About my college education: Studying Nursing was definitely an interesting experience and at the same time very demanding. Interesting in the sense that we get to study how the human body works, how diseases affect people and how do we cure it. But at the same time, it can be pretty difficult. Nursing is a serious profession; we deal with people's lives, so we were trained never to commit any mistake. The demand for us to do well is tremendous.

My current job: I am currently working in the hospital as an Emergency Room Staff Nurse which cares for individuals having ailments that needs immediate medical attention.

Am I using what I learned in college: What I've learned in the university was definitely very useful in my career. Knowing the reasons for everything that concerns a patient's treatment definitely increased my confidence. The skills they taught the students in the university definitely helped a lot during the actual work.

How long did it take to find a job: After graduating and passing the board exam, we needed to complete several training which is required in the profession. Completing trainings definitely took some time and it took me one year before finally landing a job.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Nursing basically is a profession that is based from calling. It is not an easy job. We handle people's lives so you can expect your working environment to be very stressful. But if you have the passion to help people, nursing is definitely the career for you.

About my college education: Beauty and Brains. =)
Kidding aside, I know people always say to become a nurse, you must possess T.L.C (tender, loving & caring) personalities, which are actually just synonymous to each other.
Honestly, I've never seen myself having those criteria. I even had a hard time with all those bedside care since, as I always say, 'I don't know how to care'. How do we learn to care?
I am actually lucky to be in an Adventist University where, always, during our duties, patients and staff nurses would want our care than all the other students/schools blocked there. They always say, it's on the way we handle our patients, the way we talk to them, the way we care and pray for them.

To become a nurse, you only have one thing to possess, BE HUMAN. Imagine you are the patient. Be someone whom patients under your care, will always be looking for you and when next day on your duty and they're still there, they would say 'I miss your presence; your care'. Simply be the person that those in the bed of sickness, situated in a four-corner room, would utter in full sincerity, "Thank you, Nurse."

So, is it interesting, difficult, enjoyable, challenging? I say, it was all of the above. I mean, I get to experience exactly all those things, both in the campus as a university student and in the field of duty as a student nurse.

My current job: I am currently employed as a school nurse.

Am I using what I learned in college: With all honesty, I am only using some of the knowledge I gained from the university. It was like, barely 1/4 of what I learned, as in Nursing, we are barely exposed to school nursing.
But, nonetheless, I am still able to apply the fundamentals, assessment techniques, decision-making skills, basic first aids, and interpersonal skills. Again, if I have to enumerate all those skills, I still have to put in together to being exactly, a nurse.

How long did it take to find a job: It took me at least a year after graduation because, when we graduated in March, we are still BSN graduates, until we took the Nurse's Licensure Examination in December of the same year and got the results in February the next year. Waiting for us to become Registered Nurses took some time. Then I got my first job not related to my course (ESL Instructor) on the same month I passed and finally in August, I was hired as a School Nurse.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: If you're looking for a job in the Philippines as a Registered Nurse, think twice and thrice. We are all aware that the enrollment of this course has gone down to its lowest. Many registered nurses are either exploited or works in another field. So, basically, if you want to earn and become rich, nursing in the Philippines (U.S, probably, after gaining some experience that would be hard nowadays) is not the answer. But, if you wanted to be of service to your fellow, then, enroll!

About my college education: Nursing is quite interesting. There's 3 very important things to it: Knowledge. Skills. Attitude. Difficult, yes. Not only you have to hone your skills and build blocks of knowledge, but you also have to put your heart into it. In nursing you cannot excel by having just one or two out of three. All three come together, without the other it will make you incompetent in your profession.

My current job: For the mean time, I am working as a Sales Agent at the Bank of the Phillipine Island, Inc. It is not really related to my nursing education per se. The only way it is connected is perhaps the interpersonal skills which I developed as a nursing student.

