The Commission of Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines is taking steps to address the shortage of nurses caused by migration. The agency is carrying out various interventions, such as retooling board non-passers, adopting nursing curriculum with exit credentials, redirecting non-practicing nurses, and conducting exchange programs with other countries. The nursing curriculum with exit credentials allows students to exit at the end of Level I or II, obtain the certificate or diploma in Nursing, or continue and finish the four-year nursing program to become a registered nurse. CHED is also working on a flexible short-term master’s program to address the lack of instructors in nursing and medical schools. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed CHED to address the shortage of nurses because it has been affecting the delivery of effective healthcare. Meanwhile, the Department of Health is assessing the status of proposed legislation on the Magna Carta for Public Health Care Workers and Philippine Nursing Act, standardization of salaries of nurses, doctors and healthcare workers, and new technologies that can be used in remote areas. According to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group, almost 6,000 nurses were deployed in 2020, despite the 5,000 cap set by the government, and the country needs at least 35,000 nurses.
