CPD UPDATE: Nurses get PRC's nod on 6 key points

Nurses and health care activists rallied in front of the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) in Manila on Monday, April 10, 2017 to condemn the implementation of the new CPD Law and got favorable commitments from Board of Nursing.

Members of the Filipino Nurses United (FNU) and Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) criticized the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Law of 2016 a mandatory money-making scheme and a burden on medical professionals.

The new CPD Law was sponsored by Senator Antonio Trillanes III and passed last July 2016. Based on PRC bulletin, it will require nurses and other professionals to earn credit units for license renewal starting July 2017.

PRC Board of Nursing then held dialogue with AHW/FNU representatives, and the following key points were agreed upon/committed nursing officials:

1. All government health workers employees will be given free CPD Programs for them to earn 20 units per year (for nurses) as required by the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the CPD Law.

2. Accredited professional organizations like the PNA shall be mandated to provide free CPD Training/Seminars (upon request) for groups of unemployed or health professionals assigned in far flung areas/communities, irregardless of their membership status.

3. IV Therapy Training shall not be required for employment or promotion. There is no need to renew the IVT card. IVT Training shall be provided by the hospital as part of there in-service training programs at no cost for the nurses.

4. THE AHW/FNU proposal to extend the deadline for the CPD implementation for health workers to July 2017 or until the time that the DOH and its attached agencies are prepared to become accredited providers shall be taken up during the PRC Commissioners' En-Banc meeting. Their decision shall be made public on April 27, 2017.

5. A Memorandum Circular shall be issued by PRC-BON not later than April 19, 2017 to all Chief Nurses/Nursing Directors that IV Training is not a requirement for employment and promotion.

6. Registration of all CPD programs shall be made free of charged for all government agencies.




It was also mentioned during the dialogue that PRC will recognize the in-service trainings OFW nurses acquired from hospitals abroad. Nurses must bring their certificates to Philippine consulates or embassies for assessment every year. In the absence of certificates, fliers and official narrative will be accepted.

For more updates on the new CPD law and its implementation for nurses, please Like and follow Infonurses.com in Facebook. [With reports from Fnu Up-pgh and Myck Romero in Facebook | Photo credits: FNU Nasyunal]