2. What are specific provisions related to Nursing Education?
Complete the matrix below:
RA 9173 Provision On Nursing Education
Sec. 25. Nursing Education Program.
The nursing education program shall
provide sound general and professional
foundation for the practice of nursing.
The learning experiences shall adhere
strictly to specific requirements embodied in
the prescribed curriculum as promulgated
by the Commission on Higher Educations
policies and standards of nursing education.
1. The deletion of provision on General
Entrance Requirements (upper 40%).
2. Exclusion of the minimum number of
units for learning experiences and its venue
should be taken as an option to assume
responsibility in identifying appropriate
opportunities.
3. Learning experiences must abide by the
curriculum prescribed by the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED).
Sec. 26. Requirements For Inactive
Nurses Returning to Practice.
Nurses who have not actively practiced the
profession for five (5) consecutive years are
required to undergo one (1) month of
didactic training and three (3) months of
practicum. The Board shall accredit
hospitals to conduct the said training
program.
This is a new provision not found in any of
Purpose of Inclusion/ Improvement
1. Any student who has graduated from a
high school, duly recognized by the
government, is qualified to enroll in a nursing
education program. This responds to the
Constitutional provision that states:
Section1. The State shall protect and
promote the right of all citizens to quality
education at all levels and shall take
appropriate steps to make such education
accessible to all.
2. To provide the needed autonomy in
making choices relevant to student
assignments, and encourage creativity
among nursing educators in planning their
learning activities.
3. The purpose is to provide a sound
foundation for the practice of Nursing.
Specifically, these are: general foundation
and professional foundation.
It is a strategy toward quality assurance and
quality assurance and protection of the
welfare of clients. The competencies of an
RN who has been away from the various
practice fields, particularly the clinical area,
maybe outdated with the advancing
technology and progressive scientific
developments. The need for an RN to keep
pace with these rapid changes has been
identified, and the training program is
the earlier laws affecting nursing in the
Philippines.
Sec. 27. Qualifications of the Faculty. -
A member of the faculty in a college of
nursing technical professional courses
must:
a. Be a registered nurse in the Philippines;
b. Have at least one (1) year of clinical
practice in the field of specialization;
c. Be a member of good standing in the
accredited professional organization of
nurses; and
d. Be a holder of a masters degree in
nursing, education, or other allied medical
and health sciences conferred by a college
or university duly recognized by the
Government of the Republic of the
Philippines.
In addition to the aforementioned
qualifications, the dean of college must
have a masters degree in nursing. He/ She
must have at least five (5) years of
experience in nursing
perceived as the best strategy in preparing a
nurse to re-assume active professional roles.
a. The faculty should be a licensed nurse to
meet the minimum qualification. Acquiring
the license means that they had meet all
requirements and qualifications to practice in
the Philippines.
b. The purpose of reducing the number of
years of clinical practice in the field of
specialization in order to be qualified for the
position is to meet the academic needs of
the increasing number of students entering
the nursing profession.
c. A faculty should be a member of APO.
This organization guards and maintains the
integrity of the Nursing Profession. It also
serves as a guiding and organizing body for
the professional development of its member.
d. By the year 2000, all colleges of nursing
shall only employ faculty members with
masters degree in nursing or in other related
fields.
3. Obtain a copy of CHED memo No. 27 (AHSE Curriculum) and the recent CHED memo No.
14.s.2009. Answer the following:

a. In your assessment, what are the premises or contributing factors for the changes reflected in
CHED memo No. 14? How do you feel about these changes? What are your thoughts as to
their implementation in schools of nursing?

There has been a debate for quite so long as to what curriculum will really uplift the
nursing profession both in the academe and in the clinical setting. Upon careful assessment, we
have come up to the following factors that might contribute to the changes that had happened in
CHED Memo No. 14. First, for the past years there has been a remarkable decrease in quality
education as shown in the results of licensure examinations. Second, many BSN graduates
under the AHSE curriculum are claiming to have poor training in terms of their skills and are
having poor theoretical background in nursing. Most of the graduates are not yet ready to
function as a general nurse after passing the licensure examinations. Third, the psychological
and mental preparation of a BSN graduate under AHSE curriculum is insufficient for them to
practice the profession. There had also been many suggestions of nurses both in the academe
and clinical setting to change the curriculum into the present curriculum for them to fully prepare
each graduate to function well after graduation and passing the licensure examinations.

The changes are as follows:

Instead of the usual 79 units taken up by first year nursing students, the new guidelines
will require students to take up 93 units in 2,632 hours.
Additional 357 hours for hospital training or Related Learning Experiences (RLEs) which
will make RLEs 2,499 hours from the previous 2,142 hours
28 additional units or about three summers of schooling
 These changes for us are very significant and vital for us to uplift and regain the
reputation of nursing profession. This will hopefully enhance students knowledge and skills
while being a student. We were very happy for these changes that had happened in our
profession and we regret that we havent experienced this newly implemented curriculum.
Curriculum Development in Nursing education is a creative process intended to produce a
unified, meaningful nursing curriculum. The ultimate purpose is to create learning opportunities
that will build students professional knowledge and skills for the graduates to practice nursing
competently in a changing health care environment, thereby contributing to the health and
quality of life of those they serve.

But while the move was praised by nursing school deans and hospital administrators,
school owners and administrators opposed the order. This is primarily due to financial
constraints, thus, parents will have a more difficult time sending their children to college and
others fear that additional expenditures (with the addition of two new subjects in the Nursing
curriculum) is totally impractical and unnecessary.

b. What are the implications of these changes to nursing practice and nursing research?

This change in the nursing curriculum will provide future nurses a sufficient preparation
to practice their profession upon passing the licensure examination. This will also allow us to
have a better passing rate in the board exam for nurses. With this, nursing education will be
more organized and standardized in terms of the skills as well as theories.
The change is also a head start for tailoring a better and more comprehensive
preparatory course for professional nurses. The new curriculum also promises a very strong
foundation in research. It wont be very long before nurses get to practice evidence based
practice and every nurse gets to be a nurse researcher in their own being.
With these changes, errors in the nursing practice (at any field) may be minimized, the
quality of care may improve and the acceptance and understanding of nurses of the profession
they are in, may be honed.
This is yet however to be proven because it will take two years more, the least, to see
the result of this curriculum. A curriculum that was born also thru research, to save and improve
the standards and the practice of our beloved profession.