MANILA — There is no provision under the Philippine Nursing Act that would give government power to grant temporary license to nurse graduates amid proposals for them to have this, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said on Thursday.

• DOH chief seeks to fill 4,500 vacant nursing positions in gov’t

PRC Commissioner Jose Cueto Jr. said section 21 of Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act only gives temporary license or permits to licensed nurses from foreign countries.

These nurses, Cueto said, are typically invited to become instructors in Philippine nursing institutions or get involved in medical or humanitarian missions.

• What senators say on Herbosa's plan to hire unlicensed nursing grads

"O kaya naman na-invite sila para maging eksperto sa diskusyon ng mga issues involved dito sa nursing profession," the PRC commissioner said in a public briefing.

"So doon sa RA 9173, wala hong probisyon na nagbibigay ng kapangyarihan ang PRC o any government agency na magbigay ng temporary license sa mga nursing graduates na hindi pa nakapasa ng Nurse Licensure Examination," he added.

Nursing graduates must also get 75 percent in the licensure examination to pass, he said, as this is based on the law and Congress must amend this if they want changes.

"Kapag hindi napapalitan iyong provision sa batas eh hindi puwedeng gamitin iyong percentage na lower than 75," he said.

Some nursing graduates who have yet to pass the licensure examination are assigned to hospital areas that have manageable workloads, said the commissioner.

"Hindi sila puwedeng idiretso na mag-duty sa mga critical na areas kagaya ng mga intensive care units, operating room, recovery room," he added.

"So, mayroon namang quality assurance mechanism sa lahat po ng healthcare institutions para mapanatili iyong pangangalaga sa mga pasyente," he said.

Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa earlier said he wants to fill up 4,500 vacant plantilla positions for nurses in the Philippines by helping more aspiring nurses pass the board exams.

Herbosa noted that only about half of all nursing board exam takers pass the government’s qualifying test. Some of those who flunked the test shift to other careers.

Watch more News on iWantTFC

Video from PTV