PRC lowers CPD requirement for Nurses, Teachers, Others, exempts OFWs in draft IRR

Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is proposing to lower the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for professionals, and to exempt overseas Filipino workers (OFW) during the duration of their work abroad.


PRC will present these significant amendments to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act 10912 or the CPD Act of 2016, in a consultative meeting by Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation at 10AM today, February 4.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, committee chair and author of the CPD Law, asked PRC and heads of Professional Regulatory Boards in a hearing last November 28, 2018 to amend the IRR of the law amidst numerous complaints received by the Senate on the implementation of the law.
Instead of abolishing the law, Senators Ralph Recto, Miguel Zubiri and Trillanes enjoined PRC to make the CPD voluntary.

But in the final draft made available online, PRC sticks to the mandatory nature of CPD, but provides a “transition period” for professional to comply the unit requirements. Part of the draft IRR states:


During this transition period the following shall be observed:a) Professionals working overseas shall not be covered by the CPD requirement during the period of their employment abroad.b) Newly licensed professionals shall not be covered by CPD requirement for the first renewal cycle after obtaining their license.c) The various CPD Councils shall reduce the required CPD credit units to a minimum which shall not be more than 15 units, as provided for under applicable laws.
PRC also made the CPD programs accreditation faster by making it “deemed approved after 10 working days from receipt thereof if no feedback from the CPD Council is received.”

Protesting Doctors Of Sindh Govt Hospitals Joined By Nurses

Forced closure of out patient departments (OPDs) by doctors at provincial government health care facilities turned intense Tuesday as nurses associated with many of these centres joined the protesters for acceptance of their almost similar demands

:Forced closure of out patient departments (OPDs) by doctors at provincial government health care facilities turned intense Tuesday as nurses associated with many of these centres joined the protesters for acceptance of their almost similar demands.


The protesting doctors, mainly comprising internees doing their post graduation as well as those serving in BPS-17 pressing for their demands, as raise in their stipends/salaries besides allowances coupled with insurance coverage, went on strike on Monday.
Protesters talking to APP said that unwarranted delay in revision of service structures for paramedics and nurses had been a cause of serious concern for the professionals since long.

In certain Sindh government hospitals of Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur and Benazirabad (Nawabshah) were also joined by paramedics and nurses, said Dr Wajahat Hussain Naqvi of Young Doctors Association.


Expressing his regret that doctors and other concerned staffers had to resort to strike causing inconvenience to the patients, Naqvi said they were left with no other option.

Mahrukh Zuleikha, staff nurse at Lyari General Hospital said security and revised service structure were the major concern along with salary package at par with healthcare providers in other parts of the country.


“We have not stopped serving patients reporting at emergencies nor those already admitted to different wards are left unattended,” she said.
Executive Director of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Dr Seemi Jamali acknowledging that service was affected due to closure of OPDs, however, mentioned that a faction of young doctors resumed their responsibilities on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, provincial health department taking stock of the situation has approached the agitating doctors, paramedics/ nurses and assured to get their “genuine” grievances redressed.
“We are here to facilitate the young doctors and all those serving the ailing humanity, however, it would be difficult to budge before those resorting to unethical practices,” a health department official said.

Supreme Court schedules oral arguments on Salary Grade 15 pay of gov’t nurses

Good news for Filipino nurses as Supreme Court (SC) has finally scheduled an oral argument regarding the implementation of Salary Grade 15 for government nurses.


“One step closer to full implementation of Salary Grade 15,” said Ang Nars Partylist, the nurse advocacy group which questioned the legality of reducing the nurse’s pay scale in public healthcare institutions.
Ang Nars received an advisory from SC PIO that the Oral Arguments will be held on Feb. 26, 2019 at 2:00 pm.
In January 2015, Ang Nars filed a Petition for Certiorari and Mandamus in the high cour asking for the full implementation of Section 32 of Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002. The law states that the minimum base pay of nurses working in the public health institutions shall not be lower than salary grade 15.

Based on Fourth Tranche of Salary Standardization Law (SSL) of 2015 which will be implemented this 2019, the Salary Grade 15 for civilian personnel of the national government and in first class provinces and cities is at P30,531.


