Medicine Pearls

Tight US market for nurses seen until 2020

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 07:09:00 +0000

Idle Filipino nurses now 300,000, says solon

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino nurses may have difficulty entering the US labor market until 2020, according to party-list Rep. Arnel Ty.

"Right now, they have ample supply of US-educated nurses," said Ty, the representative in Congress of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers' Association (LPG-MA).

In a statement, Ty cited statistics from America's National Council of State Boards of Nursing which show that the US produced close to a million nurses from 2006 to 2011.

Ty said the US demand for Filipino and other foreign nurses may start to recover in 8 years when thousands of US-based nurses would have retired.

The US first encountered a shortage of nurses in 1998. This created a surge in number of Filipino nursing graduates hoping to get a career in the US.

However, the gap has since been filled by the large increase in the number of American nurses, plus a deluge of foreign-educated practitioners.

Due to the huge oversupply of nurses in the Philippines, both the Commission on Higher Education and the Professional Regulation Commission have been urging high school graduates to shun nursing.

Late response

Ty blamed regulators for their late response to labor market conditions.

"They should be more aggressive in researching and projecting future labor market conditions, both here and abroad, to help guide young Filipinos as to potential career paths," he said.

"Regulators are just reacting to what is already happening, such as the apparent glut of nursing graduates. Their late advisories would be more valuable once these are predictive and instructive, rather than merely reactive," Ty said.

From 1995 to 2011, Ty said a total of 145,081 Filipino nurses sought to practice their profession in America by taking for the first time (excluding repeaters) the US licensure exam, or NCLEX.

However, Ty said that "from 2006 to 2011 alone, a total of 938,552 US nursing graduates also took the NCLEX for the first time."

Special jobs plan

Ty said he has been pushing for a new law that "would establish a special local jobs plan for idle Filipino nurses, now estimated at more than 300,000."

He has filed House Bill 4582, which seeks an expanded version of the Nurses Assigned in Rural Service or NARS, "the short-lived Philippine government project that enlisted nurses to improve healthcare in poverty-stricken towns."

Ty's said the Special Program for the Employment of Nurses in Urban and Rural Services (NURSE) "would mobilize a total of 10,000 practitioners every year."
#
ABS-CBNnews.com

NLE Results: 22,760 pass nursing board

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:25:00 +0000

MANILA, Philippines—A total of 22,760 out of 67,095 passed the Nurse Licensure Examination, the Professional Regulation Commission announced on Thursday.

The examinations were given by the Board of Nursing in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, La Union, Legazpi, Lucena, Nueva Ecija, Pagadian, Pampanga, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga last December, the PRC said.

The board is composed of Carmencita M. Abaquin, chairman; and Leonila A. Faire, Betty F. Merritt, Perla G. Po, Marco Antonio C. Sto.Tomas, Yolanda C. Arugay and Amelia B. Rosales.

Nursing Exam Results for Dec 2011 A-B

Nursing Exam Results for Dec 2011 C-D

Nursing Exam Results for Dec 2011 E-H

Nursing Exam Results for Dec 2011 I-M

Nursing Exam Results for Dec 2011 N-R

Nursing Exam Results for Dec 2011 S-Z

Source: Inquirer.net

PRC sees more jobless nurses

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:20:00 +0000

By Mayen Jaymalin, The Philippine Star
Posted at 12/26/2011 8:30 AM | Updated as of 12/26/2011 10:05 AM

MANILA, Philippines - More nurses will be unemployed next year, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said yesterday.

Marco Sto. Tomas, of the PRC’s Board of Nursing (BON), said the current number of 230,000 jobless and underemployed nurses nationwide is rising.

“Although enrollment in nursing courses is going down, there are still many in the pipeline, considering that 68,000 graduates just took the licensure examination this month,” he said.

Many registered nurses are now willing to work for free or even pay hospitals so they could work and gain the necessary experience to qualify them for employment abroad, he added.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has ordered the PRC, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment to coordinate with other concerned government agencies and look into the condition of unemployed Filipino nurses.

The DOLE is also looking into coming out with new rules to regulate the “hiring” of nurse volunteers in hospitals and other medical facilities nationwide, she added.

No regulation exists to stop or penalize government and private hospitals from using the services of licensed nurses for free, Baldoz said.

Sto. Tomas said the PRC is now pushing for the implementation of the so-called Hastening Options for Productivity and Employment (HOPE) for Filipino nurses, he added.

“The program aims to promote entrepreneurship putting up their own business for Filipinos nurses who are now having difficulty finding employment,” he said.

The PRC and other concerned government agencies are exerting efforts to improve the lives of nurses, including the unemployed, he added.

Future Shock: Color-coded surgery

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:09:00 +0000

GMANews: More Pinoy nurses heading to Japan for licensure exam

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:06:00 +0000

Despite a devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan this month and the ensuing nuclear accident, a third batch of over 80 Filipino nurses are scheduled to go there on May 30 for a language training in preparation for that country’s tough licensure examinations.

In a press briefing, Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura said a total of 82 Filipinos will leave for Japan to undergo intensive Japanese language training there, after a two-month preparatory language course in Manila to be conducted by Japanese instructors.

