This isn't a secret. Some of the best nursing schools as well as some of the most affordable nursing degree programs are located in the Philippines. The problem with most Americans seeking nursing careers in the US is that they're more willing to spend a lot of money, no doubt with educational assistance programs and financial aid, than to go through the necessary steps to get the training they need as quickly and as inexpensively as possible. With proper training, they can be eligible for many job opportunities including California nursing jobs.
Steps to a Nursing Degree in the Philippines
I'm not going to quote any prices (other than some round figures I'm familiar with) as I tell you the steps Americans have to take in order to attend nursing schools in the Philippines.
- Get a Passport. If you don't have one, get one. When I left the US in 2006, passports were valid for 12 years. I don't know how long they're valid for now. There are agencies, and post offices, where you can apply for passports throughout the US.
- Select a Nursing College. Do some online searches and find some good nursing colleges and get information for each one, especially the prerequisites. The better colleges will be found in metro Manila locations as well as in areas where there are already a lot of Americans (including dual US and Filipino citizens) attending the schools.
- Obtain an Acceptance Letter. You're dead in the water, so to speak, if you haven't been accepted to a nursing school yet. There are ways around this, of course, as I'll explain later.
- Visit one of the Philippine Consulates. Depending on your status, you can obtain a couple of types of visas. The only one I'm sure you can get if you have the required documents is the student visa. There are two offices: One in Los Angeles and one in New York City.
- Find Lodging in the Philippines. There are a few options: Dormitories at the nursing schools, rental locations near the schools or even living with relatives (if you have any in the Philippines). It's best to be prepared before you leave the US.
- Attend Nursing School in the Philippines. I believe the nursing degree programs are five years in length now. They were only four years in length when my son started attending, but I think the law changed a year or two later.
Dual US and Filipino Citizens and American Resident Aliens
A dual citizen can go back and forth between the US and the Philippines at will and without a visa. That's the advantage of being a citizen of both countries. My younger son, Jon, is a dual-citizen because he was born on American soil when his mother was still only a Filipino citizen. A law enacted in the Philippines in 2003 allowed my wife to become a dual citizen as well. Getting him into a nursing school was difficult because it wasn't planned and we had to obtain his US-based high school transcripts through the mail and mail service in the Philippines is quite inadequate.
Resident aliens in the US should not attempt to return to the Philippines to attend any kind of school. It's too easy to lose the residency status and get stuck in the Philippines for many more years than desired. Of course, as long as you return to the US for every year, it isn't a problem. Can you afford it? Ultimately, affordability is the key to all of this.
Alternatives
Nonstandard nursing programs are becoming more commonplace. Online nursing programs are becoming more popular and a little more affordable than classroom attendance, but they're still expensive. How do I explain it? A single semester of tuition will cost you more than five years of tuition in the Philippines. This applies to every online nursing school I've taken a look at.
Of course, you don't even need a nursing degree to be a nurse in the US. You just have to be able to pass the nursing board examination for whichever state you happen to live in. This would not be a good idea. A large percentage of people fail the exams even though they've had the education. How much harder do you think it would be if you had to learn it all without going to any kind of nursing school?
US citizens and dual citizens are not required to take the nursing board examination in the Philippines. If you want to be employed as a nurse in the Philippines, or any other country besides the US, you will still need to take the examination.
Why Pursue a Nursing Career?
Ignore the rumors, if you've heard them, that there's a glut of nurses seeking employment. It just isn't true. Nurses are in high demand worldwide. In the US, a career as a nurse is rewarding, both financially and emotionally.
One of my wife's cousins works at a nurse staffing agency for on-call nurses. These nurses get paid anywhere from $35.00 to $50.00 per hour (not counting overtime) depending on the assignment. They also get per diem to cover travel expenses.
Resident nurses at hospitals get paid well too, but I can't quote any numbers. Some nurses run caregiver agencies or nursing homes and make a whole lot of money. The opportunities for qualified nurses in the US are simply amazing.
