Things to Do After Passing the Nursing Board Examination

Most of the graduating nursing students don't know what to do after their graduation day. Some will take a vacation, relax their mind and most are going to take the board examination. And because I also experienced being a nursing student, I know the feeling of eagerness to work in the hospital. But you will only allow to work in the hospital if you will pass the nursing board exam.

Graduating in a nursing course doesn't ends the learning period. You must continue studying nursing concept, especially when you want to take the board exam. Nursing study guides like reviewers, textbooks, manual and lectures will be your guide to increase your knowledge in nursing concept. So, if you just graduated from nursing course, I can give you some things that you can do.

Attend Hospital Trainings

Most of the newly board passers are having a hard time applying in a hospital, because school duties usually don't count as a hospital experience. So, if you are newly board passer, you need to attend trainings like hemodialysis training, IVT training and so on.

Some hospitals offer a free training for the new nurses, some are paid. Those training will help you increase you competency in working in the hospital. And this will be an advantage for you if you finish the training and you will try to work to other hospital.

After you complete the training, you can have your specialization skills. For instance, you attended hemodialysis training, you will now have a specialization skill in hemodialysis. So, if you really want to have the advantage to be hire in a hospital, you can attend training first and enhance your nursing skill.

Take Masteral degree in Nursing

Because there are lack of nursing jobs available for nurses, some board passers want to continue education by taking the master's degree. If you don't want to work in hospital yet, then you can continue your studies by taking the masteral degree in nursing. Taking the masteral degree will take around two years of studying. In this course, you need to focus more on your subjects.

There are lot of masteral degree in nursing like Masteral of Arts in Nursing, Masteral of Science in Nursing etc. You can choose whatever degree you want to learn.

After you completed the degree, your title can be a MAN (masteral of arts in nursing, MSN (masteral of sceince in nursing) etc.

Work as a Medical Transcriptionist

As a nursing student, you can also be a medical transcriptionist. But this requires a good in translating medical record from verbal to written.

In this job, you will write the verbal order in the computer. You must know the correct spelling of the medical orders and must be written in a correct words.

You must also be literate in computer. Most of the time, the medical transcription jobs require a 6months training course.

Nursing Jobs in the Philippines

Nowadays, a lot of high school graduates wanted to become a nurse as their profession. There's no doubt about it! Aside for having a neat, white and decent uniform, nurses are known for having a great salary compare to some other profession. I may agree on it, but not all nurses have a good salary, it still depends on the hospital rate. However, facing the reality, lack of nursing jobs in the Philippines triggers most nurses to stay unemployed.

Because there are lot of unemployed Filipino nurses today,  the Department of Labor and Employment made a move to solve the increasing number of unemployed nurses and increasing number of nurses working abroad. During the Arroyo administration, our former president made a program called NARS (Nurses Assigned in Rural Service), which helped unemployed nurses to work in some provinces which the medical assistance is difficult to render. These provinces are said to be poor and the people who live there cannot afford the hospital expenses. By that program, many unemployed nurses during those times had jobs and having a salary of 8,000 pesos per month.

With our new administration, the DOLE re-programmed the NARS and make it more accessible to our nurses. They called it the "RN Heals project". The new program requires the nurses to apply online, same with the NARS. It has almost the same system of application , but the DOLE expands the area to help more nurses. Experienced or inexperienced nurses can apply to the said program.  No discrimination in the program. Unlike those hospitals who requires 2 years experience with seminars or what so ever trainings they need. The government wanted to help our fellow nurses by giving more nursing jobs so they can practice what they had learned and expand they skills in rendering care in our own country. This may also lessen the increasing number of nurses working abroad.

Yes, sad to say that Filipino nurses need work abroad because of lack of job vacancy in our own country. They just wanted to practice their skills and the same time earn money for their family. And so, good to know that our government is making an effort to limit the number of nurses working abroad. I hope that this is a great start to polish more future great nurses in our country.