Joint resolution No. 4 series of 2009, however, was issued by Congress, allowing then President and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to modify the compensation and position classification of civilian personnel as well as the base pay of the uniformed personnel.
Arroyo then signed Executive Order No. 811 which among others, reduced the base pay of nurses from salary grade 15 to salary grade 11 while the entry base pay is salary grade 10.
Among the issues to be debated on the Supreme Court is whether Joint Resolution No. 4 has repealed Section 32 of the Nursing Act.
Joining the party-list group in its petition is the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation headed by Annie Geron.
Named respondents are the Executive Secretary, Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Health.
Ang Nars is enjoining all nurses to support their battle for higher pay scale in the Supreme Court.

“This is a groundbreaking event as VERY FEW PETITIONS are allowed to have oral arguments. We are asking for everyone’s support as we will be organizing a MASS MOBILIZATION ON FEB 26 in front of the Supreme Court. NURSES, we need to raise public clamor for this momentous day,” the group posted on Facebook. (with reports from Inquirer.net)

World Health Organisation Designates 2020 As The “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”

– The Executive Board, today, designated the year 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and midwife”, in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. This proposal will now be presented to Member States of the 72nd World Health Assembly for consideration and endorsement.


The year 2020 is significant for WHO in the context of nursing and midwifery strengthening for Universal Health Coverage. WHO is leading the development of the first-ever State of the World’s Nursing report which will be launched in 2020, prior to the 73rd World Health Assembly. The report will describe the nursing workforce in WHO Member States, providing an assessment of “fitness for purpose” relative to GPW13 targets. WHO is also a partner on The State of the World’s Midwifery 2020 report, which will also be launched around the same time. The NursingNow! Campaign, a three-year effort (2018-2020) to improve health globally by raising the status of nursing will culminate in 2020 by supporting country-level dissemination and policy dialogue around the State of the World’s Nursing report.

Nurses and midwives are essential to the achievement for universal heath coverage. The campaign and the two technical reports are particularly important given that nurses and midwives constitute more than 50% of the health workforce in many countries, and also more than 50% of the shortfall in the global health workforce to 2030. Strengthening nursing will have the additional benefits of promoting gender equity (SDG5), contributing to economic development (SDG8) and supporting other Sustainable Development Goals.

WHO Declares 2020 Year of the Nurse, To Celebrate Nursing and Midwifery

Dear friends and colleagues,


We are very pleased to share the news that yesterday the Director-General of the World Health Organization announced that 2020 will the Year of the Nurse, celebrating nursing and midwifery! The announcement came during the 144th WHO Executive Board meeting.
The planned related activities in 2020 include World Health Day (April 7, 2020) and the 73rd World Health Assembly (mid-May) likely to feature nursing and midwifery themes as well as the launch of the first-ever State of the World’s Nursing report and the State of the World’s Midwifery .
Congratulations to the WHO Chief Nurse . Elizabeth Iro and WHO Midwife Ms. Fran Mcconville and all nurses and midwives.
For further information and updates about the Year of the Nurse you can check the following links:www.who.int
•http://www.emro.who.int/index.html
Warm regards .
Dr. Naeema Al GasseerWorld Health Organization Represebtative in Sudan &Head of Mission

Meet Prof. Idongesit Ibanga Akpabio of University of Calabar Nursing Department

The Academic field of Nursing profession in Nigeria continues to soar higher against all odds. The past few years had seen an astonishing rise in the numbers of Nurses promoted to professorial rank in the academic field. For Professor Idongesit Ibanga Akpabio of the Nursing Department of University of Calabar, October 2016 will forever remain a great month and year; a year she was elevated to the coveted post of a Nursing Professor against all odds!




An erudite scholar and a professional nurse per excellence, Professor Idongesit Ibanga Akpabio was duly recognized for her efforts in making nursing profession a better profession within and outside the shore of this country. Her appointment which came as no surprise to many nurses is a confirmation to Pele’s quote that “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
She is a Professor of Community Health Nursing and currently the Dean, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences

Congratulations Professor.

POEA German Triple Win Program 2019 Application for Nurses Promises Free Work Visas, Language Training

Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said qualified nurse applicants to Germany will be entitled to free work visas, German language lessons and other perks under the agency’s partnership with the German government.


In an interview with BusinessWorld, Mr. Olalia said German demand for nurses is high. He added that he hopes interested parties will consider applying under the Triple Win Project (TWP), an undertaking of the POEA, the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to avoid the expense of qualifying to work in Germany.


