Over 14,000 Filipino nurses take U.S. licensure exam in early 2024

A record number of 14,158 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates from the Philippines took the U.S. licensure examination for the first time between January and June 2024, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on higher and technical education, announced on Sunday.

The surge underscores the strong desire among Philippine-educated nurses to seek high-paying jobs in the United States.

“The numbers clearly indicate that many Philippine-educated nurses are very eager to practice their profession in America, where their skills will get the highest rewards in terms of compensation income,” Rillo said.

He highlighted that 57 percent of these graduates are expected to pass the U.S. licensure test on their first attempt.

The trend has been on the rise, with a record-breaking 36,410 nursing graduates from the Philippines taking the U.S. licensure test for the first time throughout 2023.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that registered nurses in America earn an average annual salary of $86,070 (over PHP 5 million).

To address the domestic nursing shortage and retain talent within the country, Rillo has proposed new legislation aimed at increasing the starting pay of nurses in Philippine government hospitals by 75 percent.

Under House Bill No. 5276, the entry-level pay for public nurses would rise from PHP 36,619 to PHP 63,997 per month.

“We are in a race against time. We have to invest more money now to retain here at home at least some of our fresh nursing graduates,” Rillo emphasized.

He pointed out the significant number of vacant nursing positions in public hospitals, which hampers their ability to expand capacity and accommodate more patients.

Rillo also warned of a looming crisis, citing World Health Organization (WHO) projections that the Philippines could face a shortage of 249,843 nurses by 2030 if no action is taken.

Globally, the WHO estimates a shortage of up to 4.6 million nurses by the same year.

In addition to Filipino nurses, the U.S. National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. (USNCSBN) reported that 2,991 nursing graduates from India, 1,617 from Kenya, 1,331 from Nepal, and 1,262 from Nigeria took the U.S. licensure test for the first time in the first six months of 2024.