watch the video here.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Nursing Shortage
Here is a news article and video about how the nursing shortage is affecting nurses at the bedside. Suzanne Gordon, a nurse and author of several books, tries to bring awareness to the public about the role of nursing. How long before hospital administrators see the light?
Miracle baby survives ovarian pregnancy
Durga Thangarajah is the only child in Australia - and possibly the world - to survive a full-term ovarian pregnancy.
Read the whole article
Read the whole article
Q:Is it possible to have asthma without wheezing?
A: Yes, it's possible to have asthma without wheezing.
Although wheezing is the most reliable sign of asthma, it's not the only sign or symptom. Other common signs and symptoms of asthma are coughing and shortness of breath.
Source: health.yahoo.com
Although wheezing is the most reliable sign of asthma, it's not the only sign or symptom. Other common signs and symptoms of asthma are coughing and shortness of breath.
Source: health.yahoo.com
Opinion: Spotlight on Nursing
by Judith G. Berg, RN, MS, FACHE
Nursing care has always been critical to hospital patients’ experiences and outcomes — and that’s about to become even more true. In October, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will eliminate additional payment to hospitals for eight complications that are viewed as being preventable. These conditions will be “ignored” as secondary diagnoses in calculating payments and will not factor into higher payment levels, which would typically be associated with higher levels of care. That translates into the possibility of hospitals’ reimbursement levels dropping if these complications are not prevented.
The eight conditions are pressure ulcers; certain preventable inpatient injuries such as fractures, dislocations, intracranial injuries, and burns; catheter-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs); vascular catheter-associated infections (BSIs); certain surgical site infections; objects left in surgery; air embolism; and blood incompatibility. CMS says this list will expand in coming years; data are already being collected on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
Most of these complications are linked to nursing care; this should result in more recognition of the value of nursing in lessening and preventing them. I hope that is the message, and that the message is heard.
Evidence shows these inpatient adverse events can be reduced. Dramatic reductions in falls, pressure ulcers, UTIs, BSIs, and surgical site infections occur when systematic improvement strategies are employed and nurses are central to the change processes. We also know these improvements happen in environments where nurses and their colleagues receive encouragement and support as they search for better ways to serve their patients. This takes committed leadership; investment in nurse time for patient care, research, and education; appropriate environments of care, including supplies and equipment; information gathering and disseminating systems both at the individual patient level and for groups of patients; and a relentless commitment to improving the patient experience.
Of course, nurses may also be held accountable for failing to prevent these complications. This could add to their levels of job stress and dissatisfaction, which could result in them leaving their jobs. Efforts to prevent errors and improve safety will be most successful if we don’t hold the individual nurse solely responsible and instead focus on changing systems and accounting for human error.
With that thought, the upcoming changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement could make nursing’s contribution to patient care and safety more visible than ever. We need to take advantage of this visibility by advocating for research and policies that reflect nursing’s core contributions to quality, and support nurses’ ability to make timely care decisions in the best interests of their patients.
Source: include.nurse.com
Nursing care has always been critical to hospital patients’ experiences and outcomes — and that’s about to become even more true. In October, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will eliminate additional payment to hospitals for eight complications that are viewed as being preventable. These conditions will be “ignored” as secondary diagnoses in calculating payments and will not factor into higher payment levels, which would typically be associated with higher levels of care. That translates into the possibility of hospitals’ reimbursement levels dropping if these complications are not prevented.
The eight conditions are pressure ulcers; certain preventable inpatient injuries such as fractures, dislocations, intracranial injuries, and burns; catheter-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs); vascular catheter-associated infections (BSIs); certain surgical site infections; objects left in surgery; air embolism; and blood incompatibility. CMS says this list will expand in coming years; data are already being collected on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
Most of these complications are linked to nursing care; this should result in more recognition of the value of nursing in lessening and preventing them. I hope that is the message, and that the message is heard.
Evidence shows these inpatient adverse events can be reduced. Dramatic reductions in falls, pressure ulcers, UTIs, BSIs, and surgical site infections occur when systematic improvement strategies are employed and nurses are central to the change processes. We also know these improvements happen in environments where nurses and their colleagues receive encouragement and support as they search for better ways to serve their patients. This takes committed leadership; investment in nurse time for patient care, research, and education; appropriate environments of care, including supplies and equipment; information gathering and disseminating systems both at the individual patient level and for groups of patients; and a relentless commitment to improving the patient experience.
Of course, nurses may also be held accountable for failing to prevent these complications. This could add to their levels of job stress and dissatisfaction, which could result in them leaving their jobs. Efforts to prevent errors and improve safety will be most successful if we don’t hold the individual nurse solely responsible and instead focus on changing systems and accounting for human error.
With that thought, the upcoming changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement could make nursing’s contribution to patient care and safety more visible than ever. We need to take advantage of this visibility by advocating for research and policies that reflect nursing’s core contributions to quality, and support nurses’ ability to make timely care decisions in the best interests of their patients.
Source: include.nurse.com
Filipino nurses a big win for Sask
Randy Burton, The StarPhoenix
It's hard to overestimate the effect of adding almost 300 nurses to the health system in a matter of months.
In one stroke, the provincial government and the health regions have made it more than one-third of the way to the goal of hiring 800 nurses over four years.
One recruiting trip to the Philippines has netted the province 297 nurses, who will begin moving to Canada over the next six months.
They will be spread across a number of different health regions centred in Saskatoon, Regina, North Battleford and Prince Albert. All of a sudden, the nursing crisis begins to look a lot more manageable.
The Saskatoon Health Region will be the biggest beneficiary of this influx with the addition of 105 nurses.
Naturally, there will be significant challenges in settling this many people in Saskatchewan's tight housing market, but given the present nursing shortage, that's a good problem to have.
Read more
It's hard to overestimate the effect of adding almost 300 nurses to the health system in a matter of months.
In one stroke, the provincial government and the health regions have made it more than one-third of the way to the goal of hiring 800 nurses over four years.
One recruiting trip to the Philippines has netted the province 297 nurses, who will begin moving to Canada over the next six months.
They will be spread across a number of different health regions centred in Saskatoon, Regina, North Battleford and Prince Albert. All of a sudden, the nursing crisis begins to look a lot more manageable.
The Saskatoon Health Region will be the biggest beneficiary of this influx with the addition of 105 nurses.
Naturally, there will be significant challenges in settling this many people in Saskatchewan's tight housing market, but given the present nursing shortage, that's a good problem to have.
Read more
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
This is a type of heart surgery. It's sometimes called CABG ("cabbage"). The surgery reroutes, or "bypasses," blood around clogged arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen to the heart.
The arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) can become clogged by plaque (a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances). This can slow or stop blood flow through the heart's blood vessels, leading to chest pain or a heart attack. Increasing blood flow to the heart muscle can relieve chest pain and reduce the risk of heart attack.
How is coronary bypass done?
Surgeons take a segment of a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body and make a detour around the blocked part of the coronary artery.
An artery may be detached from the chest wall and the open end attached to the coronary artery below the blocked area.
A piece of a long vein in your leg may be taken. One end is sewn onto the large artery leaving your heart—the aorta. The other end of the vein is attached or "grafted" to the coronary artery below the blocked area.
Either way, blood can use this new path to flow freely to the heart muscle.
A patient may undergo one, two, three or more bypass grafts, depending on how many coronary arteries are blocked.
Cardiopulmonary bypass with a pump oxygenator (heart-lung machine) is used for most coronary bypass graft operations. This means that besides the surgeon, cardiac anesthesiologist and surgical nurse, a competent perfusionist (blood flow specialist) is required.
During the past several years, more surgeons have started performing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB). In it, the heart continues beating while the bypass graft is sewn in place. In some patients, OPCAB may reduce intraoperative bleeding (and the need for blood transfusion), renal complications and postoperative neurological deficits (problems after surgery).
What happens after bypass surgery?