How long did it take to find a job: I'm a fresh graduate who recently took the July 2011 NLE. I am positive though that within a year after getting my license I will be able to practice in a hospital considering my connections.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Yes. According to a recent study, the top degrees for the next decade; 2020 and health care degrees rank as top 1. these includes medical assistants, medical technicians, and NURSES. these degrees have an average earning of $28,300 for medical assistants, $30,610 for medical technicians, and $62,450 for NURSES (http://education.yahoo.net​/articles/degrees_for_the_​next_decade.htm?kid=1BWAL) On top of that, your life will change, you perspective about life will change, you, as a person will be a better as ever.

About my college education: Nursing has been a very big challenge when I was still studying. It is difficult in such a way that, there are many diseases known and the nursing care provided vary per case. It only becomes difficult if you don't get to experience them in the clinical setting and only know them theoretically. Knowledge and experience therefore, are very vital in the Nursing course.

My current job: I am a Nurse Analyst, and I work for Accenture. It is related to my course because I get to talk to patients and to many nurses in the United States, over the phone. I usually provide them with the necessary health teachings suitable for their case, and help foreign nurses make clinical judgments.

How long did it take to find a job: All of us are aware about the crisis that the Nursing profession is currently experiencing. Nowadays, its really hard to get a job. I am currently employed, but I am not practicing my profession in the clinical setting.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Yes. Nursing is an excellent course to take. It is known worldwide. It is beneficial to many people, especially to the sick. However, to those who'd like to get a job immediately right after graduating, this is not the right choice. I hope that they'll get to understand the said crisis I talked about earlier.

I highly recommend nursing to those who dream of becoming a nurse, to those who are willing to wait, to those who prioritize health above anything else, and to those willing to serve the sick. If you are not this person, don't choose Nursing.

About my college education: studying BS Nursing is mixed emotions. There are moments I felt it was very difficult because of all the exams and the idea that we are dealing with real.people makes the experience more challenging and hard. But it is also fun and interesting at the same time because we can attend to the health needs of our families because we ourselves know the theories

The skills and attitudes one needs to succeed in this course are dedication, perseverance, honesty, passion and fear of God. One must be dedicated and persevere to graduate and learn all they need to become good nurses. He or she must also.be honest when it comes to interventions they do.especially in observing surgical sterility since it will affect much the patients postoperative status and also fear of God so God will help every single one of us in attaining our dreams in life.

My current job: I am an anesthesia nurse now in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This has been one of my dreams because being inclined in anesthesia is a very difficult job. We assist anesthesiologist in giving anesthesia to patients and we even have the opportunity to learn the science of giving anesthesia to patients.

Am I using what I learned in college: Not really. In the actual setting, the theories don't really apply. Especially if you will be working in the government setting. A nurse has to be resourceful to survive in the hospital setting in the Philippines. Like using IV bottles instead of urinals..;)

How long did it take to find a job: It took me 4 months after graduation, since I needed to take board exam first before working. after the board I tried voluntary work before being a staff nurse.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Nursing is basically for people who loves human anatomy and biology. If you are the kind of person who can explore inside body parts of cats and can deal with fresh blood then you can be a part of this profession. Of course, the most critical reason to take this course is the intention to promote health and wellness of people.

Salary level:
In the Philippines the salary is low. On the bright side, you can have good opportunities abroad and earn lots of money.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: just follow these steps:
- always study hard right from the start because the fundamental concepts are background knowledge needed for future lessons
- be patient with patients ;) always treat patients during hospital duties as if they were your family members
- respect the money that your parents are giving you, nursing is a very expensive profession so make the best out of everyday
- fight your fears.. if you fear a particular nursing intervention then you need to face it..you will learn definitely
- if in case you had difficulties try to relay for a moment then think of the smiles that your patients will give you once you cared and made them happy (:

Why did I choose Nursing: Because it suits my field of interest. And I love the idea of gaining knowledge regarding health, how to improve it and how to maintain it through nursing.

About my college education: Studying this course was a bit difficult and at the same time interesting. To pass this course you must have a patience because this course requires you to dwell on different kinds of people. And you must also have the readiness to learn a lot of things because when you study nursing, you are studying life.

My current job: A Community Health Nurse

Am I using what I learned in college: Yes, but not all. There's really a difference when it comes to practice. You can't really follow all the standards of practice written in books because of some external factors in the work area. The basics are the one that is usually followed but I make sure my performance isn't affected buy this difference in practice.

