President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has directed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to address the shortage of nurses, which affects the delivery of effective healthcare in the country. Together with the Health Sector of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), CHED has proposed short-term, medium-term, and long-term interventions to solve the shortage.
Among the short-term solutions is the joint administrative order of the Department of Health and CHED, the DOH-CHED JAO No. 0001-2023 – Implementing Guidelines for the Nurse Workforce Complementation and Upskilling Program for Clinical Care Associates (CCAs) with the support of PSAC.
The Commission has allocated P25 million (P25M) to fund the Free Nursing Review Program of 1,000 CCAs/underboard nurses. The program covers three batches of the exams, and runs until 2025. CHED is implementing this with the help of the top nursing schools. The aim is to help the nursing graduates pass the board exam.
Of the 222 takers for the first batch, 109 passed the board exam in November, with a passing rate of 49.10. This is higher than the National Passing Rate of Repeaters (35.75%). Some of the reviewees have repeatedly failed to pass the board exams but have succeeded to become nurses through the implementation of the presidential directive.
Medium-term solutions
One of CHED’s medium-term solutions is the opening of an enhanced master’s degree program for nurses that will credit previous work experience into academic credits effectively shortening the time needed to complete the degree. The aim is to increase the number of nursing faculty to teach in the nursing schools to increase enrollment.
In collaboration with the campuses of the University of the Philippines in Manila and its Open University, the CHED has developed the Enhanced Masters’ Program for Nurses. The Master in Nursing Education (MNE) program is a one-year enhanced master’s program to train nurses who could teach in the HEIs.
Credits for up to nine (9) academic units are awarded to nurses for relevant professional nursing experiences and training, or recognition of prior learning (RPL). The program was piloted in 17 higher education institutions (HEIs, including UP Manila) this academic year, with 385 students. Scholarship programs will also be offered through the Local Graduate Scholarships Office (LGSO).
Long-term solutions
There was a boom in nursing (as well as in restaurant management and information technology) back in 2011. A moratorium on new undergraduate nursing programs, however, was imposed to help keep the quality of nursing graduates. The commission lifted the moratorium two years ago “after a very thorough review and study…based on an exhaustive discussion,” the CHED Chair said.
With the lifting of the moratorium for the BS Nursing program, HEIs offering BS Nursing programs have increased from 354 to 408 as of December 2024. The CHED also approved 54 new applications to offer BS Nursing programs from AY 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. The Commission sees an additional 2,052 nursing graduates by AY 2027-2028.
The Commission and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have also partnered on the Development of Guidelines for the Philippine Credit Transfer System (PCTS) for the Nursing program. The two institutions are checking the possibility of matching the learning outcomes between the existing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualifications related to Nursing, with the subjects of BS Nursing programs, including credit units. They are starting with geriatric nursing.
As for the allied medical fields such as radiologic technology, pharmacy, physical therapy, medical technology and occupational therapy, “the projection is, the supply and demand problem will be pronounced in three to five years’ time,” De Vera said. These were identified in their meetings with the President through the private sector advisory council.
CHED & DOH address shortage of radiologic technologists
What is being done to address the looming shortage? De Vera said, “We’re making a master plan so that we can mitigate the impending crisis in the next 3-5 years. We need more than 10,000 additional radiologic technologists.” He said that there is a crisis in radiologic technology because “as the use of technology increases, as additional X-ray machines are brought to the far-flung communities, there is a need for more radiologic technologies run these machines.”
CHED said that “The projections are identified in the Health Human Resource Handbook, specifically for Radiologic Technology, based on the report of PSAC Health during the meeting with President Marcos [on] November 13, 2024. As of 2024, there is a projected demand for 38,390 radio technologists…Our active radiologic technologists number only at 19,730. Hence, a gap of more than 18,000 RTs that has to be filled. Without intervention, this will entail 10 years for the Philippines to fill, based on the current average number of 1,700 board passers per year.”
The CHED technical experts said that “the current shortage in the country for an 10,000 additional radtech.”
The partnership of CHED and DOH with PSAC is currently finalizing the components for this intervention for implementation beginning 2025.
De Vera concluded that “it’s easy to work if there’s a clear direction, and it’s clear what we need to do.” He said that CHED already has a blueprint on how to address the challenges to the allied health programs. Moreover, the President has given them the green light to address the issues.
The blueprint includes “components on scholarships, curricular enhancement, upskilling and capacity building, and facilities upgrading.” With these programs in place, the future of our health care will be more rosy than before.
