‘Very low prospects’ for Pinoy nurses in Europe — POEA

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has said job opportunities for Filipino nurses in Switzerland, Denmark and other European countries remain to be “minimal.”

The POEA issued the clarification that only a few nursing jobs are available in the region, following announcement from some groups that jobs for health professionals abound in Europe.

“Most countries in the European Union (EU) prioritize its citizens over foreigners looking for work in their respective countries,” POEA administrator Jennifer Manalili said in a statement posted on the agency’s website last week.

“Switzerland, for one, has temporarily blocked workers from non-EU countries,” she added.

She said Denmark has been implementing a “green card system” that allows foreign workers with specialized skills, but POEA has yet to receive job orders for Filipino nurses from that country.

Earlier, the US’ National Council of State Boards of Nursing reported a decline in the number of Filipino nurses seeking to practice their profession in the US.

In its mid-year report, the council reported that only 5,533 Filipino nurses took the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) as of June 2010, or more than 30 percent lower from the 8,272 examinees during the same period last year.

Manila-based labor recruitment agencies likewise reported that more Filipino nurses are now leaving for the United Kingdom than for the US, according to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines. – Jerrie M. Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV