow!
3. In our beloved country, living their dreams as a practicing physician (Cheers!).
4. In our beloved country, excelling in another field, hopefully the Nursing Care Process will continue to live. Health!
its impact
Indisputably, nurses care for communities no less than other professionals. Beyond the science of health, they provide care and compassion not only to their patients, but also to their superiors, colleagues, friends, family, and compatriots. Sure, they send money, but they also help improve our overall economic situation and raise the standard of healthcare practice globally (or the industry it’s in), in the process.
The challenge
Approximately 19,000 Pinoy nurses leave each year to work abroad, mainly for higher pay and a more reasonable workload. Now that’s for those who had the luck and perseverance to gather enough experience to be considered for jobs abroad. The rest have devoted their time and energy to improving their lives as representatives, officers, professionals, and even executives in IT, BPO, RPO, finance, insurance, etc. All of this results in, yes, you’re right, there’s not enough nursing workforce in the PH hospitals.
Your part
While lawmakers are trying hard enough to increase wages and benefits for government employees and nurses, it wouldn’t hurt to appreciate the White Hustlers in the best light possible. Respect the nurse assigned to you or the one you see walking down the street every day. Talk to them about health, sanitation, diet, or anything sensible; Trust me, we know more than just taking your blood pressure.
Please join me in cheering on #GlobalPinoy nurses around the world as we aim to improve their situations wherever they are (Cheers!). If you have questions or comments, write a letter to [email protected].