Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa is considering forming a national nursing advisory council to address the difficulties of Filipino nurses, who are frequently overworked but underpaid.
Herbosa told reporters on Monday that he would release an administrative order establishing an advisory group for both public and private sector nurses.
The council will be led by a de facto chief nursing officer who will also serve as an undersecretary.
According to Herbosa, nursing groups are pushing him to appoint a chief nursing officer, but he stressed that he will do more than that by creating a whole council.
The nursing council will address the issues—not only the exam but also the work-life balance of Filipino nurses—as a source of motivation for staying and fighting in the respective field, he added.
The Health secretary also stated that he will petition Congress to make the appointment of a chief nursing officer legal.
Meanwhile, Filipino Nurses United said that over 100,000 private-sector nurses earn P537 per day in Metro Manila and much less in areas outside the capital city. Although they are paid more, nurses in the government sector face work and patient overload.
Nurses are forced to go abroad due to low pay and a severe workload.