How long did it take to find a job: 6 months.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Employment opportunities - if I am going to be honest...not so much, I have some friends who have difficulty finding a job after graduating because of low demand of nurses in the country.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Be prepared. Be well geared. This course is tough, but everything is all worth it when you will see that the efforts you have given have all paid off.

Why did I choose Nursing: I couldn't decide for myself. I was so confused that time. Since almost everybody from the class and all of my friends chose nursing, I figured it would be better to enroll in nursing even if I didn't really liked it then find out what I really want later and then shift courses.

About my college education: The thing I hated most when I was studying nursing in that school is that you have to make notes before you go to class and it has to be complete. I mean it's your own notebook you can write anything you want and how you want it. Its your choice to do it before during or after the class. I also find it odd to have a pretest and post-test overtime. And if you don't pass the post-test you'll have to take post-test 2 and so on until you reach the 75% passing. Its was really hard. Luckily I have older roommates who give me pointers every time.
The most boring subject was Spanish because the professor was retired already.
The exams were difficult but it was for our own good. Dealing with patients lives is not something you take easily. There were students who failed and I noticed they were the lazy ones. So to successfully finish this course you have to concentrate and put all your energy to it.

My current job: A clinic nurse.
I provide primary care to patients, assist doctors during procedures and escort patients if they need further evaluation to a higher healthcare facility.

Am I using what I learned in college: Yes, definitely. The procedures done, including the way to deal with patients from different cultures, everything was useful.

How long did it take to find a job: After I graduated, I immediately started as a nurse in a diagnostic company in Cebu and then I worked as a company nurse, then in a hospital. I've always planned on working abroad so I worked on my experience and then just this year I got accepted in Qatar as a nurse.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Ye,s but only if it's really what they want, because being a nurse requires self sacrifice and a lot of patience.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Being a nurse is a big responsibility.

About my college education: Nursing is a course that lets you know your self and others, it was a good choice for me because I was able to know a lot of things most especially on how to deal with people who needs extra care.

Nursing is such a broad course and it requires almost all the skills needed for a person to perform and reach it's maximum potential to render quality care.

In my school it requires some prerequisites in order to move forward like you need to pass the Nursing Aptitude Test (NAT) and Associate in Science and Health Education (AHSE). Aside from these prerequisites, we are also being judged and graded according to our Attitude, Knowledge and Skills (AKS).

My current job: I am a theater/ Operating room Nurse here in Iloilo City.

Am I using what I learned in college: I am practicing my profession, in other words every thing being taught in school was pretty much applied in my current job. It is very practical because it seems like materializing everything that I have learned.

How long did it take to find a job: After graduation I need to review for the board exams so to be specific it took me 10 months before I landed a job or 1 month after taking the board exams. Though my 1st job was a personal nurse to a geriatric patient (old patient), I wasn't technically a registered nurse back then but my employer knew it and still accepted me to have that job.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: No! I will not recommend it! Nursing is a dying course. I mean, opportunities in our country is almost zero.
When it comes to fulfillment I consider it very subjective, in my case I do enjoy and I am very much fulfilled with my Job.
My salary is not that good, but I know everybody needs to start at the bottom and hopefully opportunities will soon pop up.
Ideally nurses have high salaries most especially abroad but nurses here in the Philippines are taken for granted and underplayed, that is already an understatement if try to look at our economic and political situations.

Why did I choose Nursing: I knew I wanted a course related to health care, and I decided I would probably like nursing best due to it's caring as well as social aspect, as it allows direct patient contact and care.

About my college education: I learned several concepts needed for health care as well as skills that would allow me to efficiently administer care in a hospital, community or home setting. But to tell you honestly, those concepts I could probably learn in other universities as well. The learning that would stick with me throughout my life aren't those that I'd find in the textbooks or photocopied notes. I learned about the value of hard work not for the sake of reward, but because hard work is the right thing to do. I learned that there is no shame in wanting to gain knowledge or improve one's self, and that the best way to acquire knowledge is to learn not because you have to, but because you want to. I learned, through our clinical rotations in several hospitals, that there are too many people with greater problems than ours - and they were all able to battle those problems with their heads held high. Most importantly, I learned how important it was to treat each and every person with utmost respect and dignity, regardless of economic status.

