CEBU CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is urging unemployed Filipino nurses to explore other options relevant to their profession such as investing in home healthcare services through cooperatives and associations.

According to DoLE Undersecretary Carmelita Pineda during the culmination of the first batch of nurses participating in the Nurses Assigned in Rural Service (NARS) project in Cebu.

“Nurses should start thinking of being entrepreneurs. Nurses can go beyond being mere employees of hospitals, clinics and health units. They can organize themselves into associations and cooperatives to set up home healthcare services, birthing places, or health facilities for older people among various other similar possibilities”.

However, she admitted that the high demand for nurses abroad is really an attractive career to pursue because of its obvious economic returns.

Usec Pineda disclosed that the continuing demand for Filipino nurses overseas is expected to intensify, as the world’s northern countries experience longer lifespans and the graying of their population in the next five to ten years is sure to see the deployment of local nurses.

Countries that will continue to offer employment opportunities include the Gulf States in the Middle East such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Ireland also offer great opportunities for Filipino Nurses while new markets are emerging in Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and Canada.

Source: Manila Bulletin