Licensure and Registration

Definition of license A license is a legal document given by the government that permits a person to offer to the public his or her skills and knowledge in a particular jurisdiction, where such practice would be unlawful without license. A license to nurse is granted by the appropriate authority to applicants or candidates who have fulfilled certain established requirements. Such a license permits the nurse to practice within the country or state and gives him/her the privilege of representing him/herself as a licensed nurse. The appropriate authority to administer, implement and enforce the regulatory policies of government with respect to the regulation and licensing of the various professions and occupation under its jurisdiction is the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Purpose of obtaining a license The primary purpose of registration is to protect the health of the people by establishing minimum standards which qualified practitioners must meet. Licensure discourages certain persons who may be tempted to misrepresent themselves as nurses. It is the most important tool for legal control and enforcement of nursing practice. It is also used to gather statistical data about nurses and nursing in the country. Definition of registration Registration is the recording of names of persons who qualified under the law to practice their respective professions. Nurses names are recorded in a registry or registration book which contains the ff. Information: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Full name of registrant Number and date of registration Age, sex, and place of birth Place of business Post office address Name of school, college or university from which he or she graduated or in which he or she has studied 7. Date of such graduation or term of study, together with the time spent in the study of the profession elsewhere 8. All other degrees granted to him/her from other institutions of learning Philippine nursing act of 2002, R.A. 9173, sections 12 and 20 state that license to practice nursing shall be issued to those who pass the licensure exam or by reciprocity.

Registration by reciprocity (R.A. 9173, sec.20) Reciprocity means mutuality in the grant and enjoyment of privileges between persons or nations. As applied to the professions, it is a relation established by law, treaty or agreement between 2 countries or states, whereby each country or state grants to citizens of each other, the privilege of being admitted to the practice of the profession within their respective territorial jurisdiction. Reciprocity is based on the principle of do ut des which means that for a country to expect a favor from another, it should be willing to give a corresponding favor. SEC.20. Registration by reciprocity. A certificate of registration/professional license may be issued without examination to nurses registered under the laws of a foreign state/country. Provided, that the requirements for registration or licensing of nurses in said county are substantially the as those prescribed under this act. Provided further, that the laws of that state/country grant the same privileges to registered nurses of the Philippines on the same basis as the subjects or citizens of such foreign state or country. Specifically, these provisions are explained thus: 1. Nurses registered in the Philippines desiring to practice in said foreign state/country are granted under its laws the same privileges as those accorded to its subject or citizens and as enforced by them. Proof of such reciprocity may be verified from the Department of Foreign Affairs. 2. The applicant is a nurse registered under the law of his/her state/country. 3. The requirements for registration of licensing of nurses in a foreign country/state where the applicant is registered as nurse as substantially the same as those prescribed under this act. 4. The applicant has resided in the Philippines for at least 3 consecutive years as provided by R.A. 5181. Applicants for registration as nurses by reciprocity shall present to the Board of Nursing a properly completed application on the prescribed form, together with their respective certificates of registration as nurse granted by their state/country. In addition the ff. Shall be attached: 1. A certification from the Commission on Immigration and Deportation stating that they have been residents of the Philippines for at least (3) three years prior to registration. 2. A copy of the law or petition thereof showing reciprocal practice with the Philippines. 3. A copy of their officially approved Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum. Sec.21. Practice through special/temporary permit. A special/temporary permit may be issued by the Board to the following persons subject to the approval of the Commission and upon payment of the prescribed fees:

1. Licensed nurses from foreign countries/states whose service are either for a fee or free if they are internationally well-known specialists or outstanding experts in any branch of speciality of nursing. 2. Licensed nurses from foreign countries/states on medical mission whose services shall be in free in a particular hospital, center or clinic. 3. Licensed nurses from foreign countries/states employed by schools/colleges of nursing as exchange professors in a branch of specialty of nursing. Provided, however, that the special/temporary permit shall be effective only for the duration of the project, medical mission or employment contract. Registration by examination A. Examination and registration Sec.12. Licensure examination. All applicants for registration as a nurse and issuance of certificate of registration and professional identification card to practice nursing shall be required to pass a written examination which shall be given by the Board in such places and dates as maybe designated by the Commission. Such examination must be in accordance with and fully compliant with R.A. 8981. Sec.13. Qualifications for admission to the licensure examinations. In order to be admitted to the examination for nurses, an applicant must, at time of his or her filing of application, establish to the satisfaction of the Board that he or she: a. Is a citizen of the Philippines, or a citizen or subject of a country which permits Filipino nurses to practice within its territorial limits on the same basis as the subject or citizen of such country: Provided, that the requirements for the registration or licensing of nurses in said country are substantially the same as those prescribed in this act. b. Is of good moral character c. Is a holder of a Bachelors Degree in Nursing from a college or university that complies with the standards of nursing education duly recognized by the proper government agency. B. Requirements for examination For purpose of applying for the nursing licensure examination, the ff documents are required for each applicant: 1. Original transcript of records with Special Order from the Department of education, culture and sports unless he/she is a graduate of a level II accredited nursing program. 2. For state colleges and university, original transcript or records with date of graduation.

