The Labor Secretary, Rosalinda Baldoz happily announces that the bridging program that will allow Filipino nurses and nursing educators (RNs) to practice their profession in Australia has started this month.

Baldoz also informed that initially, the participants for the program will be 100 Registered Nurses and 30  nursing educators.

The bridging program is the result of a partnership between DOLE- Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Monash University. They are also working with the support of Commission on Higher Education and selected Philippine universities. The participatimg nursing schools are those belonging to the top 20 higher education institutions (HEIs) based on the performance in the Philippine’s nursing licensure examination.

The program is funded by Aus-Aid but airfare and accommodation will be shouldered by the participants.

Info About the Bridging Program

The program curriculum has been designed to run for 12 weeks: five weeks for online learning in the Philippines; one week for face to face intensive program, including lectures, tutorials, and simulations in Melbourne; and six weeks for clinical placement, also in Melbourne.

The bridging program has five modules. (1) context of health care in Australia; (2) the Australian health care system; (3) the Australian legal system; (4) regulation of nursing in Australia; and (5) safety in health care in Australia.

Participants’ learning progress during the program will be assessed through online quizzes, essays, and written examinations. They will be acquainted with a variety of online materials, including articles, textbook extracts, podcasts, and videos relating to Australia’s health care culture.

PRC Chairman Teresita R. Manzala, in her report to Secretary Baldoz, said participants in the program will undergo extensive training.

“Clinical placement for the nurses and nursing educators will be done after the participants have passed the first six weeks of the program,” she said.

She explained that a comparative analysis done by Monash University on the Philippine nursing curriculum and Australian standards for nursing showed there is a high level of congruence between the Bachelor of Nursing programs of the two countries; this led to the design of the program.

From: NursingGuide.ph