“Although I have no doubts that you will be able to fulfill your duties and responsibilities as healthcare professionals in Japan, I am also aware that one of the most difficult obstacles for passing the Japanese nursing licensure examinations is the language barrier," Katsura said at the formal launch of the training course.

This is the first time that Japan is implementing a preparatory language course prior to the applicants’ departure for Japan. Only two of the 139 Filipino nurses in previous batches passed that country’s licensure exam.

Apart from the preparatory course, Japan has also revised its licensure exam for foreign nurses and caregivers to boost the passing rate of health workers.

The revisions include the use of English words for medical terms originally in Japanese, like diabetes, cataract and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Since 2009, the Philippines has sent a total of 139 nurses and 299 caregivers to train in Japan through the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) signed in 2006.

Various groups had earlier questioned JPEPA’s constitutionality before the Supreme Court, saying the treaty violates constitutional provision on trade, natural resources, labor, education, mass media legislation, public utilities and foreign policy.

The Japanese Embassy said it has been taking steps to help Filipino nurses maximize employment opportunities for Filipino nurses under the treaty.

“This demonstrates the perseverance and dedication of both countries to take initiatives in improving the standing of Filipino candidate nurses in particular, especially in successfully integrating them, through language," Katsura explained.

Nurses who fail Japan’s licensure tests in Japan can only re-take the exam within the period they are allowed to stay in Japan.

If they still fail the examination, the nurses would have to return to the Philippines to apply again for training.

Apart from the six months of paid language training, Filipino nurses and caregivers are employed in Japanese hospitals and care-giving facilities for three years and four years, respectively, to familiarize themselves with the country’s healthcare system.

During that time, nurses undergoing work-training receive an average monthly salary of 130,000 yen to 220,000 yen (about P68,000 to P115,000) For caregivers, the monthly salary ranges from 125,000 yen to 185,000 yen (about P65,000 to P96,000).—With Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMA News

Source: GMANews 3.31.2011

Melanoma Update: Yehey for Yervoy!

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 07:48:00 +0000

The drug company Bristol- Myers Squibb has gained approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Yervoy (ipilimumab) for the treatment of Melanoma, a very aggressive and often fatal form of cancer which is also the leading cause of death from skin cancer.

Although the complete course of treatment is quite expensive at the moment, we can only hope that in the near future it will become more affordable and be accessible to the majority of the population.

Here's the recent article from the New York Times: Yervoy, a Melanoma Drug, Wins F.D.A. Approval.

NLE: 37, 679 new nurses, Ateneo de Naga student tops exam

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:25:00 +0000

ABS- CBNNews

MANILA, Philippines – The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Friday said a total of 37,679 out of 91, 008 examinees passed the Nurse Licensure Examination that was given last July.

The exam was conducted in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, La Union, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga last July 2010.

The members of the Board of Nursing are Carmencita M. Abaquin, Chairman; Leonila A. Faire, Betty F. Merritt, Perla G. Po, Marco Antonio C. Sto.Tomas (inhibited), Yolanda C. Arugay and Amelia B. Rosales (inhibited), Members.

The results of examination with respect to five (5) examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities under the rules and regulations governing licensure examination.

Those who will register are required to bring the following

* Duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal
* Current Community Tax Certificate (cedula)
* 2 pieces passport size picture (colored with white background and complete name tag)
* 1 piece 1” x 1” picture (colored with white background and complete name tag)
* 2 sets of metered documentary stamps, and
* 1 short brown envelope with name and profession;

and to pay the Initial Registration Fee of P600 and Annual Registration Fee of P450 for 2010-2013.

Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.

The oathtaking ceremony of the successful examinees in the said examination in Manila as well as the previous ones who have not taken their Oath of Professional will be held before the Board on Monday and Tuesday, September 20 and 21, 2010, with morning (8:00 A.M.) and afternoon (1:00 P.M.) sessions at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

All must come in their white gala uniform, nurse’s cap, white duty shoes, without earrings, hair not touching the collar and without corsage.

Oathtaking tickets for the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby regions will be available at the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) at 1663 F.T. Benitez Street, Malate, Manila, from September 1 - 20, 2010 on a “first come first serve” basis.

All regional oathtaking schedules will be posted in the BON website: www.bonphilippines.org.

From AALA, Marianne Ruth Aquino to BAYER, Carmela Dawn Paloma

From BAYER, Chris Danne Bautista to CRISTAL, Mark Joseph Canawin

From CRISTE, Zyron Wendell dela Fuente to FLORES, Frederick JR Olavides

From FLORES, Gendy Melanrose dela Pena to LAZO, Joanne Beverly Rabaino

From LAZO, Jorena May Canonigo to NATIVIDAD, Sonia Mendaros

From NATNAT, Jovan Morales to REYES, Jennelyn Navarro

From REYES, Jennifer Bonnit to TOKUNAGA, Pristine Fernandez

From TOLDING, Kyrie Clarie Biang to ZUNO, Ralph Raymond Paras

CPR Simplified

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:38:00 +0000

Physical therapy grads from RP barred from taking US exams

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:59:00 +0000

JERRIE M. ABELLA, GMANews.TV
07/19/2010 | 11:17 PM

Filipinos have been temporarily disallowed from taking the licensure examination for physical therapist in the US following reports of cheating by a local review center.