After surgery, the patient is moved to a hospital bed in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit. Heart rate and blood pressure monitoring devices continuously monitor the patient for 12 to 24 hours. Family members can visit periodically. Medications that regulate circulation and blood pressure may be given through the I.V. (intravenously). A breathing tube (endotracheal tube) will stay in place until the physicians are confident that the patient is awake and ready to breathe comfortably on his or her own.The patient may feel groggy and disoriented, and sites of incisions — both the chest and the leg, if a segment of blood vessel was taken from the leg — may be sore. Painkillers are given as needed.Patients usually stay in the hospital at least three to five days and sometimes longer. During this time, some tests will be done to assess and monitor the patient's condition. After release from the hospital, the patient may experience side effects such as:
Loss of appetite, constipation
Swelling in the area from which the segment of blood vessel was removed
Fatigue, mood swings, feelings of depression, difficulty sleeping
Muscle pain or tightness in the shoulders and upper back
Many of these side effects usually disappear in four to six weeks, but a full recovery may take a few months or more. The patient is usually enrolled in a physician-supervised program of cardiac rehabilitation. This program teaches stress management techniques and other important lessons (e.g., about diet and exercise) and helps people rebuild their strength and confidence.
Patients are often advised to eat less fat and cholesterol walk or do other physical activity to help regain strength. Doctors also often recommend following a home routine of increasing activity — doing light housework, going out, visiting friends, climbing stairs. The goal is to return to a normal, active lifestyle.
Most people with sedentary office jobs can return to work in four to six weeks. Those with physically demanding jobs will have to wait longer. In some cases they may have to find other employment.
The arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) can become clogged by plaque (a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances). This can slow or stop blood flow through the heart's blood vessels, leading to chest pain or a heart attack. Increasing blood flow to the heart muscle can relieve chest pain and reduce the risk of heart attack.
How is coronary bypass done?
Surgeons take a segment of a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body and make a detour around the blocked part of the coronary artery.
An artery may be detached from the chest wall and the open end attached to the coronary artery below the blocked area.
A piece of a long vein in your leg may be taken. One end is sewn onto the large artery leaving your heart—the aorta. The other end of the vein is attached or "grafted" to the coronary artery below the blocked area.
Either way, blood can use this new path to flow freely to the heart muscle.
A patient may undergo one, two, three or more bypass grafts, depending on how many coronary arteries are blocked.
Cardiopulmonary bypass with a pump oxygenator (heart-lung machine) is used for most coronary bypass graft operations. This means that besides the surgeon, cardiac anesthesiologist and surgical nurse, a competent perfusionist (blood flow specialist) is required.
During the past several years, more surgeons have started performing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB). In it, the heart continues beating while the bypass graft is sewn in place. In some patients, OPCAB may reduce intraoperative bleeding (and the need for blood transfusion), renal complications and postoperative neurological deficits (problems after surgery).
What happens after bypass surgery?
After surgery, the patient is moved to a hospital bed in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit. Heart rate and blood pressure monitoring devices continuously monitor the patient for 12 to 24 hours. Family members can visit periodically. Medications that regulate circulation and blood pressure may be given through the I.V. (intravenously). A breathing tube (endotracheal tube) will stay in place until the physicians are confident that the patient is awake and ready to breathe comfortably on his or her own.The patient may feel groggy and disoriented, and sites of incisions — both the chest and the leg, if a segment of blood vessel was taken from the leg — may be sore. Painkillers are given as needed.Patients usually stay in the hospital at least three to five days and sometimes longer. During this time, some tests will be done to assess and monitor the patient's condition. After release from the hospital, the patient may experience side effects such as:
Loss of appetite, constipation
Swelling in the area from which the segment of blood vessel was removed
Fatigue, mood swings, feelings of depression, difficulty sleeping
Muscle pain or tightness in the shoulders and upper back
Many of these side effects usually disappear in four to six weeks, but a full recovery may take a few months or more. The patient is usually enrolled in a physician-supervised program of cardiac rehabilitation. This program teaches stress management techniques and other important lessons (e.g., about diet and exercise) and helps people rebuild their strength and confidence.
Patients are often advised to eat less fat and cholesterol walk or do other physical activity to help regain strength. Doctors also often recommend following a home routine of increasing activity — doing light housework, going out, visiting friends, climbing stairs. The goal is to return to a normal, active lifestyle.
Most people with sedentary office jobs can return to work in four to six weeks. Those with physically demanding jobs will have to wait longer. In some cases they may have to find other employment.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Pop Pills at your own Peril
By Sarah Scrafford
It’s not just stupid, it’s plain dangerous – this practice of popping pills without consulting a qualified physician. The drug may be available without a prescription or left over from a previous prescription and labeled safe by the FDA, but that’s certainly no reason to take it without medical supervision. If the fact that 8 percent of patients admitted to hospitals were there because of complications from self-medication is not enough to convince you to avoid OTC medication like the plague, read on:
· That common cold may be the harbinger of worse ailments and that nagging fever may be much more than a simple viral infection. Suppressing the symptoms with OTC drugs only makes you overlook the underlying disease, and this could lead to serious consequences.
