The Department of Health (DOH) today announced that applications can be filed starting next week, January 17,

for its project where unemployed nurses will be deployed to poor communities in the country. The project, billed RN HEALS, seeks to make essential health services available to all Filipinos by training and deploying

10,000

unemployed nurses in

communities to be identified by the DOH in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare & Development (DSWD), Health Secretary Enrique Ona said. RN HEALS, an acronym for Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement And Local Service, is expected to address the shortage of skilled and experienced nurses in 1,221 rural and unserved or underserved communities for one year.

Eventually, these nurses will be part of the pool of competent nurses for later employment or absorption in health facilities, thus addressing the inadequate supply of skilled nurses and increasing the nurses employment rate, the health chief concluded. DOH: RECRUITMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF NURSES AND MIDWIVES PROJECT RN HEALS II AND RHM PLACEMENT ONGOING Press Release/ 18 November 2011
The Department of Health (DOH) announced the on-going recruitment and deployment of 11,500 nurses to DOH-Hospitals and health facilities under the 2nd Batch of the Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service or RNheals II. In February 2011, the DOH spearheaded the deployment of 10,000 nurses (RN Heals Batch I) to assist in the provision of health services in poor communities as part of the DOHs support to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the DSWD. RNheals II seeks to augment the inadequate nursing workforce in DOH hospitals and a number of Local Government Unit (LGU) health facilities to improve patient care and health services. Likewise, the program aims to create a pool of registered nurses with enhanced clinical and public health competencies towards the improvement of the delivery of health services. Similarly, midwives will be sent out to serve far flung communities as part of the DOHs Rural Health Midwives (RHM) Placement Program. This is to maintain focus on communities where maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates are high. The deployment of nurses and midwives is part of the Departments commitment to address inequities in access to health services which particularly affects the poor. We recognize the importance of the availability of competent health workers in our hospitals and communities in improving the quality of health services for our countrymen stressed Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona.

1,000

The nurses and midwives will be undergoing learning and development in clinical and public health during their one (1) year of deployment. Learning opportunities for nurses assigned in DOH Hospitals will focus on skills development in clinical nursing through the rotations in the different clinical departments. Meanwhile nurses and midwives assigned to communities will be exposed to the implementation of public health programs and provision of health services. Deployed nurses will receive a monthly allowance of Php 8,000 while midwives will receive Php 6,000. They will be provided with PhilHealth Insurance, GSIS Group Accident Insurance. The DOH hospitals will provide meals for the nurses during their tour of duty. Nurses and midwives assigned in the Rural Health Units will receive additional assistance in the form of lodging and meals, among others, from the Local Government Units (LGUs) as provided in the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2011-0044 between the DILG, DOH and DSWD. Nurses and midwives will be evaluated on a regular basis during their one-year deployment period. Those who will successfully complete the program will be given Certificates of Completion and will be considered for priority employment in government health facilities should vacancies exist. Interested nurses and midwives may apply by submitting their resumes directly to the DOH Hospital and the DOH Centers for Health Development in your area. Applicants must be duly licensed by the Professional Regulatory Commission, must be physically and mentally fit, and must be able to show a medical certificate from a government hospital. Preference shall be given to nurses and midwives residing in the area. Nurses, midwife volunteers, trainees or those already exposed to the recipient hospitals shall likewise be given priority. As part of our effort to achieve Kalusugan Pangkalahatan, I am confident that these programs will help contribute to rapid increase in PhilHealth enrolment, improved access to quality care in hospitals and other health care facilities, and in the attainment of our Millennium Development Goals, concluded Ona.