We had several difficult assignments or projects, but one that stood out had to be when our instructor tasked us to answer PBL (Problem Based Learning Questions), adapted from the medical curriculum. It allowed us a slight look at how the process of diagnosis is made and what the doctor has to do, but the entire week long activity was definitely both mentally and physically exhausting.

The most enjoyable activity we've had would most probably be when we have our Disaster Nursing simulations. We pretended we were in impossible situations (e.g. Being in a building about to collapse) while having to treat and transfer several patients in various degrees of injury. We did these simulations with complete sets of bandages and stretchers, so we got to run around the university carrying with us our bandaged classmates. It definitely got our adrenaline pumping, and was insanely fun to have done.

Generally, exams were difficult to pass and a failing grade was not at all uncommon. It was disconcerting at first, but after a couple of semesters, we had all learned to adapt. We all took turns at failure, whether it be during quizzes or term examinations - but in the end, it made us all realize how important it was to get up after each failure and continue again, as this attitude is necessary in achieving success.

In succeeding this course, you definitely have to be headstrong, tenacious and tough skinned. You will be faced with failures, fears and difficulties - and I assure you, you will overcome this. I've seen classmates who were initially afraid of even just a drop of blood, be the first to respond to a patient who suddenly projectile vomits a large amount of it. The beauty about this course is that you don't need to be initially strong - you will discover your strength and watch it grow throughout the four years you spend with it.

My current job: Currently, I don't have a job, as I have just taken the licensure examinations and am currently waiting for the results of said examinations.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Don't take up nursing solely because of the financial benefits or because you want to go abroad - that should not be the attitude of the nurse. If that' s the kind of thinking you have, I encourage you to think about your patients. As a nurse, prepare to pour your heart into your work, and this can only be done if you genuinely love what you're doing.

About my college education: I took up BS Nursing right after I graduate BS Biology because of financial crisis that time and graduated after 3 years since it was my 2nd course and many subjects were credited. Even though I was not able to become a medical doctor somehow this field is close enough to medicine. I studied well and became part of the dean's list during my last semester. Because I did good in my academic, I was able to practice it during my clinical field and it helped me a lot. Taking care of my patients is one of my missions in life. I found it overwhelming to see them discharged from hospital with good prognosis during my continuity of care. Yes, this course is tough and risky, as it deals with life, a mistake in giving medicine can worsen a patient's condition and worse comes to worst can lead them to death. Every time I go on duty, I always pray, that I become a Nurse with a healing hand and a caring heart.

My current job: I am working as a licensed nurse in a hospital.

Am I using what I learned in college: Yes, because I am currently working as a licensed nurse in a certain hospital. All the knowledge, learned skills and attitude that were imparted on me by my professors were used in the clinical settings. I know how to deal with my colleagues as they taught me how.

How long did it take to find a job: Right after graduation, I enrolled in a review center and took up board exam. I was one of the fortunate students that time to pass the board examination once. After oath taking I applied in one of the tertiary hospitals in our area and was hired.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Yes, I will recommend BS Nursing for high school graduates but they should be serious and focus in study with determination and perseverance.

Why did I choose Nursing: I took up nursing as a pre-med course. I wanted to be a doctor. However, after taking up the course, my dreams changed. And I became inspired to pursue nursing as a career instead.

About my college education: Studying nursing is really tough. There are a lot of things that you need to know, understand and remember. Aside from theory based lectures inside the classroom, there are clinical duties to provide better training and to further prepare the students for the world after college. The competition is really tough, subjects are really hard and there are students that did not make it up to the graduation.

In order to be successful in this course, one should have a strong sense of commitment and responsibility. You should be able to withstand pressure and handle stress really well. You also need to be flexible enough to be able to work in a team or alone. Most importantly, you should be able to stand up even after failures. Nursing is not meant for those who buckle under pressure and give up at the middle of the fight.