· Medicines available OTC come with side effects that lead to other medical complications
· When one OTC drug is taken in combination with another (or more), they may either cancel or enhance each other’s effect.
· Most people do not read the labels properly when dosing themselves with OTC medicines and get the dosage and frequency wrong more often than not. The National Consumer League reports that of the 175 million Americans who take OTC drugs, 44 percent exceed the recommended dosage.
· Even if they do read the dosage correctly, they may take more than one dose in order to reduce symptoms and get relief more quickly, an action that is not advisable as it may lead to unforeseen consequences.
· Some medicines, when taken with alcohol or other stimulants, cause adverse reactions
· OTC drugs may contain chemicals that cause rashes or hives in people allergic to them.
· OTC drugs negate the effects of prescribed drugs for serious ailments like hypertension and lead to other complications.
· Painkillers prescribed for one kind of pain may not be suitable or apt in treating and curing another. Taking pain medication without a prescription is not advisable as most painkillers are filled with strong chemicals.
Kidney failure, blindness, rashes, allergic reactions, stroke, kidney and liver damage, stomach bleeding and ulcers are just a few of the complications that arise from irresponsible use of OTC drugs. So instead of reaching for the medicine cabinet every time you feel a headache coming on or a cold creeping in, try alternative, natural remedies to relieve yourself. A hot bowl of soup, a warm bath, a brisk walk in the park, or even an hour of sleep or relaxation will do you a world of good. Exercising is an excellent way to get your body to release natural pain killers like dopamine. Remember, drugs are life-saving only if they are used judiciously; if not, they can turn the tables on you and turn killers.
Sarah Scrafford is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of RN. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.
It’s not just stupid, it’s plain dangerous – this practice of popping pills without consulting a qualified physician. The drug may be available without a prescription or left over from a previous prescription and labeled safe by the FDA, but that’s certainly no reason to take it without medical supervision. If the fact that 8 percent of patients admitted to hospitals were there because of complications from self-medication is not enough to convince you to avoid OTC medication like the plague, read on:
· That common cold may be the harbinger of worse ailments and that nagging fever may be much more than a simple viral infection. Suppressing the symptoms with OTC drugs only makes you overlook the underlying disease, and this could lead to serious consequences.
· Medicines available OTC come with side effects that lead to other medical complications
· When one OTC drug is taken in combination with another (or more), they may either cancel or enhance each other’s effect.
· Most people do not read the labels properly when dosing themselves with OTC medicines and get the dosage and frequency wrong more often than not. The National Consumer League reports that of the 175 million Americans who take OTC drugs, 44 percent exceed the recommended dosage.
· Even if they do read the dosage correctly, they may take more than one dose in order to reduce symptoms and get relief more quickly, an action that is not advisable as it may lead to unforeseen consequences.
· Some medicines, when taken with alcohol or other stimulants, cause adverse reactions
· OTC drugs may contain chemicals that cause rashes or hives in people allergic to them.
· OTC drugs negate the effects of prescribed drugs for serious ailments like hypertension and lead to other complications.
· Painkillers prescribed for one kind of pain may not be suitable or apt in treating and curing another. Taking pain medication without a prescription is not advisable as most painkillers are filled with strong chemicals.
Kidney failure, blindness, rashes, allergic reactions, stroke, kidney and liver damage, stomach bleeding and ulcers are just a few of the complications that arise from irresponsible use of OTC drugs. So instead of reaching for the medicine cabinet every time you feel a headache coming on or a cold creeping in, try alternative, natural remedies to relieve yourself. A hot bowl of soup, a warm bath, a brisk walk in the park, or even an hour of sleep or relaxation will do you a world of good. Exercising is an excellent way to get your body to release natural pain killers like dopamine. Remember, drugs are life-saving only if they are used judiciously; if not, they can turn the tables on you and turn killers.
Sarah Scrafford is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of RN. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
June Visa Bulletin
From the American Association of Foreign Educated Nurses :
The June Visa Bulletin has been published. Unfortunately, there has been no changes in the status of EB-3 visas from the May Bulletin.