In an exclusive report by GMA News’ Tina Panganiban-Perez on “24 Oras," the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy (BPOT) said the temporary suspension was imposed on physical therapy graduates from the Philippines, Egypt, India and Pakistan.

"We think it's not a ban, it's a temporary suspension. Second, we think it's not even [because of a] leakage, [but] because [there were] recalled [questions]," BPOT chair Dr. Rey Matias said in the report.

‘Pervasive security breaches’

In a statement on its web site, the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) said it suspended the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) testing for physical therapy graduates from the four countries due to “pervasive, ongoing security breaches."

The FSBPT said it is preparing a “separate, secure exam" for the graduates, expected to be completed in 2011.

“This necessary security measure is in response to compelling evidence gathered by the (FSBPT) reflecting systematic and methodical sharing and distribution of recalled questions by significant numbers of graduates of programs in the affected countries, as well as several exam preparation companies specifically targeted to these graduates," the statement read.

The FSBPT cited the case of the St. Louis Review Center in Manila, which it accused of sharing hundreds of live test items. It said this constitutes copyright infringement and cheating.

“The evidences taken from the hard copies of notes and flash drives showed exactly the same questions. Even the illustrations had the same figures as what were present in the board exam," explained BPOT member Bernadette Reyes.

According to the FSBPT, it is now pursuing criminal copyright charges against the owners of the review center.

The federation said it has invalidated the scores of examinees whom they believe to have benefited from the advance access to test questions. It also said the compromised items have already been removed from the exam.

The FSBPT earlier charged St. Louis for the same offenses, but the Philippine Department of Justice dismissed the case in 2009.

No regulator

The PRC admitted it cannot do anything about review centers even in light of accusations of cheating and copyright infringement.

“No particular agency or body is regulating the activities of review centers. Review centers are not under the jurisdiction of the PRC," said PRC chair Nicolas Lapeña.

A reviewer in St. Louis, identified only as Michelle, disputed in the “24 Oras" report the accusations against the center. “We have nothing to worry about. What they are saying about cheating is not true. If that were the case, don’t you think all examinees would have passed?" she said.

GMA News tried but failed to get in touch with the owners of St. Louis, whom the FSBPT identified as Gerard Martin, Roger Tong-An, and Carlito Balita.

A report in ABS-CBNNews.com said Balita, a radio announcer, has denied that he is one of the owners of the review center. He was quoted as saying that he was never engaged in review programs for physical therapists.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz had earlier said she had already directed the Philippine labor attaché in Washington to prepare a letter to US authorities to appeal the suspension.

She added they will also investigate the veracity of the accusations of cheating against St. Louis. - KBK, GMANews.TV

Nursing grads must be flexible to find jobs in US

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:40:00 +0000

DALY CITY, California – New nursing graduates are advised to be more patient and flexible in order to find jobs in the US.

Jaeann Milan graduated in 2008 with a nursing degree from the Philippines. She was expecting to find work right away when she went back to the US. Instead, she found herself applying and waiting for six months.

“I was discouraged, I almost moved to Los Angeles to try to find something there. But I just stayed here and waited it out. You just have to be patient,” said Milan.

A survey conducted in June 2009 by the National Association of Nursing Schools found that less than half of new graduates had no jobs by the time they finished school.

According to Priscilla Chua of Relief Nursing Services, hospitals are hesitant to hire new nurses because of the recession. She said hospitals spend an average of $50,000 to train each new hire.

With the high unemployment rate, many have lost their health care coverage. Also, budget cuts at state- and government-run hospitals have caused hiring freezes and hurt graduates’ chances for a job.

“I think there are still a lot of patients. It’s just that these nurses, they don’t want to change their jobs, they want to stay because of the recession,” Chua said.

But Chua said there are ways new nursing graduates can gain experience.

“You got to start somewhere. Start in long term care. Start through a nursing agency. Once you gain the experience, the hospitals will hire you. They’ll be more willing to hire you as a registered nurse,” added Chua.

Milan’s patience eventually paid off. She gained experience as a per-day nurse with a staffing agency and a job as a nursing school instructor. Milan has since become a full-time Registered Nurse at a hospital. --Balitang America

PRC Changes Nursing Exam Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:51:00 +0000

By Katherine Evangelista
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:23:00 01/13/2010

MANILA, Philippines—The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Wednesday announced that the 2010 licensure exam for nurses has been rescheduled.

In a statement, the PRC said that the nursing board examination for 2010 has been moved from June and November to July and December, following the Commission Resolution No. 2009-537 dated November 13, 2009.

Deadline for filing of applications for the July examination will be on April 14 for repeaters while first time examinees may file theirs until May 14.

For the December examination, repeaters may file their application until September 8 while deadline for first time examinees may file is on November 8, the PRC said.

G Spot: Hit or Miss?

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:24:00 +0000

Love or Lust. Naked Truth or Bull Crap. Agree or Disagree.

Believe it or not, I'm putting the "G" on the spot.

Read on...

CNN) -- Ladies (and gentlemen): Can you find the G-spot?

Women everywhere have read or heard that they may possess a secret pleasure zone inside their bodies that, if stimulated correctly, yields intense pleasure and even orgasm.