3. Record of actual related learning experiences for the entire Bachelor of Science in Nursing program duly signed by the Chief Nurse of the hospital or her duly authorized representative in addition to that of the Dean of the nursing school and the clinical instructor. 4. Actual number of operating room scrubs and deliveries assisted, signed by the chief nurse or her duly authorized representative in addition to that of the Dean of the nursing school and the clinical instructor. 5. Where applicable: a. Birth certificate b. Marriage certificate c. Alien certificate of naturalization d. Clearance showing dismissal of case from the Court or Prosecutors office, if any. The application form, together with the requirements, should be filed at the Professional Regulation Commission ten days prior to the 1st day of the examination. C. Fees for examination and registration Applicants for licensure and for registration shall pay the prescribed fees set by the commission. D. Scope of the examination Sec.14. Scope of the examination. The scope of examination for the practice of nursing in the Philippines shall be determined by the Board. The Board shall take into consideration the objectives of the nursing curriculum, the broad areas of nursing and other related disciplines and competencies in determining the subjects of examination. Since May 1994, an integrated comprehensive nursing licensure examination has been designed to better measure the level of competence or proficiency rather than the compartmentalized subject area examination. It cuts across clinical nursing areas where examinees answer questions that necessitate recognition and understanding or concepts, theories and principles as well as the skills and attitudes involved involve in a given test problem situation. It draws knowledge from five broad areas of nursing fundamentals of nursing, maternal and child nursing, community health nursing, nursing adolescents, adults and aged and mental health and psychiatric nursing, including physiology and anatomy, pharmacology and therapeutics, microbiology and diet and therapy. The examination shall be divided into 4 parts organized around four major goals in nursing: promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative.

E. Citizenship requirements The following citizens of the Philippines as per article IV section 1-5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Section 1. (1) Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this constitution. (2) those who elect Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions of the constitution. Section 2. A female citizen of the Philippines who marries an alien shall retain her Philippine citizenship, unless by her act or omission she is deemed under the law, to have renounced her citizenship. Section 3. The citizenship may be lost or re-acquired in the manner provided by law. Section 4. A natural-born citizen who is a citizen of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect the Philippine citizenship. In jus sanguinis doctrine, the nationality of a person is determined by the law of his descent or parentage; the child follows the citizenship of his father. In Jus soli doctrine, the nationality of a person is determined by the law of the place of his birth; the child born in a foreign country, whatever may be the citizenship of the father, is a citizen of that country. Naturalization is the act of adopting a foreigner and giving him the privileges of a native citizen. F. Rating of the Nursing Licensure Examination Sec.15. Ratings. In order to pass the examination, an examinee must obtain a general average of at least 75% with a rating of not below 60% in any subject. An examinee who obtains an average rating of 75% or higher but gets a rating of below 60% in any subject must take the examination again but only the subjects where he/she rated below 60% . in order to pass the succeeding examination, an examinee must obtain a rating of at least 75% in the subject/s repeated. Renewal examination shall be taken within 2 yrs after the last failed examination. Reconsideration of ratings. Request for reconsideration of ratings may be entertained only on grounds of mechanical, clerical, or clear errors; or if it is conclusively shown that there have been malfeasance in the rating of papers. Such requests should be filed with the Commission within 90 days from the date of official release of the examination results. It is only after the review of the test papers that the examinee shall file the request for reconsideration in accordance with the aforecited provision.

Issuance of Certificate of Registration/ Professional License and Professional ID A certificate of registration/ professional license as a nurse shall be issued to an applicant who passes the examination upon payment of the prescribed fees. It Must show the full name of registrant, serial no., signature of Chairperson of the Commission and of the Members of the Board , official seal of PRC. Renewal of license Every registered nurse shall renew his/ her license every three year with the PRC on the form prescribed, not later than the due date indicated in the Professional Regulation Commission license card and pay the prescribed fee.