PNA: Hope is not lost for Filipino nurses

ROGER P. Tong-an

The demand for Filipino nurses both here and abroad may have declined in recent years, but the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) believes the future is still bright for budding and graduating nurses.

The PNA considers Filipino nurses as globally competent, making them a step ahead over their counterparts from other Asian or European countries.

“Filipino nurses are generally hardworking, resilient, resourceful, highly flexible and adaptable to various health care settings and clientele. Hiring Filipino nurses are more affordable for foreign employers,” says Roger P. Tong-an, PNA national office treasurer and PNA Region XI governor.

Tong-an says PNA will continue with its unrelenting efforts and assistance to all of its members in the coming years, something which the organization has been doing over the past 92 years.

Now nearing its century mark, PNA, the country’s primary professional association for nurses, intends to further intensify its goal of advancing holistic welfare of the Filipino nurse.

According to Tong-an, the height of demand for nurses abroad peaked in 2002 to 2010 and have waned in the succeeding years.

“The life of the organization is its membership. The registration fees from the members together with some donations serve as its fund for the various activities, projects and representations of the PNA,” Tong-an says.

“New membership decreases when the global demand declines since there will be lesser number of nursing graduates as a consequence of decreased enrolment to the nursing program,” he further explains.

Currently, PNA has 92 local chapters in the country and 11 chapters abroad.

PNA says it will continue to campaign for more chapters nationwide and in different parts of the world through continuous implementation of institutional visits to hospitals, health facilities and nursing schools along with involvement in co-curricular activities with such facilities and institutions.

Tong-an says the group’s thrusts for this year include generating programs and activities that would prepare nurses to be globally-competitive, along with the establishment of national and international networking for nurses.

PNA was founded by Anastacia-Giron Tupas in 1922 and was originally known as the Filipino Nurses Association (FNA).

All registered nurses in the Philippines are qualified to be members of the PNA.

A nurse must seek membership in the chapter of the province or city where one holds office or residence.

“In case of transfer to another chapter, the member shall accomplish a transfer form to be submitted to both chapters, to be approved by the receiving chapter.  In no case can a nurse be a member of more than one chapter. Every member shall pay membership dues as determined by the PNA Board of Governors,” Tong-an says.