The only changes that did take effect was that EB-2 visas for China and India moved forward 3 months to April 1, 2004.
There are 3 pieces of legislation working its way through the US Congress.
H.R. 5924 seeks to lift retrogression for Schedule A workers. The Bill, if it becomes law, will set aside 20,000 visas annually for healthcare workers.
H.R. 5882 seeks to recapture unused visas from 1992 to 2007. These would be work-related visas. While the Bill does not single out healthcare workers, it does set a minimum of 226,000 visas to be recaptured, so there should be plenty for healthcare workers.
S 2838 "Global Competitive Act of 2008" seeks to recapture 61,000 visas for healthcare workers.
The June Visa Bulletin has been published. Unfortunately, there has been no changes in the status of EB-3 visas from the May Bulletin.
The only changes that did take effect was that EB-2 visas for China and India moved forward 3 months to April 1, 2004.
There are 3 pieces of legislation working its way through the US Congress.
H.R. 5924 seeks to lift retrogression for Schedule A workers. The Bill, if it becomes law, will set aside 20,000 visas annually for healthcare workers.
H.R. 5882 seeks to recapture unused visas from 1992 to 2007. These would be work-related visas. While the Bill does not single out healthcare workers, it does set a minimum of 226,000 visas to be recaptured, so there should be plenty for healthcare workers.
S 2838 "Global Competitive Act of 2008" seeks to recapture 61,000 visas for healthcare workers.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
More Med Students Won’t Mean More Doctors
WSJ Health Blog
After 25 years without much growth, the U.S. is about to start cranking out lots more young MDs. The number of first-year med students will grow 20% between 2002 and 2012, according to a report out this week from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
As new schools open and existing schools expand, the number of first-year students will be 20,000 by 2012, according to the report. During the same period, the number of first-year students at osteopathic med schools (which grant the DO degree) is expected to grow from about 2,000 to a little over 5,000.
Expanding med schools here will be good news for all those nervous pre-meds fighting for scarce slots, but it may not do much to ease what many believe is a looming physician shortage.
After med school, young docs have to go through medical residency before they can strike out on their own — and there are already well over 20,000 residency slots every year.
The gap between the number of graduating U.S. MDs and DOs and the number of first-year residents is filled by grads of foreign med schools. Among those starting residencies this summer, more than 1,500 are U.S. citizens who graduated from overseas schools, and another 3,100 are foreign grads of those schools, according to the National Resident Match Program. Thousands more applied for slots and didn’t get them.
So the real question is what’s going to happen to the number of residency slots. “I really can’t predict what’s likely,” Edward Salsberg, who runs the AAMC’s Center for Workforce Studies, told the Health Blog. “I had been thinking we would see a slow, very limited growth.” But the feds are the source of most residency funding, and Washington’s been making noises to suggest more residency dollars may not be coming anytime soon, Salsberg said.
That means the number of ready-to-practice doctors coming out of the pipeline may be about the same in four or five years as it is now.
(c)Wall Street Journal
After 25 years without much growth, the U.S. is about to start cranking out lots more young MDs. The number of first-year med students will grow 20% between 2002 and 2012, according to a report out this week from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
As new schools open and existing schools expand, the number of first-year students will be 20,000 by 2012, according to the report. During the same period, the number of first-year students at osteopathic med schools (which grant the DO degree) is expected to grow from about 2,000 to a little over 5,000.
Expanding med schools here will be good news for all those nervous pre-meds fighting for scarce slots, but it may not do much to ease what many believe is a looming physician shortage.
After med school, young docs have to go through medical residency before they can strike out on their own — and there are already well over 20,000 residency slots every year.
The gap between the number of graduating U.S. MDs and DOs and the number of first-year residents is filled by grads of foreign med schools. Among those starting residencies this summer, more than 1,500 are U.S. citizens who graduated from overseas schools, and another 3,100 are foreign grads of those schools, according to the National Resident Match Program. Thousands more applied for slots and didn’t get them.
So the real question is what’s going to happen to the number of residency slots. “I really can’t predict what’s likely,” Edward Salsberg, who runs the AAMC’s Center for Workforce Studies, told the Health Blog. “I had been thinking we would see a slow, very limited growth.” But the feds are the source of most residency funding, and Washington’s been making noises to suggest more residency dollars may not be coming anytime soon, Salsberg said.
