By Dr. Rex Casiple
Seven thousand seven hundred forty-nine (7,749) out of 11,116 examinees nationwide, or 69.72%, passed the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination (PNLE) given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Board of Nursing in eighteen (18) testing centers nationwide in May 2024. This figure is lower than the June 2023 PNLE passing percentage (75.02%) and November 2023 PNLE passing percentage (80.24%). Four thousand eight hundred seventy-five first-takers took the said examination. The first taker’s passing percentage is 89.15%. Six thousand two hundred thirty-seven retakers took the examination. The retakers’ passing percentage is 55%. Four (4) out of 10 examinees were first takers. Central Philippine Adventist College (CPAC) ranked number 2 at the national level with 97.67% passing for schools with 30 to 50 examinees and at least 85% passing percentage. Another top-performing nursing school in Western Visayas with 51 or more examinees and at least 85% passing is Riverside College (89.89%).
At the Regional level, 11 nursing schools out of 21, or 52.4%, performed high or with a passing percentage higher than the national level. The number is lower than the November 2023 (75%), June 2023 (71%), November 2022 (65%) and June 2022 (57%) nursing school performance. The Region produced 368 passers out of 491 takers, or 74.95% passing percentage. This is higher than the national passing percentage. There were 310 repeaters and 181 first-takers who took the said examination. The repeaters’ passing percentage is 65.8%. This figure is lower than the June 2023 repeaters passing percentage (74.7%) but higher than the November 2022 repeaters passing percentage (56%). The first taker’s passing percentage is 90.61%. This figure is lower than the June 2023 first takers passing percentage (95.11%) and November 2022 first takers passing percentage (94.19%). Three (3) out of 10 examinees from the Region were first takers. The high passing percentage of the first takers in the May 2024 PNLE in the Region and the country, in general, reflects the high quality of the nursing education program and nursing schools’ full compliance with the CHED policies, standards, and guidelines requirements for Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
In the academic year (AY) 2023-2024 CHED higher education management information system (HEMIS) data, Medical and Allied Related disciplines ranked number 6 in the Region in terms of enrolment, lagging behind Business Administration and Related Education Science and Teacher Training; Engineering and Technology; Trade Services; and IT Related disciplines. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program dominates the Medical and Allied Related disciplines. Fifty-six percent (56%) of the enrolment in Medical and Allied disciplines belongs to Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Likewise, Medical and Allied Related disciplines ranked number 6 in the Region regarding the number of graduates in AY 2022-2023, lagging behind Business Administration and Related Education Science and Teacher Training, Engineering and Technology, Trade Services, and IT Related disciplines. Forty-six percent (46%) of graduates in Medical and Allied related disciplines belong to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
In the national ranking of disciplines in terms of student enrolment in AY 2022-2023, Medical and Allied disciplines ranked number six (6), lagging behind Business Administration and Related; Education Science and Teacher Training; Engineering and Technology; Criminology and Allied programs; and IT Related disciplines. Nursing programs ranked number seven (7), lagging behind Business Administration/Management, Criminology/Criminal Justice, Secondary Education, Hotel and Restaurant/Hospitality Management, Information Technology, and Elementary Education. The continuing increase in enrolment in nursing programs is due to the demand for nurses in the country and abroad. This resulted in a migration of our nurses to other countries, particularly in the US, Middle East, and Europe. The issue is still unresolved until now.
