With the recent news of new board passers of the Nursing Licensure Examination, I cannot help but reminisce
how I felt when I knew that I passed the test three years ago.
(My, that was three years ago already? It just feels like last year.)
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| School pride, ehem. :D UERM is one of the best Nursing and Medical schools in the Philippines |
I remember how my heart was almost beating out of my chest when I got texts from my friends that the results were already released. I was on my way home from Marikina to Cavite.
I swear, it was the longest trip of my life everrr. I wanted to fly home. Haha! I also dropped by at St. Clare church in Katipunan with my friends before going home. Luckily, it was my first time to go there. You know what they say when it's your first time on a church -- wish something and it will come true. :)
I remember how firm I was in instructing my family, relatives and friends not to check and look for my name once the results were released. As if they would follow my instruction, I added not to tell me anything if ever they want to check the results.
(Funny thing was, my mom tried to check the list online that morning. She was shocked that she couldn't find my name on the list. My aunt rechecked the list that my mom saw only to found out that my mom was actually looking on the list that was from the year before. Of course, they wouldn't see my name on it. Hahahaha!)
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| See the banner behind us? HAHA. :p |
I remember crying in front of the monitor as soon as I saw my name. I had no doubt that I would pass the test but of course, you can never be too sure until you see your name. I remember how sad I suddenly felt upon hearing that one of my closest friends didn't pass
(She passed when she took the test again). I remember how proud and happy my family was. I remember offering this exam for my grandparents who died a month prior to my exam date.
I knew you were very proud of me Lolo and Lola. You were the first ones who knew I passed, diba? I remember texting almost everyone
(who actually cared) in my phonebook about the big news and replying to their congratulatory remarks. I remember receiving a sweet reply from then-someone-special.
I remember how proud I am of myself. I remember being excited for the oathtaking, for processing my license at PRC and for the testimonial dinner. I remember looking forward to start my career. I was just ecstatic and speechless, you know. A sigh of relief and full of big gratitude to God and everyone who prayed for me, that night was.
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| And that reminds me, I need to renew my license already! |
At 23, I believe that was one of my biggest achievements to date.
The degree seemed nothing without being legitimate to practice it. I encourage every nursing graduate to take the exam. Even if you fail (but let's hope to God, you will not), so what? Don't stop until you pass the damn test.
Nothing beats the feeling of having that two letters legally attached to your name. Don't let the possibility of unemployment hinder you as well.
Three years had already passed and due to unfortunate flow of events in this field, my career is nowhere to be found. Since I passed the licensure exam, I was busy with training, volunteer work, frustrating job hunting, review for the NCLEX and IELTS
(and eventually passing both! :D Yes, I just saw my IELTS result earlier and I got an overall 8! :p), figuring out what I really want
(which until now I haven't quite figured out) and other sad, desperate moves to start my career. Last year, I got my first job. It wasn't entirely related to nursing, it was something like,
para-magkapera-na-lang kind of job. I didn't see any career growth in it. Two months ago, I got a new job and it is something close to what
I think I want. I had my frustrating and trying years. I was envious of my friends who belong to a different field because they were already starting their careers immediately after graduating from college. My only consolation is that those days weren't a time wasted. I think of it this way: it was just a long, long process that I have to go through, which I hope and pray that will lead me to something really, really better. I had spent my for-the-meantime-days in a better way. At least, I'm done with everything I need to do that can lead me to have more and better options later on.
Anyway, congratulations to the new batch of nurses! I know there's a ton of uncertainties luring your way but don't let it burst your plans and dreams. Yes, it's sad that with our overflowing number, our country cannot even make use of us. But we can see that they are trying. They did something to stop mandatory payment for volunteer work at hospitals. They started a program wherein they hire more nurses and they widely distribute them to different hospitals and even at rural areas (though they won't be under the employment of the hospital itself). There are a lot of possibilities out there (unfortunately though, some requires you to shell out hefty amount of cash). If you have to go out of the country, be my guest. Being nationalistic and giving service to your own countrymen is a very good thing, there's no denying in that fact. But at some point, we all have to be practical. We all got to pay the bills, somehow, you know. Also, let's not put to waste the degree that we studied for and the license that we worked hard on for.
After passing the board exam, now what? Here are a few of my suggestions to newly board passers:
1. Do volunteer at hospitals. If you have plans of working abroad, volunteer work can count as experience in some countries. And even if it's not and even if you have no intention of moving out of the country, it still beats than doing nothing.
2. Research. Look for hospitals that has job vacancy for nurses. If your parents can afford, look for places outside the country that you can go to for work and/or study (Some countries require additional units for you to become a registered nurse there).
3. Look for "backers." I know, job hunting is shitty but if you got a backer, it's no problem. Trust me, that's just how it works nowadays. At least in our field. It's not "where you came from", it's "who you know."
4. If you got nothing else to do, take NCLEX and IELTS and other tests you can take. Even if US is in recession, you will never know when USRN will come in handy. These tests will not only give you another license, but it will actually give you the license to practice in that country some time in the future. It will give you another exit option later on.
5. If you can't get a decent job at a hospital, go for a job that is near to the nursing practice. It might not be the exact same thing but at least you won't be off-track.
(Photos from my Oathtaking and Testimonial Dinner)
