Only 1 Filipina Passed the Japan Nursing Exam : NursingCrib.com Updates

Only 1 Filipina Passed the Japan Nursing Exam

Posted: 28 Mar 2010 06:28 PM PDT

According to the reports from the Health Ministry of Japan, only 3 out of 251 foreign nurses passed the Japanese nursing exam. One of them is a Filipina nurse (Ever Lalin) and the two are both Indonesians.

"It is certain that issues like Chinese characters (as part of the Japanese language) have been a serious problem," Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told a news conference.

"Those are people who have high aspirations to become nurses in Japan, even when they are licensed at home," Okada said.

"It is not desirable that most of those who are working so hard fail the test. I think the government must do something about this," he said.

Japan began recruiting nurses from Asia last 2008 under bilateral economic partnership agreements to help care for its fast-aging and shrinking population.

Under the agreements, foreign nurses can work in Japan for up to three years as nurse assistants to prepare for the Japanese test. They must return home if they cannot pass the test.

Source: Inquirer.net