Top Nursing Graduate Calls for Better Conditions to Keep Nurses in Philippines
Chariemae Cañazares emerged victorious from the 2024 Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE), achieving a remarkable 92.60 percent rating, yet her triumph is tinged with a pressing concern. She has called on the Philippine government to drastically improve working conditions for nurses, citing the need for better pay, manageable workloads, and enhanced overall working environments.
Low Salaries and Overwork Push Nurses Abroad
“Nurses prefer to go abroad because of poor working conditions and low salaries in the Philippines,” Cañazares asserted during a recent press conference. While she intends to serve her local community and pursue further medical studies, she acknowledges that many nurses are driven to seek opportunities overseas due to inadequate compensation and grueling workloads.
Rewarding Success While Addressing a Pressing Need
Cañazares plans to allocate half of the P100,000 reward she will receive from Cebu Normal University (CNU) for topping the NLE to cover her grandmother’s hospitalization expenses, while saving the remaining amount for her future.
Dedication and Discipline: The Keys to Top Honors
Reflecting on her achievement, Cañazares shared that she had confidence in her ability to succeed. “I manifested that I would be number one,” she said. For her, challenges were not roadblocks but opportunities for growth. Her dedication and hard work, paired with a disciplined study routine, ultimately propelled her to the top spot.
A Legacy of Excellence at Cebu Normal University
Amazingly, CNU’s students dominated the top ten ranks in the NLE. Cañazares’s achievement, while noteworthy, was shared with her peers.
Seven other CNU students secured prominent positions within the top ten: Marc Emmanuel Arepal Estillore (4th); Jaymi Loise Basilla Abellan (5th); Liza May Collamar Salas (6th); Laarni Jane Acibo Durango (7th); Mae Jyn Bartido Rosalita (8th); Mary Angelique Jore Tabasa and Roy Justin Harani Erandio (tied at 9th); and Jeremiah Paul Capangpangan Ureta at 10th.
Cañazares’s story serves as a reminder of the remarkable talent and dedication within the Philippines’ nursing community. Her call for improvement resonates deeply, highlighting the urgent need to support these healthcare professionals so they can continue to serve within their own nation.
What solutions would you propose to address the shortage of nurses in the Philippines and improve their working conditions?
## Interview: Keeping Nurses in the Philippines
**Host:** Congratulations on topping the 2024 Nursing Licensure Examination, Ms. Cañazares. What an incredible achievement!
**Chariemae Cañazares:** Thank you. It’s truly an honor.
**Host:** Your success is inspiring, but you’ve also been vocal about the challenges nurses face in the Philippines.
**Cañazares:** Absolutely. While I’m incredibly proud to be a Filipino nurse, the reality is that many of us are struggling.
**Host:** Can you elaborate?
**Cañazares:** The Department of Health recently confirmed a significant shortage of nurses, saying it will take 12 years to fill the gap [[1](https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1764748/doh-it-will-take-12-years-for-ph-to-solve-shortage-of-nurses-23-years-for-doctors)]. This reflects the difficult working conditions that are driving nurses to seek better opportunities abroad. We face low salaries, overwork, and often inadequate resources. These factors make it hard to provide the best care for our patients and ultimately lead many nurses to seek better working conditions elsewhere.
**Host:** What are your hopes for the future of nursing in the Philippines?
**Cañazares:** I hope the government will heed our call for better working conditions. We need competitive salaries, manageable workloads, and safe and supportive environments. Investing in nurses is an investment in the health of our nation. We need to prioritize the well-being of our healthcare workers so we can continue to care for our patients.