“The airfare is free, the work visa is free, plus the German language training after the first batch qualifies is free,” Mr. Olalia said.
Mr. Olalia said German wages are high compared to other markets.
In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) announced that participants in the TWP program can receive wages of between 2,000-2,400 euros a month, depending on qualifications.
According to the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), the starting salary of nurses in the Philippines is P8,000 to P13,500.
Currently, there are 400 available slots under the TWP. Those interested in applying should be Filipino citizens, graduates of a nursing course, should have passed the board exam, and have a minimum of two years’ professional experience as a nurse.
Qualified applicants can register at eservices.poea.gov.ph and more information will be posted regarding other requirements for personal submission at the POEA. The deadline for submission is Feb. 28, 2019. — Gillian M. Cortez

Will 2020 be the official Year of the Nurse?

Efforts to raise the profile of nursing globally took a step forward with the recommendation that 2020 be the official Year of the Nurse and Midwife.


The Nursing Now campaign made the proposal to the World Health Organization (WHO) last year, and this week the WHO executive board endorsed the suggestion.
The proposal must now be confirmed by its decision-making body the World Health Assembly in May, however Nursing Now said it was confident the recommendation would be accepted.
Crucial to universal health coverage
A spokesperson said the campaign is ‘thrilled’ to have received support for the idea from WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The year will also mark the 200th anniversaryof Florence Nightingale’s birth.Speaking at the executive board meeting yesterday, Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of nurses in achieving the ambition of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) – where all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.
‘Nurses, especially in many low- and middle-income countries, are the bridge between the community and the health institutions,’ he said. ‘Their role, especially in front-line services, is very important and that is why in UHC their role is crucial.’
He said 2020 was an appropriate year to raise the profile of nursing, as it would also mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.
‘We need to celebrate people like her who have contributed greatly to humanity,’ he said.
‘A great year for nursing’
The three-year global Nursing Now campaign is being run by the Burdett Trust for Nursing, in collaboration with the International Council of Nurses and WHO.
It aims to raise the profile of nursing and develop the profession’s reach and influence at all levels, including in government policy.
A Nursing Now spokesperson said: ‘This is a great cause for celebration and a step towards our goal of improving health, gender equality and economic strength by raising the profile and status of nursing.
‘2020 will be a great year for nursing.’
The WHO estimates nurses and midwives represent almost half the total number of healthcare workers around the world.
Source : https://rcni.com/nursing-standard/newsroom/news/will-2020-be-official-year-of-nurse-144731

Kenya Nurses Strike Update : Kenyan Nurses vow to proceed with strike on Monday

The Kenya National Union of Nurses has vowed to proceed with its planned nurses’ strike planned to kick off on Monday.


The move comes a day after Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani appointed a three member conciliation committee to arbitrate the industrial dispute between nurses and county governments.
KNUN maintains that its members will down their tools if a return-to-work formula signed in November last year is not fully implemented.
The strike will kick off in Kisii, Kiambu, Homabay and Marsabit counties with the industrial strife spreading to Kwale, Garissa, Samburu, Kirinyaga, Embu as well as Mathari hospital, spinal special hospital, port health and at the blood bank five days later.
Murang’a, Busia, Nakuru and Siaya counties will see their nurses down their tools on the 18th of this month.
Mombasa, Tharaka Nithi, Migori and Machakos counties will have normal operations with the administrations having honored their part of the bargain.
Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako saying he has no powers to call off the strike as it now lies with members.
The union is however yet to issue strike notices in seventeen other counties but Panyako says they will be left with no other option but to suspend their services if the administrations fails to honor the comprehensive bargaining agreement.
This development comes after the union announced on Wednesday that nurses would enforce industrial action if the return-to-work formula is not fully implemented, a move that Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani moved to avert by appointing a three member conciliation committee to reconcile concerned parties.
Source : KBC

St Pauls School Of Nursing And Midwifery Kashikishi-Nchelenge,Luapula July 2019 Admission Intake and Interview

This saves to inform the General Public that St Paul’s School of Nursing and Midwifery as choosen the last week of February to be the week for open interviews only for the July 2019 intake therefore those who wish to pursue there studies at our campus are all welcome to participate in open interviews our school is a well known Government institution which produces high quality Nurses to be employed in both Government and private hospitals as well clinics start your journey with us and u shall never regret.
St Paul’s school of Nursing and midwifery “the Kingdom, the Power, the Glory”
Published by the special assistant
to the School administrator for press
and public relations