But this so-called G-spot has never been precisely identified as a concrete biological entity. Scientists are still arguing over what it is and whether it exists at all.

Researchers at King's College London in the United Kingdom have brought the elusive G-spot to the forefront with a study of more than 1,800 female twins.

The study suggests that there is no genetic basis for the G-spot and that environmental or psychological factors may contribute to whether a woman believes that she has a G-spot.

No physical examination

The new study is published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

But the lead study author, clinical psychologist Andrea Burri, isn't sure that the question was asked in a way that accurately got the information the researchers were seeking, as reflected in the study's discussion section.

Her team did not physically examine the women for the presence of G-spots but instead gave participants a survey asking whether they believed that they had a "so called G-spot, a small area the size of a 20p coin on the front wall of your vagina that is sensitive to deep pressure?" (A 20p coin is about the size of an American nickel.)

They found that 56% of respondents answered "yes" and that there was no genetic correlation.

But only about 30% said they were able to achieve orgasm during intercourse, which may indicate that women were confused by the G-spot question because stimulation of the G-spot is supposed to induce orgasm, she said.

The definition of G-spot in the study is too specific and doesn't take into account that some women perceive their G-spots as bigger or smaller, or higher or lower, said Debby Herbenick, research scientist at Indiana University and author of the book "Because It Feels Good."

"It's not so much that it's a thing that we can see, but it has been pretty widely accepted that many women find it pleasurable, if not orgasmic, to be stimulated on the front wall of the vagina," said Herbenick, who was not involved in the study.

Arousable women

The study also found correlations with personality components in women who did report having G-spots: For instance, these women tended to be more extroverted, arousable and open to experience, which may indicate a psychological component to the G-spot, Burri said.

More research is necessary to make more conclusive statements about whether the G-spot has a physiological basis, experts say.

"I don't think that these are invented experiences at all," Herbenick said. "And if at the end of the day, someone's invented something and they feel pleasure from it, then I think that's great."

The G-spot has been so difficult to identify because it is more of a physiological change -- akin to swallowing or urinating -- than an anatomic structure such as a nipple, said Dr. Irwin Goldstein, director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, California, who oversees the peer review process for the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Evidence

But a recent study that adds credence to the G-spot concept.

French researchers Odile Buisson and Pierre Foldès did ultrasounds of a small number of women having intercourse with men.

By looking at the changes in the vagina, the researchers found physiological evidence of the G-spot. This study is under review at the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Goldstein said.

The G-spot is named after Dr. Ernst Grafenberg, a gynecologist known for his research on female genitalia. He described this pleasure zone of the vagina in a 1950 paper.

The 1982 book "The G Spot: And Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality" made the term "G-spot" popular.

A small study by Italian researchers in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2008 found that women who were able to achieve vaginal orgasms had thicker tissue between the vagina and the urethra, where the G-spot is said to reside.

A minority of women say they ejaculate when they have a G-spot orgasm. Some sex researchers say this fluid comes from a gland that's near the G-spot area.

Men have G-spots too

Men also have a G-spot of sorts, below the scrotum and above the anus, Goldstein said, although it has not gotten as much attention as the more mysterious female G-spot.

Experts agree that the idea of the G-spot has put pressure on both women and their male partners to find some kind of hidden treasure that leads to orgasm from the penis alone.

"Initially, it was a good concept, because who wouldn't like the idea of 'push a button and get the best orgasm ever?' " Burri said.

But those women who can't orgasm from vaginal intercourse may feel inadequate, and knowing that the G-spot may not exist can take some pressure off.

Women should explore their bodies, find out what they like, and communicate that information to their partners, Herbenick said.

"Whether you call it your G-spot or the front wall of your vagina, or if you make up a silly name for it ... at the end of the day, it's what you like and how your body works," she said. (Elizabeth landau/ CNN)

Japan hiring qualified Filipino nurses, caregivers

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Japan is currently hiring qualified Filipino nurses and caregivers, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said, citing a report from a Japanese agency.

Filipino nurses interested in working in Japan must have Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees, board licenses, and at least three years experience, the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (Jicwels) said.

In the meantime, Jicwels is also facilitating the application of Filipino caregivers to Japan.

Applicants need to be a graduate of any four-year course, a certified caregiver by the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) or a graduate of a nursing school with no board license.

Qualified applicants for both positions are also required to secure the following documents, which include a:

* Detailed resume
* Diploma
* Transcript of records
* PRC License
* Employment Certificates
* Valid TESDA Certificate
* Original and photocopy of first page of valid passport
* One 2x2 picture

Applicants from Cebu and Davao can submit the documents at their respective POEA regional offices. - GMANews.TV

Pinoy nurses fill vacancies in specialised areas in UK hospitals

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:02:00 +0000

by Rose Eclarinal,
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, London | 11/21/2009 11:33 AM

SALISBURY, England - The United Kingdom nursing work force is ageing and British nurses are leaving the country to work in the United States and in recent years, in Australia.

These are some of the contributing factors for the shortage of qualified nurses in the UK both in the National Health Service or NHS and the private sector.

The UK faces the so-called graying of the population of the nursing work force and the younger ones are not interested in the nursing profession because they have more options for jobs that offer better pay and working condition. Those who leave the county to work elsewhere are driven by better pay and living conditions.