That means the number of ready-to-practice doctors coming out of the pipeline may be about the same in four or five years as it is now.
(c)Wall Street Journal
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Hotels near Pearsonvue
Philippines.
Here's a list of hotels near Pearsonvue. visit their websites, call them then choose which best suits your needs. If you would like to avail of any accommodations, it is better to book yourself as early as possible.
City Garden Hotel Makati - http://www.citygardenhotels.com/makati/main.html
Salcedo Suites - http://www.salcedosuites-makati.com
-LPL Manor Building, 116 L.P. Leviste Street,Salcedo Village, Makati City
Fersall Inn - http://www.fersalinn.com.ph/makati/index.php
Makati Prime Tower Suites - http://www.makatiprimetowersuites.com
Oxford Suites - http://www.oxfordsuites-makati.com/
Sunnete Tower - http://www.sunette.com.ph/index.php
Mandarin Oriental Manila - http://www.mandarinoriental.com/hotel/511000010.asp
Makati Palace Hotel - http://www.makatipalacehotel.com.ph/mph2/
-5011 P. Burgos corner Caceres StreetsMakati CityTel: (02) 899-0344
CEO Suites - http://www.mnlceosuites.com.ph/
Jupiter Suites - http://www.jupiterarms.com
Millennium Plaza - http://www.millenniumplaza.com.ph
Century Citadel Inn - (632) 897-2370, (63+2) 897-2666
-5007 P. Burgos St. and Kalayaan St.Bel-Air Makati City
Traveler's Inn Makati - (632) 897-1771
Tiara Oriental Hotel (632) 7297888 e-mail: sales@tiara.com.ph
St. Illian's Inn - http://www.saintilliansinn.com/index.php
Regine’s- 339 Gil J Puyat Ave.Makati CityTel: (02) 899-9594
Here's a list of hotels near Pearsonvue. visit their websites, call them then choose which best suits your needs. If you would like to avail of any accommodations, it is better to book yourself as early as possible.
City Garden Hotel Makati - http://www.citygardenhotels.com/makati/main.html
Salcedo Suites - http://www.salcedosuites-makati.com
-LPL Manor Building, 116 L.P. Leviste Street,Salcedo Village, Makati City
Fersall Inn - http://www.fersalinn.com.ph/makati/index.php
Makati Prime Tower Suites - http://www.makatiprimetowersuites.com
Oxford Suites - http://www.oxfordsuites-makati.com/
Sunnete Tower - http://www.sunette.com.ph/index.php
Mandarin Oriental Manila - http://www.mandarinoriental.com/hotel/511000010.asp
Makati Palace Hotel - http://www.makatipalacehotel.com.ph/mph2/
-5011 P. Burgos corner Caceres StreetsMakati CityTel: (02) 899-0344
CEO Suites - http://www.mnlceosuites.com.ph/
Jupiter Suites - http://www.jupiterarms.com
Millennium Plaza - http://www.millenniumplaza.com.ph
Century Citadel Inn - (632) 897-2370, (63+2) 897-2666
-5007 P. Burgos St. and Kalayaan St.Bel-Air Makati City
Traveler's Inn Makati - (632) 897-1771
Tiara Oriental Hotel (632) 7297888 e-mail: sales@tiara.com.ph
St. Illian's Inn - http://www.saintilliansinn.com/index.php
Regine’s- 339 Gil J Puyat Ave.Makati CityTel: (02) 899-9594
Monday, May 5, 2008
France set to hire Nurses & IT pros
France wants to hire thousands of “competent Filipino workers,” including nurses and information technology professionals.
French Ambassador Gérald Chesnel said discussions on the possible signing of an agreement are underway as his government has already expressed its intent to open his country’s doors to skilled Filipino workers to address France’s labor market needs.
“We are in the process of discussions with the Philippine government. We have already signed the letter of intent and we hope to sign the formal agreement this year,” he said.
Last February, Brice Hortefeux, French Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity, and Co-Development, expressed Paris’ interest in forging an agreement with Manila to address the needs of its labor market.
The parties involved in the signing are the French Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity, and Co-Development, the Department of Labor (DoLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Philippines is among the Asian countries qualified under the third-category quota policy set by the Attali Commission. Countries in the third category are those with which France has “traditional links,” including several Asian and African nations.
