Nursing Matters

I admit that the title is not that appealing but I like the ambiguity it presents. Nursing modifies matters which means that we will talk about matters relating to nursing which will bring about the major point in this article with matters as a verb—yes, nursing matters. (???, read again, you will understand what I am trying to say here.)

I am trained in linguistics and what do I care about this field of nursing? Anyway a lot has been said, done and undone about this issue. But I wish to contribute something based on what I know and based on my experience in this particular area.

I read in the Inquirer an appeal from the Commission on Audit to close sub-standard nursing programs in schools that are not performing well in the board exams which all turns out to be a bored exam. I tend to agree with that admonition and CHED should look into it.

There are a lot of nursing schools whose passing rate is below 75. It was I think Jaime Galvez-Tan who called these schools downright mediocre to trash schools. I am not in any way condemning the schools themselves but if they could not compete along with other schools who are performing well, they deserve to be shut down.

I used to teach in a school in Region 5 and their average passing rate for the past years has been a lousy 28% and it is for them already an accomplishment. Well, looking at other schools with a 3% passing rate, yes, that is already an accomplishment.

The point is, we cannot compromise the standard of education just to be able to produce more nurses. Quality matters over quantity.