This is not the first time the UK has to deal with this problem. In the past, it has also turned to foreign nurses to do the job its peoples have pushed aside and snubbed.

Pinoy nurses for export

While the UK is in need of more nurses, the Philippines continues to produce nurses for export. Philippines is one of the biggest suppliers of overseas nurses to the UK, trailing behind is India, Britain’s former colony. UK’s overseas recruitment of nurses was criticized by the Brits because it is said to be designed as a short-term solution although it has helped the UK health sector manage the crisis.

The Salisbury District Hospital in Salisbury also turned to overseas recruitment to fill the vacancies in the hospital. Recently, it recruited some 17 OR (operating room) or theatre nurses from the Philippines.

“In the past two years our experience advertising for theatre nurses nationally and in Europe had very little success. Our reliance on agency nurses was high. We have now filled our vacancies in theatres, however we do have to look to the future and plan the workforce. There are a number of retirements in the next five years and recruitment will continue. Having established the current workforce we intend to recruit in this country and Europe,” said Colette Martindale, Surgical Directorate of Salisbury District Hospital.

She said there is no plan for another trip to the Philippines, however, that could also change. She also added that there is no preference over Filipino nurses but they chose to go to the Philippines this year because they knew ‘there was a reliable field of candidates.’

“There are still a high number of unemployed nurses in the Philippines. We have recruited from there in the past and we know the quality of work is good and the retention rate is good,” she added.

Nurses in specialized areas

Outside of any particular specialties, nursing has been removed from the ‘shortage occupation list’ by the UK Home Office. This means that employers with band 5 and 6 nursing posts have to prove that the vacancies could not be filled by nurses who are residents or nationals of the UK or of countries of the European Economic Area (EEA).

Salisbury District Hospital has advertised the vacancies for 2 years but there were no takers from the UK and from EEA.

The gold mine that the UK has found in the Philippines in early 2000 is still an attractive source to this date, providing work force for the UK health sector.

The 17 nurses that filled the vacancies at the Salisbury District Hospital have now started the Overseas Nursing Program. Nurses who were trained outside the EEA are required to pass the program and be registered at the Nursing and Midwifery Council or NMC.

“We have to undergo the classes and we have two days study at City College London. Nagpupunta sila dito. Para talagang school. Para ma-meet namin yun standards of nursing dito. At saka may different laws here as compared sa Pilipinas. Ang dami ditong laws na nagpo-protect sa patients so kailangan naming malaman yun,” said 24 -year- old Cathleen Lagtapon.

A pittance of a salary back home

Nursing work in the UK has always been attractive to Pinoy nurses because of the significant increase in their salary once they work in the UK.

“That’s one of the reasons I took up nursing because I wanted to work outside of the country. I really want to experience the hi-tech operations to further my career as an OR nurse,” said Lagtapon.

She was working as an OR nurse in Bacolod City earning a salary of P9,000 a month. As a nurse in training in the UK, she would receive a salary of 18,000 pounds annually or around P122,000 per month. Once registered with the NMC, there will be an increase of up to £5,000 in her annual salary.

Raising three children and working for a government hospital in the Philippines, Reynaldo Boy decided it was time to go where the grass was greener.

“Kasi nung una okay naman ang work ko sa Pilipinas. Since nasa government naman ako, ayos naman ang suweldo. Then later, nag high school na anak ko, I began to think na parang kulang ang kikitain ko dun,” he said.

With so many nurses in the Philippines seeking employment abroad, he considers himself lucky. He said however that as a father, there are trade-offs. He now has to get used to the long distance parenting set-up he has conceived for him and his children.

“Hindi ko na sila mababantayan dun. [Pero] yun naman talaga ang purpose nung pumunta ako dito to give them a better life. Pag nakapag-ipon ako, pwede kong makuha sila. Kung di ko man makuha, yung naipon ko, pwede kong ipadala sa kanila para sa studies nila-- to give them a better future, para makapag -aral sila, maging good citizen din some day,” he added.

Work ethics and family values are just some of the qualities that endear Pinoys to their British employers.

‘Compassionate, caring and hard working’

“I have found the Filipino nurses to be caring, compassionate, intelligent and hard working. They treat patients with respect and kindness. They have strong family values and they are driven to protect and provide for their families. Once adapted into the culture and way of life in a UK hospital they are encouraged to develop and become leaders in the future,” said Colette Martindale.

For Lagtapon and Boy, the opportunity to work abroad, to further their career as nursing professionals and provide a better future for their families are now happening. They are very grateful for this chance and the fact that unlike many others who came here, they didn’t even pay an exorbitant amount. They said their dream to work in the UK only cost them P15,000 for fees. But whatever social cost the nurses have to contend with in the future, for now they are happy.

“I want to keep pinching myself kung nandito talaga ako,” said Lagtapon.

How Sweet It Is?

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:28:00 +0000

By Claire Suddath – Tue Oct 20, 2:20 pm ET
TIME

Too much sugar will make you fat, but too much artificial sweetener will ... do what exactly? Kill you? Make you thinner? Or have absolutely no effect at all? This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Food and Drug Administration's decision to ban cyclamate, the first artificial sweetener prohibited in the U.S., and yet scientists still haven't reached a consensus about how safe (or harmful) artificial sweeteners may be. Shouldn't we have figured this out by now? (See the top 10 bad beverage ideas.)

