Introduction of an Expat

I was once one of the under privileged and underpaid nurses in the Philippines. Our nurses' association is crippled and completely became ignorant with this problem.

To be honest, most of the RN's(Registered Nurses) in hospitals in RP is either on VOLUNTEER status or EMPLOYED but with salary below/or just in minimum wage.  NO SSS, NO HEALTH INSURANCE. Some even pay hospitals to get clinical experience! Here we are nurses in RP.. Board Passers, 4year Bachelor's Degree, spent tons of money in Nursing Schools and Post Graduate Certificates ABUSED, UNDERPAID. Taken Advantage.

HOSPITAL's have been openly abusing and making the most out of nurses' quality patient care and adept clinical skills in the Philippines for what cost: almost FREE. Maybe you have heard this over and over again. I've read this rant a thousand times in the net, but this is indeed still happening in my country. RP nurses are put into a situation to choose whether to accept the offer of a hospital, either "we hire you for less: worst for free" or you "go find a better paying job in the outsourcing sector." They thrive in the fact that we can't go abroad without a solid Employment Certificate from a credible tertiary (200+ bed capacity) hospital.

Our Labor department and the Government Organizations who are sanctioned to protect RN's right have fallen deaf . Nobody even in the Senate and Congress has the balls to stand up for RN's in RP. It's sad that I have absolutely no problem with work and with the environment in my hospital, had good friends, great camaraderie, all you can ask for in a job. It's just that we weren't well compensated. Not enough for a full grocery cart, just enough for one friday night-out :) ... And after seeing another 30 thousand plus new Registered Nurses in the Philippines, Ugh. I had enough.

That's why I grabbed this opportunity to work abroad, away from my family and from my friends. Been here in Q8 for almost 3mos. So far, so good. RP Nurses can match up with foreign health care workers with skills per se and the only big problem that I have encountered so far and expats usually experience is the communication barrier. English isn't widely understood here, hopefully soon I'll learn more arabic words. :)

Despite the things that happened to me in RP. Being underpaid and all.. I won't choose a different career if I be given a chance to repeat this process again. Being a nurse is still one of the best job ever. Patient care is our life, Nurses rights in RP needs to be advocated well by the government. We compose 70-80% of the total hospital staff. We can all walk out one day from our jobs and the health care industry is crippled. But we won't do that, we all swore to an oath. People in the Government the PNA and other sectors involved also was sworn in. Nurses in the Philippines are being true to their oath.

Please RP Government / PNA ... do the same.