Chesnel said his government has softened its immigration laws benefiting Filipinos who intend to work in France.
“Those who are coming are people who can be useful to France and who can be also usefully trained and useful to the Philippines when they come back. Our policy is not to make brain drain. We think the best thing we can do is to have your competent people to come to France to work for six, nine, 10 years and then they go back to the Philippines,” he explained.
Chesnel said under the new immigration system, the Filipino workers will leave 20 percent of their salary with either their employer or government and they will get it when they go back to the Philippines. “There’s certain condition they have to use the money to create their own enterprise,” he said.
Needed in France are those engaged in electronics, IT professionals and particularly nurses who, he said, “we don’t have enough in France.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs records showed that there are about 65,000 Filipino workers in France, half of whom are illegally staying.
French Ambassador Gérald Chesnel said discussions on the possible signing of an agreement are underway as his government has already expressed its intent to open his country’s doors to skilled Filipino workers to address France’s labor market needs.
“We are in the process of discussions with the Philippine government. We have already signed the letter of intent and we hope to sign the formal agreement this year,” he said.
Last February, Brice Hortefeux, French Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity, and Co-Development, expressed Paris’ interest in forging an agreement with Manila to address the needs of its labor market.
The parties involved in the signing are the French Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity, and Co-Development, the Department of Labor (DoLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Philippines is among the Asian countries qualified under the third-category quota policy set by the Attali Commission. Countries in the third category are those with which France has “traditional links,” including several Asian and African nations.
Chesnel said his government has softened its immigration laws benefiting Filipinos who intend to work in France.
“Those who are coming are people who can be useful to France and who can be also usefully trained and useful to the Philippines when they come back. Our policy is not to make brain drain. We think the best thing we can do is to have your competent people to come to France to work for six, nine, 10 years and then they go back to the Philippines,” he explained.
Chesnel said under the new immigration system, the Filipino workers will leave 20 percent of their salary with either their employer or government and they will get it when they go back to the Philippines. “There’s certain condition they have to use the money to create their own enterprise,” he said.
Needed in France are those engaged in electronics, IT professionals and particularly nurses who, he said, “we don’t have enough in France.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs records showed that there are about 65,000 Filipino workers in France, half of whom are illegally staying.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Visa Update
Latest News:
(04/29/08) - Rep. Wexler (D-FL) introduced H.R. 5924. The legislation has not been published, but it is understood to include the following:
It will lift retrogression for Schedule A workers (Registered Nurses and Physical Therapists). Visa quotas and/or caps are eliminated for "Shortage Occupations" provided that I-140 is filed before September 30, 2011.
The USCIS must review (and approve or issue a RFE) all Schedule A I-140 cases within 30 days of receipt.
A link to the body of the legislation will be provided once it has been published.
(04/23/2008) - Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced H.R. 5882: "To recapture employment-based immigrant visas lost to bureaucratic delays and to prevent losses of family- and employment-based immigrant visas in the future."
This Bill is a new attempt by the House to overcome retrogression. It seeks to recapture unused visas from fiscal years 1992 through 2007. While the exact number of recaptured visas is uncertain, the bill states that there will be a minimum of 226,000 visas reissued.
source: aafen.org
(04/29/08) - Rep. Wexler (D-FL) introduced H.R. 5924. The legislation has not been published, but it is understood to include the following:
It will lift retrogression for Schedule A workers (Registered Nurses and Physical Therapists). Visa quotas and/or caps are eliminated for "Shortage Occupations" provided that I-140 is filed before September 30, 2011.
The USCIS must review (and approve or issue a RFE) all Schedule A I-140 cases within 30 days of receipt.
A link to the body of the legislation will be provided once it has been published.
(04/23/2008) - Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced H.R. 5882: "To recapture employment-based immigrant visas lost to bureaucratic delays and to prevent losses of family- and employment-based immigrant visas in the future."
This Bill is a new attempt by the House to overcome retrogression. It seeks to recapture unused visas from fiscal years 1992 through 2007. While the exact number of recaptured visas is uncertain, the bill states that there will be a minimum of 226,000 visas reissued.
source: aafen.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Click to subscribe to PhilNurse
An Online group for & by Filipino
Nurses