The first artificial sweetener, saccharin, was discovered in 1879 when Constantin Fahlberg, a Johns Hopkins University scientist working on coal-tar derivatives, noticed a substance on his hands and arms that tasted sweet. No one knows why Fahlberg decided to lick an unknown substance off his body, but it's a good thing he did. Despite an early attempt to ban the substance in 1911 - skeptical scientists said it was an "adulterant" that changed the makeup of food - saccharin grew in popularity, and was used to sweeten foods during sugar rationings in World Wars I and II. Though it is about 300 times sweeter than sugar and has zero calories, saccharin leaves an unpleasant metallic aftertaste. So when cyclamate came on the market in 1951, food and beverage companies jumped at the chance to sweeten their products with something that tasted more natural. By 1968, Americans were consuming more than 17 million pounds of the calorie-free substance a year in snack foods, canned fruit and soft drinks like Tab and Diet Pepsi. (See nine kid foods to avoid.)

But in the late 1960s, studies began linking cyclamate to cancer. One noted that chicken embryos injected with the chemical developed extreme deformities, leading scientists to wonder if unborn humans could be similarly damaged by their cola-drinking mothers. Another study linked the sweetener to malignant bladder tumors in rats. Because a 1958 congressional amendment required the FDA to ban any food additive shown to cause cancer in humans or animals, on Oct. 18, 1969, the government ordered cyclamate removed from all food products. (See the 10 worst fast-food meals.)

Saccharin became mired in controversy in 1977, when a study indicated that the substance might contribute to cancer in rats. An FDA move to ban the chemical failed, though products containing saccharin were required to carry warning labels. In 2000, the chemical was officially removed from the Federal Government's list of suspected carcinogens. (Read TIME's 1974 article on cyclamate and saccharin.)

In 1981, the synthetic compound aspartame was approved for use, and it capitalized on saccharin's bad publicity by becoming the leading additive in diet colas. In 1995 and 1996, misinformation about aspartame that linked the chemical to everything from multiple sclerosis to Gulf War syndrome was widely disseminated on the Internet. While aspartame does adversely effect some people - including those who are unable to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine - it has been tested more than 200 times, and each test has confirmed that your Diet Coke is safe to drink. Nor have any health risks been detected in more than 100 clinical tests of sucralose, a chemically altered sugar molecule found in food, drinks, chewing gum and Splenda.

The fear-mongering and misinformation plaguing the faux-sweetener market seems to be rooted in a common misconception. No evidence indicates that sweeteners cause obesity; people with weight problems simply tend to eat more of it. While recent studies have suggested a possible link between artificial sweeteners and obesity, a direct link between additives and weight gain has yet to be found. The general consensus in the scientific community is that saccharin, aspartame and sucralose are harmless when consumed in moderation. And while cyclamate is still banned in the U.S., many other countries still allow it; it can even be found in the Canadian version of Sweet'n Low. Low-calorie additives won't make you thinner or curb your appetite. But they help unsweetened food taste better without harming you. And that's sweet enough.

The New Alphabet

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:25:00 +0000

You know you're getting old when-

Before...

A is for apple, and B is for boat,
That used to be right, but now it won’t float!
Age before beauty is what we once said,
But let’s be a bit more realistic instead.

Now…

The Alphabet

A’s for arthritis;
B’s the bad back,
C’s the chest pains,

perhaps car-d-iac?

D is for dental decay and decline,
E is for eyesight, can’t read that top line!
F is for fissures and fluid retention,
G is for gas which I’d rather not mention.

H is high blood pressure–I’d rather it low;
I is for incisions with scars you can show.
J is for joints, out of socket, won’t mend,
K is for knees that crack when they bend.

L is for libido, what happened to sex?
M is for memory, I forget what comes next.
N is neuralgia, in nerves way down low;
O is for osteo, the bones that don’t grow!
P is for prescriptions, I have quite a few,
just give me a pill and I’ll be good as new!
Q is for queasy, is it fatal or flu?
R is for reflux, one meal turns to two.

S is for sleepless nights, counting my fears,
T is for Tinnitus; there’s bells in my ears!
U is for urinary; big troubles with flow;
V is for vertigo, that’s “dizzy,” you know.

W is for worry, NOW what’s going ’round?
X is for X ray, and what might be found.
Y is another year I’m left here behind,
Z is for zest that I still have– in my mind.

I’ve survived all the symptoms, my body’s deployed,
And I am keeping twenty-six doctors fully employed!!!

source: Lafalooza

'Nurse of the Year' charged with not being a nurse

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:05:00 +0000

It ain't easy being a nurse. That is, if you're not one.

Here's the news from the Associated Press-

NORWALK, Conn. – A Connecticut woman who authorities say spent more than $2,000 to stage a dinner honoring her as "Nurse of the Year" has been charged with pretending to be a nurse at a doctor's office. Betty Lichtenstein, 56, of Norwalk was charged Thursday.

Prosecutors say Dr. Gerald Weiss believed Lichtenstein was a registered nurse, especially after she was named the Connecticut Nursing Association's "Nurse of the Year" in 2008.

