DOH to employ nursing aides Nursing graduates yet to pass board exam, instead of flunkers, to be hired

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Department of Health (DOH) will hire nursing assistants to help address the nurse shortage in government hospitals, but Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said his plan to employ nursing graduates who failed the board exam would not be shelved.

"There has been a similar proposal because they have been studying this problem of how to augment the health human resources. It's Salary Grade 9, so that's about P20,000 yung salary per month," Herbosa said in a GMA News report on Sunday.

"It's the one being offered as a solution, so I said that's going to go forward. It will be open to nurses who graduated four years of college but are still awaiting to pass the exams," he added.

The Filipino Nurses United (FNU) said nursing assistants would be a big help to existing government health workers.

“It is truly hard for nurses if they don't have nursing aides or nursing assistants,” said FNU secretary general Jocelyn Andamo.

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