Filipino nurses

Bam proposes one nurse in every public school

Sen. Bam Aquino has filed a measure seeking to employ at least one registered nurse in every public school to provide students access to basic health care services and open employment opportunity to Filipino nurses.

 “Our students and our teachers should have quick access to basic health care and assistance in schools,” said Sen. Bam in Senate Bill No. 663.

 “Having a nurse in every school emphasizes the value of health, nutrition and well-being as part of the formation of our Filipino children. And with over 45,000 public schools, we create more meaningful jobs for our nurses,” he added.

 Sen. Bam pointed out that nurses are as important as other support personnel in the school system as they attend to the physical and mental-health needs of students, spearhead programs to promote nutrition and contribute health-related content in the curriculum.

 “Sa iilang paaralan, ang mga guro pa po natin ang nag-aalaga ng mga batang may sakit o nasusugatan. A nurse in every public school will safeguard the well-being of the students and faculty by attending to health-related issues and accidents,” he said.

 The measure mandates the Department of Education and the Department of Health to employ at least one registered nurse in every public school.

 The nurse will be responsible for improving the delivery of public health care services and providing relevant and timely education on wellness, hygiene, sanitation and other health safety measures to public school students.

 Nurses employed will receive a monthly stipend equal to salary grade 15, consistent with the mandatory minimum entry-level pay for government nurses under Republic Act No. 9173, otherwise known as the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.

Senate Bill No. 916: Comprehensive Nursing Act

The Philippines is the largest exporter of nurses in the world and Filipino nurses have proven to be one of the most highly skilled assets of our country. Sadly, nurses continue to be undervalued at home and vulnerable to dangerously long working hours and exploitative employment arrangements. Further, despite there being 200,000 underemployed or unemployed nurses, healthcare is still lacking in many rural areas.

If we invested in harnessing the massive potential of our existing healthcare professionals, we can address this healthcare shortage with a strong, competent, and professionally-regulated nursing board.

This bill seeks the creation of a Professional Regulatory Board of Nursing (PRBN) that will be responsible for ensuring that all aspects of the nursing profession are hlld up to standards of excellence. The PRBN will be mandated to promulgate quality standards of nursing education, research, practice, and management.

Through this measure, we will set a standard for academic excellence for all nursing programs in line with the Policies, Standards and Guidelines of the Commission on Higher Education.

The PRBN shall also implement an Advanced Practice Nursing Program which will provide professional development opportunities to existing nurses. Through this program, nurses can expand their skill base, assume more responsibilities on the medical floor, and be better able to serve our countrymen.

Most importantly, this bill aims to protect the welfare of our nurses and uplift the nursing profession by initiating studies on how healthcare professionals should be trained, managed, and developed in an organization, ensuring that working conditions and compensation are compliant with the Code of Ethics for nursing.

Filipino nurses must be empowered with better education, a broader skill base, and more viable opportunities within the country. Ultimately this will uplift the nursing profession while providing better healthcare to all Filipinos. 

In view of the foregoing and to ascertain our commitment to the Filipino people, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 

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Require One Nurse in Every Public School – Sen. Bam

Senator Bam Aquino is pushing for the appointment of a registered nurse in every public school in the country to ensure that health and nutritional needs of Filipino students are protected.

 “Quality education, that every Filipino child deserves, is holistic in nature.  It is concerned with the whole self – physical, mental and spiritual,” Aquino said in his Senate Bill No. 2366.

“This measure proposes that students’ access to basic health care services in schools be assured by requiring every public school to employ at least one registered nurse to look after the health and nutritional needs of its students,” he added.

With a fifth of the Filipino population living below the poverty line, Aquino said health-related issues among school children arise, hampering their ability to learn and retain lessons and skills. 

“Some students might even be forced to skip school days due to sickness, further impeding their ability to learn,” Aquino said.

 The senator said having a nurse in every school emphasizes the value of health, nutrition and well being as part of the formation of our Filipino children.

Also, Aquino added the bill would help reduce the number of unemployed nurses in the country, which is currently estimated at 400,000.

The bill mandates the Department of Education and the Department of Health to employ at least one registered nurse in every public school.

The nurse will be responsible for improving the delivery of public health care services and providing relevant and timely education on wellness, hygiene, sanitation and other health safety measures to public school students.

Nurses employed will receive a monthly stipend equal to salary grade 15, consistent with the mandatory minimum entry-level pay for government nurses under Republic Act No. 9173, otherwise known as the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.

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