According to the arrest warrant, that association does not exist.

The state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit began investigating after a patient complained about Lichtenstein.

She faces up to five years in prison if convicted of reckless endangerment and criminal impersonation charges.

Lichtenstein did not return a telephone message for comment.

32,617 pass Philippine nursing licensure exams

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:10:00 +0000

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 2) A total of 32,617 out of 77,901 passed the Nurse Licensure Examination, the Professional Regulation announced Saturday.

Golda Manto Yap, a graduate of the Felipe R. Verallo Memorial Foundation, topped the exams, getting an average score of 86.80 percent.
The Board of Nursing conducted the test last June in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, Sulu, Pagadian and Zamboanga.

Saint Paul University-Dumaguete had the best result when all 112 of its examinees hurdled the board for a 100-percent passing rate.

A total of 50 examinees made it to the Top 10 rankings.

The results for three successful examinees were withheld by the board.

The oath-taking ceremony for the successful examinees as well as those who passed previous exams but have not taken their oath will be held before the nursing board on August 18 and 19 at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.--Philippine Daily Inquirer

Click HERE to see the list of successful examinees.

Chart Toppers

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:41:00 +0000

I got this email entitled Hospital Chart Bloopers the other day. Apparently these were actual writings on hospital charts. Well, this will at least lessen the toxicity of a chaotic day at the ER.

As they say, laughter is the best medicine.

Enjoy!

* She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.

* Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.

* On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.

* The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.

* The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.

* Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.

* Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.

* The patient refused autopsy.

* The patient has no previous history of suicides.

* Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.

* Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.

* Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.

* She is numb from her toes down.

* While in ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home.

* The skin was moist and dry.

* Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.

* Patient was alert and unresponsive.

* Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.

* She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.

* I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.

* Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.

* Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.

* The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.

* The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stock broker instead.

* Skin: somewhat pale but present.

* The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.

* Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.

* Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.

* Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.

Swine Flu Away?

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:51:00 +0000

US firm makes 1st batch of A(H1N1) vaccine

Agence France-Presse
06/24/2009

WASHINGTON DC, United States—A US company that on Tuesday was awarded a $35-million contract to develop an influenza vaccine using insect cell technology has produced a first batch against (A)H1N1 flu, company boss Dan Adams said.

"We turned out our first batch of doses—about 100,000—against (A)H1N1 flu last week and we're continuing to manufacture it," Adams, chief executive officer of Connecticut-based Protein Sciences Corporation, told AFP.

The US Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday announced that it has awarded a $35-million contract to Protein Sciences, which could be extended for another five years to reach $147 million.

The insect cell technology "has advanced in recent years to a point that we believe it could help meet a surge in demand for US-based vaccine for seasonal and pandemic flu," Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.

A(H1N1), or swine flu, which emerged in Mexico in April, has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, killing 231 people worldwide and infecting more than 52,000 people in 100 countries.

As the novel strain of swine flu spread, scientists around the world scrambled to develop a seed strain, a necessary first step in developing a vaccine using either chicken eggs or mammalian cells—the way most vaccines are produced.

They warned that the virus could mutate during the southern hemisphere's flu season before returning north in a more lethal form in autumn, in a pattern similar to that seen in the deadly 1918 flu pandemic, which claimed an estimated 20 to 50 million lives around the globe.

Protein Sciences makes flu vaccine by infecting caterpillar cells with a baculovirus carrying the gene for hemagluttinin, a molecule that sticks out of the surface of the influenza virus.

"Using this method, vaccine candidates, clinical investigational lots, and commercial-scale vaccine production may be available faster than by using traditional vaccine production methods," the health department said in a statement.

The method does not need a seed strain to develop a vaccine, Adams said.

"While everyone else was waiting to get a seed strain, we worked with the genetic code from the virus," said Adams.

"The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) sent us a dead virus, which is perfectly safe, and then we extracted genetic information from that virus.

"We can be in manufacturing a lot, lot quicker than people who have to wait for a seed strain," he said.

Protein Sciences' technology is also safer "because these caterpillars don't have any association with man or other animals, so there's no chance for their cells to learn how to propagate human viruses," Adams told AFP.

Under the terms of the grant made to Protein Sciences, if the company's new insect-cell technology proves to be safe and effective, the pharmaceutical minnow, which has just 50 employees, must boost its US manufacturing capability "to provide a finished vaccine within 12 weeks of pandemic onset."

It would also have to produce at least 50 million doses of flu vaccine "within six months of pandemic onset."

That should not be a problem, said Adams, because manufacturing a vaccine using insect cells can be easily and rapidly scaled up because it does not require the same specialized factories required to produce vaccine using egg or mammalian cells.

"We can manufacture our product facilities that make monoclonal antibodies, which is a huge class of products with a huge manufacturing capacity around the world," said Adams.

Protein Sciences' new vaccine against swine flu "could be available right away" if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues an emergency use authorization for it, as it did for the bird flu vaccine developed by Adams's company.

Swiss drugs giant Novartis, which the US government gave $289 million to help develop a vaccine against (A)H1N1 flu, said around two weeks ago that it was poised to begin pre-clinical trials—tests in vitro and on animals—on its first batch of novel swine flu vaccine.

