USANT Nurses Forum

Source: Manila Bulletin http://www.mb.com.ph

CHEd will not hesitate to enforce the regulation if they still failed to heed our calls,” Angeles said.The CHEd was able to identify the poor performing nursing schools through a series of validation processes conducted on all nursing schools in the country recently.“With this move, we are helping not only the parents and students to carefully choose the nursing schools they go to, but we are also helping our economy my minimizing frustrations and wastage among our nursing graduates when they take the licensure tests and make sure that they only get quality education,” he added.CHEd said that it will issue an initial warning to the 152 schools to improve their nursing programs through their graduates’ performance in the succeeding nursing licensure exams.The schools in trouble performed below the National Passing Rate of 46.14 percent, CHEd said.He stressed that the CHEd has the legal authority to order the closure or phasing out of degree programs that failed to meet the standards in licensure tests.Last month, CHEd closed down six law schools that failed to meet standards.“For this school year, higher education institutions (HEI) whose performance in licensure examinations in the last three consecutive years is greater than 50 percent, but (those getting) lower than the national passing rate shall be given an initial warning to improve their performance,” the CHEd said through Resolution No. 378-2009.For HEIs whose passing percentage is zero percent for the last three years, CHEd said they will definitely be phased out, while those whose performance were above 50 percent but less than the national average shall have their recognized programs downgraded to permit status.Likewise, Angeles said 15 schools have already closed down their nursing programs, namely: Bacarra Medical Center School of Midwifery (Region 1), Antipolo School of Nursing and Midwifery, Heroes Memorial College, Kolehiyo ng Mamamayan, Cotabato Maritime Academy, Ignatian College, Clinica Arellano School of Midwifery, Quezon Memorial College, Sta. Teresita College, Baguio General Hospital, Chong Jua Hospital School of Nursing, Faith Hospital School of Midwifery, Manila College of Optometry, Ortanez University and the Philippine Union College of Caloocan.CHED has also released the list of the Top 20 nursing schools in the country with Silliman University clinching the top post having an average of 96.57 percent followed by the Saint Louis University, 95.42; Trinity University of Asia with 95.06; University of Sto. Tomas, 95.06; Cebu Doctors’ University, 91.89; Saint Paul University, 89.79; Central Philippine University, 86.72; De La Salle University-Health Sciences campus, 85.26; Saint Mary’s University, 84.10; San Pedro College, 83. 10; Manila Doctors College, 82.56; Centro Escolar University-Manila, 81.50; Angeles University Foundation, 76.37; Mariano Marcos University, 75.55; University of San Agustin, 73.25; University of Cebu, 70.99; Metropolitan Hospital College of Nursing, 70.54; Ateneo de Davao University, 70.20; San Juan De Dios Education Foundation, 69. 91; and University of St. La Salle, 67.55.