Every Pinoy, for sure, knows at least one nurse who plans or is already working abroad; be it a family member, a friend, an acquaintance or a neighbor who you see wearing white, from time to time. I call them the White Hustlers, no not the White Walkers, although they do look like zombies sometimes after covering multiple shifts at the clinic or hospital!
They were once students bleeding to gobble tons of information from heavy books straight into their tireless brains, not to mention the trot of grueling completion of clinical and lab hours, and braving the saga of certifications and exams.
Where are you now?
1. Abroad, living their dreams as doctors. Yes!
2. Abroad, living his dreams doing something else. Wow!
3. In our beloved country, living their dreams as practicing doctors (Greetings!).
4. In our beloved country, excelling in another field, hopefully the Nursing Care Process continues to live. Health!
its impact
Indisputably, nurses care for communities no less than other professionals. Beyond health science, they provide care and compassion not only to their patients, but also to their superiors, colleagues, friends, family, and countrymen. Sure, they send money, but they also help improve our overall economic situation and raise the bar on the practice of healthcare globally (or the industry they’re in), in the process.
The challenge
Approximately 19,000 Pinoy nurses leave each year to work abroad, mainly for higher pay and a more reasonable workload. Now that’s for those who had the luck and perseverance to gather enough experience to be considered for jobs abroad. The rest have dedicated their time and energy to improving their lives as representatives, officers, professionals, and even executives in IT, BPO, RPO, finance, insurance, etc. All of this results in, yes, you’re right, there is not enough of a nursing workforce in PH hospitals.
Your part
While lawmakers are trying hard enough to increase wages and benefits for government employees and nurses, it wouldn’t hurt to appreciate the White Hustlers in the best light possible. Respect the nurse assigned to you or the one you see walking down the street every day. Talk to them about health, sanitation, diet, or any touchy subject; Trust me, we know more than just taking your blood pressure.
Please join me in cheering on #GlobalPinoy nurses around the world as we aim to improve their situations wherever they are (Cheers!). If you have questions or comments, please write a letter to [email protected].