DOLE9 Recruits 500 Nurses for RNHeals Program in ZAMPEN

The Zamboanga Peninsula Region is all set to implement preliminary activities for the full take off of the Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service (RNheals) Project in response to the countrys constitutional mandate to make essential health goods and social services available to all Filipinos, especially in the poor communities. Along this line, the RNheals Project is a support program for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in collaboration and partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) as the Lead Agency, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Professional Regulation Commission-Board of Nursing (PRC-BON), Philippine Nurses Association (PNA), counterpart regional/provincial offices, and the Local Government Units (LGUs). RN heals intends to address the surplus in inexperienced nurses, promote health of the people and bring the government closer to the people. This project will deploy nurses in rural and underserved communities for a period of one year in consistent with the DSWDs Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) which is being implemented, as well as DOHs Basic Emergency Maternal Obstetric and Neonatal Care (BEMONC) facilities which are being upgraded/strengthened. A total of Ten Thousand (10,000) Registered Nurses will be deployed in 1221 identified municipalities nationwide and 2.3 million households will benefit from the delivery of health services. For Zamboanga Peninsula region, 511 nurses will be deployed in 61 municipalities as identified by DSWD under the CCT areas. While on training, nurses will be given an allowance of P8,000.00 per month and the host LGU is encouraged to provide P2,000.00 as a counterpart for their additional allowances and benefits, as they will

Sat, Feb 05, 2011 (Source: DOLE IX)

also be provided with PhilHealth and GSIS group insurance during the entire project duration. A certificate of competency and employment will be given to them who have satisfactorily completed their engagement with the project. The recruitment process commenced last January 17, 2011 until February 4, 2011, and the 1st round screening and selection process was conducted separately last January 26 in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay; January 27 in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur; January 28 in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte; and last January 31 in Zamboanga City including the Triple S Municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte and Isabela City. The 2nd and last round is scheduled on February 5, 2011. Prior to the deployment of 511 nurses scheduled on February 14, 2011, an orientation will be simultaneously conducted on February 11-12, 2011 in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibgay, and in the Cities of Dipolog and Pagadian. The venue will be announced later. Notably, the rotation of assignment from hospital to rural health unit and vice versa will be on a 6-month period with the following schedules: 1st Rotation from February 14 to August 13, 2011 and 2nd Rotation from August 14, 2011 to February 13, 2012.

RNHeals 2 Guidelines
1. 2. The nurses and midwives shall undergo learning and developmentin clinical and public health competencies during their one (1) year of deployment. Nurses assigned in hospitals shall be provided with competencies through rotations in the different specialty departments of the hospitals as much as possible. Nurses and midwives assigned in the Rural Health Units shall be abreast with public health programs and services. 3. 4. DOH hospitals and other health facilities shall be supplemented with 11,500 nurses and 1,000 midwives to augment their workforce. The Centers for Health Development (CHD) through their respective cluster heads in close collaboration with the Health Human Resource Development Bureau (HHRDB) shall identify recipient DOH hospitals and other health facilities. 5. A distribution list shall be provided by the HHRDB to all CHDs through their cluster heads. The CHD shall validate the list with the recipient hospitals and other health facilities based on the standard staffing requirements. The re-validated list shall be the basis for the allocation of nurses and midwives within their catchment areas and in the respective regions. 6. Nurses will receive an allowance of Php8, 000 per month while midwives will receive Php6, 000 per month. Both will be provided with Philhealth Insurance of Php1, 200 per year, Group Accident Insurance enrolment of Php500 per year and a Certificate of Completion after satisfactory completion of the project.

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The DOH hospitals shall provide meals for the nurses during their tour of duty. This shall be equivalent to at least Php2, 000 per month. Nurses and midwives assigned in the Rural Health Units shaft follow the provisions of Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2011-0044 dated 4 August, 2011 specifically the additional allowance of at least Php2,000 per month.

8. 9.

Nurses and midwives with Certificates of Completion shall be considered for priority employment in government health facilities where vacant posts exist. Nurses and midwives shall be evaluated on a regular basis during the one (1) year period.

10. Absences, tardiness or under time shall be deducted from the nurses and midwives monthly allowances. 11. The accomplished daily time records (DTR), duly approved by the Chief Nurse shall be the basis for the allowances.

Objectives of RNHeals 2
A. General Objective
The nurses and midwives learning and deployment aims to create a pool of registered health professionals with enhanced clinical and public health competencies towards the improvement ofhealth care service delivery.

B. Specific Objectives

Improve access to quality healthcare services; Increase nurses and midwives employability through the provision of learning Foster independence in the communitys health care delivery system Address the inequitable distribution and augment the nursing and midwifery workforce in DOH hospitals and health facilities especially rural, under-served, hardship communities; Improve the current nurse to patient ratio in accordance to DOH standard staffing patterns; Improve local health systems that will support the countrys attainment of universal health careor Kalusugan Pangkalahatan