If there's something I've left out, that you need to know, please feel free to comment. I'll edit this article if necessary.
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This article is published as: Nursing Degrees in the Philippines and Nursing Careers in the United States
So how is your son doing in the Philippines for Nursing school. I'll be going there for Nursing school also, i'd like to know how he's adjusting. Also, as a U.S. citizen do you think it's better for me to get a dual or visa?
If you're a native born Filipino or the child of a Filipino prior to American citizenship, dual is the best way. It allows you to come and go without dealing with visas – ever.
My son will graduate next year, if everything works out. He's been here 5 years and if he hasn't adjusted yet, he never will.
did you say 5 years to get BS nursing in the Philippines?
Yes.
This is a very informative post and sound advice on how to attend a nursing school in the Phillipines. You're correct that these schools and training are top notch, and that is probably why so many graduates seek employment in the US for the higher wages. In addition, after a few years of experience, some enter the travel nurse arena and can pretty much pick their location. Great perks as well.
There are many areas of the USA that have an acute shortage of nurses, both LPN’s and RN’s. They often have to resort to hiring travel nurses, who really have some nice perks. Besides the higher salary, and often times a bonus at the end of the contract, they have free housing, insurance, medical, travel, etc.. If you enjoy this type of work, the rewards are great. There are also some other areas that seem to have a surplus, and nurses looking for jobs due to the economy, but that will change.
Become A Nurse recently posted..LPN Travel Nursing – Follow These Easy Steps For A Rewarding Career
Nursing is always a field in great demand. Online nursing programs are experiencing increased enrolments in many schools. There are certain areas that growth potential is incredible. Courses such as online IT degrees, medical coding, accounting, programming and engineering all are experiencing high growth in online enrollments.
Hi Mr. Cunningham,
First of all, thank you so much for your posted blog. It's very helpful and informative.
I have few questions though, I was wondering how did your son applied for the NCLEX exam – what did he write when he was asked about his citizenship on the application form for NCLEX exam since he's a dual-citizen? If you don't mind sir, did he take the Philippine local board exam? Or did he made an excuse to be exempted because what I heard is that before one can take the NCLEX exam, he/she will be asked if he/she took the local board or not; and if not, why? I hope you could help me with this because I would like to go back to the Philippines to study there but I don't know if I should apply for dual-citizenship or not. If I become a dual-citizen, I'm afraid of losing my American citizenship because there will be confusion as to how I will answer the application forms for the Philippines (school forms there – asking for "Nationality/Citizenship") and for America (NCLEX application forms – same question: "Nationality/Citizenship)).
I would really appreciate your input on this. Thank you…
He hasn't taken any exams yet. He is waiting on his transcripts and should get them in June 2011. As far as dual-citizenship goes, it wasn't a problem. You just need to make sure you bring certified copies of high school and college transcripts with you (if you're only a Filipino citizen, they want that from the local schools). When they ask for citizenship details, you enter "dual Philippines/USA" and that works for them.
I'm so sorry for the late reply. I wasn't able to log-on to the internet for the past few days. I'm really grateful to your reply and advices. I guess either way it's really better to become a dual citizen. Again, thank you very much. I wish and pray for your son's success. More power to him and to you sir. Take care and God bless.
This is a great idea. I speak with international nurses daily who would love to come to the US to work, but it can be very difficult to get the visas. I also speak with those who are having trouble finding a school that doesn't have a wait list or is even affordable to get their education.
This sounds like a solid idea. With different curriculums you will need to do a strong refresher course to pass the NCLEX in the states, but the Philippines is known for having good programs and they are in English.
Brenda recently posted..Traveling Nurse Position, Great Traveling Nurse Opportunities
yeah.. i'm from Philippines, studying nursing. Everything is fine and superb, the only thing is that, tuition fees increase every year.. And i don't like it.
what should i prefer ? PT or nursing ? need some advice and insights .. which is better among those two ? 'cause they say that studying PT is harder that nursing but in terms of job … nursing is harder .. im so confuse .. could you please help me ?
It's a choice only you can make.