My current job: I am a surgical nurse. I take care of patients before and after their surgery.

How long did it take to find a job: More than a year actually.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: As a nurse, there are a lot of employment opportunities available. However, there are also a lot of nurses out there. It is a very competitive field. Nursing as a career can be very demanding and salary levels actually depends on where you work.

But still, high salary or not, Nursing can be considered as one of the most fulfilling career that ever existed. Caring for people and seeing them get better? That's priceless! :)

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Good luck on your future quest into becoming a nurse. Just keep on working and pushing yourself to reach your goals. Focus on your dreams!

Why did I choose Nursing: My mother convinced me to take up this course because of my being affectionate and helpful to people, I was caring for an old grand aunt when I was in High School until she died in our house.

About my college education: During my studies I did all the best to read, memorize, and remember all the things possible in my subjects so that I do not fail. It was difficult to stay late at night and sometimes until early morning just to make sure that I have read and understood most of my subjects. I make sure also that I had the right diet and nutrition so that I would not be short of energy and memory. Most of all, I always have a positive attitude towards life and my studies. I wear a smile and a nice disposition everyday.

When I was in practical training in the Cebu Doctor’s Medical Center, I was assigned to the operating room and the emergency room where I learned how to assist the doctors in preparing the patient for surgery by taking all the emergency tests like blood pressure reading, FBS, penicillin allergy test, etc. I learned how to make the patient feel at ease and relaxed while being treated.

My current job: I am now working as a Nurse in Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City. I am assigned to the Emergency and sometimes to the Nurse Station. I do whatever is needed, such as monitoring the medical condition of the patients, making the daily reports, and so forth.

Am I using what I learned in college: One of the most practical thing I learned during my college training which up to now I am still practicing is make myself look and smell good and treat each patient in a very consoling and nice way to make him or her feel relaxed and comfortable. It pays off well because my patients and their families sometimes give me presents before they are released from the hospital.

How long did it take to find a job: It took me a year before I was hired in this hospital.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: The vacancies and opportunities in the Philippines is limited considering that there already more than 20,000 licensed nurses who are unemployed as such and every year this number is increased by thousands of new graduates and licensed nurses.

Being a nurse is one of the most fulfilling professions in the world. It does not only make the nurse happy for helping others, it also gets the admiration and respect of the people. I made a lot of friends because of how I cared for the patients when they were being treated in the hospital. I am glad to recommend this course to everybody.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: All those who like to serve the sick and the handicapped, this is the best course. Nursing is a key to the hearts of those who are suffering from illness and sadness.

About my college education: In my everyday endeavor to finish my course, I've realized that Nursing isn't the job of my life, but, still, I continued because I was thinking that I have come this far, so "nail for it!" Nursing needs a lot of skills but I lack the most important... Good interpersonal skills. I'm not good in talking to patients in a comforting way. I mean, I say what I need to say, no more, no less. When I compare myself to my other classmates, I can see a big difference on how they handle it.

Nursing is an art so it dwells with a lot of hard work, patience, and perseverance. You need to be prudent to attend to your patient's needs. Nurses are thankful that this course doesn't involve much of Math but I'm not. I love Math. When I was in high school, I excel in Math. Maybe, this is one of the reasons why Nursing isn't my thing.

I think if you fully and truly love Nursing, you'll achieve it effortlessly.

My current job: Nurse

Am I using what I learned in college: Yes. The knowledge that my teachers taught to be a good nurse is very helpful. The fundamentals that were imparted to us is the backbone of Nursing. Since this job works with life of a person, every single knowledge you learned should be applied. Though you need to be flexible at times especially if you don't have the resources in your workplace.

How long did it take to find a job: It took me one month to find a job not as a nurse but as a medical transcriptionist. Then, I became a Korean tutor after I passed the board examination in December 2010. I stayed on that job for one year and decided to work as a volunteer nurse in private hospital.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: In the Philippines, nursing job opportunities are very low. Even though, hospitals are in shortage of nurses, they cannot hire since they can't afford to pay the salary for the required nurses, and that's where volunteer nurses appear.