Sanofi-Pasteur of France has said it hopes to have doses of swine flu vaccine ready for clinical trials within weeks, while Taiwan's Adimmune Corporation said it expects to complete clinical trials on its A(H1N1) influenza vaccine around September.

The Heart of the Matter

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:49:00 +0000

NCLEX Review 3500

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Click on the link below to view

NCLEX Review 3500

NCLEX Notes part deux

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Just another study guide to help you in your NCLEX quest...

Note: Click on the "rectangle" located on the right upper part for full screen view.

2007 NCLEX RN Detailed Test Plan Educator

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Fiction Books nclex

NCLEX Notes

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:53:00 +0000

Just some tips for those who are planning to take the NCLEX in the near future. The plan outlined below is still relevant today as it was two years ago.

The bottom line is, nothing beats hard work and preparation when it comes to passing an examination. So, check them out and be guided accordingly...

Note: Click on the rectangle on the right hand side to view in full screen.

2007 NCLEX RN Detailed Test Plan Candidate

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Fiction Books nclex

The Woman Behind the "New" Face

noreply@blogger.com (albularyo) — Wed, 06 May 2009 02:47:00 +0000

This is where you can truly say, WOW!

Nation's first face transplant patient shows face
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Write

Five years ago, a shotgun blast left a ghastly hole where the middle of her face had been. Five months ago, she received a new face from a dead woman.

Connie Culp stepped forward Tuesday to show off the results of the nation's first face transplant, and her new look was a far cry from the puckered, noseless sight that made children run away in horror.

Culp's expressions are still a bit wooden, but she can talk, smile, smell and taste her food again. Her speech is at times a little tough to understand. Her face is bloated and squarish, and her skin droops in big folds that doctors plan to pare away as her circulation improves and her nerves grow, animating her new muscles.

But Culp had nothing but praise for those who made her new face possible. "I guess I'm the one you came to see today," the 46-year-old Ohio woman said at a news conference at the Cleveland Clinic, where the groundbreaking operation was performed.

But "I think it's more important that you focus on the donor family that made it so I could have this person's face." Up until Tuesday, Culp's identity and how she came to be disfigured were a secret.

Culp's husband, Thomas, shot her in 2004, then turned the gun on himself. He went to prison for seven years. His wife was left clinging to life. The blast shattered her nose, cheeks, the roof of her mouth and an eye. Hundreds of fragments of shotgun pellet and bone splinters were embedded in her face. She needed a tube into her windpipe to breathe. Only her upper eyelids, forehead, lower lip and chin were left.

A plastic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Risal Djohan, got a look at her injuries two months later. "He told me he didn't think, he wasn't sure, if he could fix me, but he'd try," Culp recalled. She endured 30 operations to try to fix her face. Doctors took parts of her ribs to make cheekbones and fashioned an upper jaw from one of her leg bones. She had countless skin grafts from her thighs. Still, she was left unable to eat solid food, breathe on her own, or smell.

Then, on Dec. 10, in a 22-hour operation, Dr. Maria Siemionow led a team of doctors who replaced 80 percent of Culp's face with bone, muscles, nerves, skin and blood vessels from another woman who had just died.

It was the fourth face transplant in the world, though the others were not as extensive. "Here I am, five years later. He did what he said — I got me my nose," Culp said of Djohan, laughing.

In January, she was able to eat pizza, chicken and hamburgers for the first time in years. She loves to have cookies with a cup of coffee, Siemionow said.

No information has been released about the donor or how she died, but her family members were moved when they saw before-and-after pictures of Culp, Siemionow said.

Culp said she wants to help foster acceptance of those who have suffered burns and other disfiguring injuries.

"When somebody has a disfigurement and don't look as pretty as you do, don't judge them, because you never know what happened to them," she said.

"Don't judge people who don't look the same as you do. Because you never know. One day it might be all taken away." It's a role she has already practiced, said clinic psychiatrist Dr. Kathy Coffman.

Once while shopping, "she heard a little kid say, `You said there were no real monsters mommy, and there's one right there,'" Coffman said. Culp stopped and said, "I'm not a monster. I'm a person who was shot," and pulled out her driver's license to show the child what she used to look like, the psychiatrist said.

Culp, who is from the small town of Unionport, near the Pennsylvania line, told her doctors she just wants to blend back into society. She has a son and a daughter who live near her, and two preschooler grandsons.

Before she was shot, she and her husband ran a painting and contracting business, and she did everything from hanging drywall to a little plumbing, Coffman said. Culp left the hospital Feb. 5 and has returned for periodic follow-up care. She has suffered only one mild rejection episode that was controlled with a single dose of steroid medicines, her doctors said.

She must take immune-suppressing drugs for the rest of her life, but her dosage has been greatly reduced and she needs only a few pills a day.

Also at the Cleveland Clinic is Charla Nash of Stamford, Conn., who was attacked by a friend's chimpanzee in February. She lost her hands, nose, lips and eyelids, and will be blind, doctors said.

Clinic officials said it is premature to discuss the possibility of a face transplant for her. In April, doctors at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston performed the nation's second face transplant, on a man disfigured in a freak accident. It was the world's seventh such operation.

The first, in 2005, was performed in France on Isabelle Dinoire, a woman who had been mauled by her dog.