Health Carousel Philippines Helped Nurses Prepare for First NLE Exam in More Than 19 Months

June 26, 2021 - Manila, Philippines: International healthcare recruitment agency Health Carousel Philippines announces the results of its first Nurse Licensure Exam Masterclass that helped student nurses prepare for their rescheduled professional licensure exam. In total, 1,300 attendees benefited from more than 5,000 student-hours of training provided by an expert panel of nurse educators during June.

The Masterclass was successful as the combined pass rate of participants who sat for the NLE, whose graduation year averaged 2015, was a very high 87%. This compares favorably to the overall results of the June 2021 NLE exam that had a pass rate of just 65%.  Statistically, the Masterclass, therefore, contributed 35 additional new nurses to the Philippines healthcare workforce. This is particularly important as nurses are being pushed to their limits during the current pandemic. Further, four of the NLE Masterclass attendees made it onto the list of the top 10 NLE passers.

“Thank you Health Carousel Philippines for the NLE Masterclass . . . This was of great help for me. You helped me achieve my goal in life of becoming an nurse.’’ - Masterclass attendee and June 2021 NLE Passer

The two-part Nurse Licensure Exam (NLE) Masterclass, funded and promoted by Health Carousel Philippines, featured Dr. Ray Gapuz, Academic Director and Curriculum Designer, Ray A. Gapuz Review System, and Dr. Glenda Arquiza, Former Chair of the Philippines Professional Regulatory Board of Nursing as the lead instructors.

Health Carousel Philippines developed the NLE Masterclass to assist student nurses who have faced 15 months of pandemic-induced educational hardships including forced virtual learning, inaccessibility of in-hospital clinical training, and canceled licensure examinations.

A Corporate Remedy for a Global Nursing Shortage

“Sponsoring this training was the right thing to do,” stated Marivic Doctor, President of Health Carousel Philippines.

“Philippines student nurses are facing unprecedented learning obstacles in their final year of school and success on their professional exam is needed more now than at any time before,” continued Doctor. The need for nursing services within the Philippines is surging and healthcare organizations across the world depend on the Philippines to remain the premier provider of quality nurses.

“Philippines student nurses are facing unprecedented learning obstacles in their final year of school and success on their professional exam is needed more now than at any time before.” - Marivic Doctor, President, Health Carousel Philippines

Health Carousel Philippines and Health Carousel, LLC, has a history of seeking out and creating programs such as this NLE Masterclass to develop and grow the supply of nurses in the Philippines and across the globe. It’s part of their corporate culture, and collectively these efforts make up their joint ‘Light the Way’ initiative that focuses on global nursing sustainability and ethical recruitment.”

Pandemic Fuels Test-Taking Uncertainty

Pandemic-related cancellations and postponements of the Philippines NLE exams have put student nurses at a test-taking disadvantage. Historically the NLE is held twice annually in May and November. This has not been the case as of late.

Both exam dates in 2020 were canceled with the next available date scheduled for May 2021. The May 2021 exam was canceled just weeks before testing was to begin. Then, just two weeks later, the first testing session of 2021 was rescheduled “due to the urgent call of the government to augment the workforce of the medical professions, especially the Registered Nurses, on the country’s battle against COVID-19 pandemic.” The rescheduled test dates of July 3-4 have since passed.

Aside from the testing a few days ago, the NLE exam has not been administered since November 2019, postponing the entry of an estimated 20,000 new Philippines nurses into the profession. The NLE cancellations have forced some students to wait many months from the end of their academic program to sit for the exam, a practice most test prep experts warn may adversely affect the likelihood of obtaining a passing mark.

Restored Confidence and Refreshed Clinical Knowledge

The NLE Masterclass was well-received by the student nurses that participated. Ninety-eight percent found the information provided to be of value in passing their upcoming exam. Attendee comments frequently complemented the educators on their engaging and reassuring teaching methods.

“Based on the student feedback we received from our first NLE Masterclass, we’ll hold another event this Fall to prepare students for the November NLE test date,” commented Doctor.

One thing is certain, attendees of Health Carousel Philippines’ NLE Masterclass indicated they had greater confidence in their abilities and a better understanding of test-taking strategy. Sometimes that’s all it takes to succeed.