Yes, this job is very fulfilling especially if you see your patients recovering from their illness. Hearing them saying thank you could somehow make your day less tiring after duty.

Why did I choose Nursing: I wanted to have a job which is both rewarding and stable, hearing from many people who graduated nursing and already started working abroad I find this course right for me.

About my college education: About the subject difficulty it was manageable since the professors considerate, but on clinical subjects they were kind of strict and instructors were really hands-on while lecturing. What I learned importantly was that by keeping asking questions from them I get to learn more things that are sometimes cannot be learned by just reading books. What makes nursing difficult at SPC was that if you happened to fail even just two subjects you cannot continue B.S. in Nursing anymore. Most of us didn’t pass due to that condition.

My current job: I am a staff nurse at Davao Doctor’s Hospital, as a nurse I Asses patient health problems and needs, I implement quality nursing care, and maintain medical records. We nurses take care of ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients.

Am I using what I learned in college: As nurses we need to be honest, kind, diligent, professional and open-minded. We must be always very careful and responsible in everything that we do. What I learned is that these traits are not only important in Nursing but as to any career as well, and someday these traits can surely guide me to success.

How long did it take to find a job: After passing the Nursing Licensure Exam last 2012 I tried applying at Brokenshire hospital and Southern Philippines Medical Center, but there were no vacancies. Then I tried to apply at Davao doctor’s Hospital and luckily they hired me a month after submitting my bio-data.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: As a staff nurse I am currently earning P12,000/month, this may go higher depending on my work schedule. I have a friend in manila who also works as a staff nurse also and she earns P6,000/month but has an allowance of P300/shift. If you are interested in helping others and also wanted to be financially stable, I recommend you to take nursing as well.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Get the right amount of sleep because being healthy is essential for nurses. Develop good studying and reading habits. Also form a study group. After graduating, before taking the licensure exam be sure to have a NCLEX reviewer. And lastly remember to treat yourself sometimes, relax if there is a free time.

Why did I choose Nursing: I took up Nursing as my pre-med and it's been my dream of becoming a healthcare provider when I was a kid.

About my college education: I have learned so much things in Nursing. What I am now is just because it taught me a lot. I developed my leadership skills, my personality and my professionalism.
Nursing has very difficult subjects, the most difficult for me is Medical Surgical Nuraing because different disease were tackled here.

Everything I learned in Nursing is very useful to me now, the things I learned in psychology and psychiatric nursing makes me even a better person and helps me understand why people act that way and so on. Things I learned in med-surgical nursing helps me in my work now, and helps me to educate other people and also answers people's question about their queries about a certain disease as if I was like a doctor. :-)

OLFU's way of giving exams during major exams is departmental so you need to read a lot and know a lot with the subject. Many students failed and I know some of my batchmates shifted to other courses and even transfer to other nursing school. FYI you need to pass their "exit exam" as what they called so you can be included in the list of graduates. And pass the Qualifying exam so you can take the board exam.
You will surpass all the trials and hardships in nursing if you study, study and study. Be patient enough and know your priorities.

My current job: I am private duty nurse working in a home for the aged.

Am I using what I learned in college: Being not so sensitive in things or comments you hear.. Accept those comments in a positive way.
Being professional and being a good leader.

How long did it take to find a job: Just a month after taking the board exam.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: I would say nowadays (2014), employability of being a nurse is quite hard.

If you'll be working in a hospital, don't expect a good salary, but if you'll be in BPO (healthcare account) it's a high paying job and also being a private duty nurse because the salary is according to patient's case and the generosity of your employer (i'm earning 1,500 pesos for 12 hour shift) not bad right... :-)

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: If you are considering taking up Nursing, you have to think hundred times or thousand times if you can.. :-)
Nursing is one of the expensive when it comes to tuition fee.
Nursing is the art of caring. You need a lot of patience and have a 360 degree of understanding.
If you have those qualities of a nurse should have, then I'll be here to give you a big hug and welcomes you to the world of reality and survival.. :-)

About my college education: Although there have been so many feedbacks that taking up Nursing is difficult, for me, it was quite fun and challenging. Everyday I would go to school excited even if I lacked sleep from studying.

There are so many skills that you must possess to succeed in this course. You have to be good in interpersonal skills because you are dealing with sick, irritable patients in your clinical duty. With interpersonal skills comes along patience because our clients really need understanding. Critical thinking skill is also important because in the hospital you can't be sloppy, everything is unpredictable and you have to be a quick thinker. Another skill you have to possess is problem solving skills; with this you have to always think that every case is unique, you have to consider each one as a problem to be solved. Along with this you have to be organized and focus at all times. Above all skills the number one thing that is required from you is the passion to care for others.

My current job: I am currently a private nurse and freelancer.

Am I using what I learned in college: My learnings are very practical and useful. Currently, I am a private nurse so I use my knowledge on certain procedures like medication administration, vital signs taking, NGT feeding, IV therapy when needed and many others.

How long did it take to find a job: After graduation I did not really look for a job right away since we were all required to review in our school. In preparation for the Nurses Licensure Examination given last June and July 2012, we reviewed for 3 months. After taking the board examination, I applied as a call center agent in one of the prestigious BPO companies, since I was already freelancing at that time and the pay was even better than working outside so I decided to resign. I freelanced for months then I got a job as a School Nurse in one of the Colleges in our town but after my contract ended they did not renew me anymore since there were two nurses in the school and I was the newbie. Good thing I was still freelancing at that time so it wasn't really a big loss. I am now working as a private nurse and working online as well.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Nursing for me is an interesting career, it is a fullfiling course.

Why did I choose Nursing: I chose Nursing because this is my childhood dream course. As I grew up, I realized that there has been an increasing trend of people who has been hospitalized and in need of care and health teachings. As a nurse, I want to contribute to decrease this trend.

About my college education: I learned to be accurate and flexible all the time because it deals with life of a person. The most difficult subject for me is the Nursing Care Management (NCM 103 and 104) which is about surgery and it's management before and after the operation. In this subject, you need to learn a lot of complicated things regarding different surgeries and it's complications and the nursing care you need to render before and after the surgery. The most useful things I have learned in my nursing life is how to deal with the patients and to have rapport to them.

All exams are difficult and you need to put best effort to pass. Many students take removal examinations because they failed in major subjects and some students did not take it anymore so they shift to other course or transfer to other school because of the strict policy in my school.

To succeed in this course you should be passionate on what you do and love it because this is not an ordinary work and it deals with life.

My current job: I am now a clinic nurse.
I do clerical works, extraction of blood, giving vaccination, administering medications, give health teachings about their diseases, and assisting in different procedures/operations.

Am I using what I learned in college: I apply almost all of the practical skills that I have learned in college in my current job (for example: extraction of blood and giving vaccination).

How long did it take to find a job: One month.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: As of now, I would recommend BS in Nursing in terms of employment in our country especially in the rural areas because there is under supply of nurses there.

In terms of salary, I can advice to apply in public hospitals than in private hospitals and for the fresh graduates, you will need to undergo training first with allowance in some hospitals before you get hired based on your performance.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: You should be passionate in this course and do it with all your heart and with best effort. Always think of the people who are in need of care and always be humble to your patients.

Why did I choose Nursing: I chose this course because I believe I am destined to provide care to people.

About my college education: Taking up this course has not been easy for me, at first I thought this course is for me. In the middle of the course, it has become a lot tedious and it is not easy studying the human body with all the medical terminology and basic skills I need to be mastering in order to provide the accurate way of caring to the sick especially in hospital settings and operating room procedures. There was even a point that I wanted to just give up. Having to go for an 8-hour shift of practical duty in hospital for consecutive days is tiring enough for me tending to the sick with alot of requirements to comply of nursing care plans, drug study and case presentations plus exams after duties.

I have to say it is not easy being a student nurse. One of my instructors, shared to us that this is one way of training us to the real setting in a hospital that is going to be busy with patients. For the 4 years as a student, I learned to love my course. It takes a lot of courage and determination in order to succeed in nursing. One must possess the art of memorization for medical terminologies and with a good heart to care for the sick. Perseverance is important to endure a long day of duty hours in hospitals and still be able to provide the best kind of care to patients.

My current job: I am currently a company nurse.

Am I using what I learned in college: I am able to practice my profession with my current job. I am in charge with all health and medical issues with the employees and trainees in my company. As well as the health insurance covered in my company. What I learned in college is very helpful in my job.

How long did it take to find a job: After graduation I had a hard time landing a job because of the numerous graduates of nurses in my country and with less hospitals in the Philippines, it is really a challenge.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Get to know more first about being a nurse, it's jobs and responsibilities so you will not be shocked of the tasks that you will be doing in the hospital. Also, you must be prepared that you will be dealing with a lot of hand jobs, messy fluids like blood samples, urine and etc. It is important also that one must possess the passion to help others. You will not become a nurse if you do not have the inclination to help the sick.

Why did I choose Nursing: To help the sick and give hope to the hopeless but before all these I wanted this course to be my ticket to go abroad.

About my college education: I learned to be patient, compassionate, caring, conscientious, and loving towards my patients. Of course there are those subjects where downfalls are almost inevitable like Comprehensive Appraisal yet these subjects pushed me to do better all the time and to study harder.

The most useful things I've learned is more on the theoretical area since it helped me to do critical thinking skills in most difficult times especially that I'm working today. I admit that passing exams were difficult but these made me become more challenged in every exams I took.

Behind all these difficult, mind-blowing exams, for one to continue and finish nursing, they should Love the profession without doubt to be more dedicated in every path they take.

My current job: Emergency Room Nurse

Am I using what I learned in college: Lots of stuff like proper way of taking vital signs, giving meds, almost all the basics. Then doing CPR, suctioning, catheterization, ECG taking, etc that are very useful in my area assignment right now - Emergency Room.

How long did it take to find a job: Actually right after my graduation, I started my 2-month review for the board exam then passed it Last July, 2013. I rested for month and then applied right after. Fortunately, I got hired.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Yes of course. It still in demand in all parts of the world which gives you good income.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: I say you should first think thousand times if you Love this course. This is a serious course that needs studying, really. You should set not just their minds but their heart as well that you wanted to become a Nurse.

Why did I choose Nursing: I chose nursing because I truly wanted to spend quality time with my patients and their family.

About my college education: Nursing school is no joke. The hours are long, the studying never ends and the material is serious business. Not many of your friends will literally have “life or death” jobs. Were you prepared going in?

Even if your life is filled with nurses and you think you know exactly what you will encounter when you hit the floor, you will soon find that you know nothing. I could give you a hundred examples, but you won’t get it until you’ve been there. There are so many facets of nursing that you just can’t understand until you have lived it. Don’t feel bad about it; just see it as an opportunity grow and learn.

On the very first day of nursing school our teachers highly recommended that we find people to carpool with and study with. While I didn’t take them up on this suggestion initially, I really wish I had. It wasn’t until my second year in nursing school that I found a group of friends to study with and it really was a huge life saver. I would have done so much better the first year if I had just done this in this first place.

My current job: I am an IELTS/TOEFL reviewer.


Am I using what I learned in college: I learned sincerity, passion and most of all willingness.

How long did it take to find a job: I found a job 3 months after graduation, because I decided to have a break and a short vacation.

Do I recommend studying Nursing: Yes, I would recommend this course if the person has a passion to help the sick.

I feared at first that I would be looked down upon with nursing as a career, but I was wrong. The face of nursing is changing. I am proud to represent my patients and answer both their major and minor questions. Nursing is expanding with higher degrees available so that gives me confidence to out run the know-it-all physicians that refuse to even listen to nurses ideas or instinct. Nursing is highly professional and extremely flexible. I have no second thoughts about being a RN. We've moved away from doing just "bed pans and urinals" It's time for nurses to be recognized for their accomplishments. If I have a choice between my family doctor or nurse practitioner, I will choose the practitioner because you get the facts and the emotional support-besides, they're less expensive to visit. Nurses are healers and heroes!