Filipino nurses fail English tests...

[Tawi2]

Medway hospital Filipino nurses fail English tests
Almost 90% of nurses from the Philippines have failed English tests which are part of a hospital's bid to fill hundreds of vacancies.
Medway Maritime Hospital in Kent said 52 out of the 59 candidates had failed one or more of the listening, reading, writing and speaking tests.
According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request 202 nurses are being recruited from the Philippines.
The NHS trust said the failed candidates intend to re-sit the tests.
The other candidates are still taking the tests or awaiting the results.
The hospital hopes the first of these will begin work later this year.
James Devine, executive director of the Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: "As part of our own selection process, we ensure that candidates are able to communicate effectively with patients and each other.
"All non-EU trained nurses are also required to pass additional tests required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council before taking up employment, and we currently have a number of potential nurses either awaiting results, or in the process of undertaking these tests."
'Rigorous screening'
The Medway Messenger discovered 241 nurses from the Philippines were offered jobs, of which 202 candidates had accepted positions at the hospital.
A spokesman for the NHS trust said a "rigorous screening process" was underway to ensure the candidates have "excellent clinical skills and a very high standard of spoken and written English".
"It is likely that some of those nurses will unfortunately not reach the required pass rate", he said.
Overseas candidates are required to achieve a score of at least seven out of a possible nine in all the parts of the test.
"The failed candidates intend to re-sit the test," the spokesman said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-41400053

[Arthur Little]

:cwm25: ... 'fraid I find THAT HARD to believe - in spite of what the article posted claims - because:

It is my understanding that those wishing to enter the nursing profession in the Philippines are EXPECTED to have, at the very least, a basic knowledge of *English ... *which, of course, is the medium of instruction
in ALL State-operated schools from the Elementary stage onwards.

Thereafter, assuming they're accepted, and satisfactorily complete their rigorous practical training, [AGAIN, ALL] candidates MUST take and PASS the Philiipines' mandatory Nursing Board Examination presumably conducted in English :poke: ... before being allowed to even practice in the first place.

[Tawi2]

Remember Victorino Chua Arthur, the killer nurse? Either BBC or Sky sent an investigative reporter over there undercover just after it came out that he may have bought his degree, they found nurses cheating in their exams to get here, I don't disbelieve the BBC at all, it's not false news :wink::biggrin:

[raynaputi]

The English test requirements for nurses are quite difficult than normal in my opinion. IELTS Academic tests are different than the general ones required for spouse visas. I've heard some has to retake a couple of times just to pass the academic tests and these are usually professionals. The level of passing required is also much higher. They have to pass all aspects: reading, writing, speaking, listening. Spouse visas has a minimum level score of A1 when you enter UK and B1 in getting ILR & citizenship. That will give you a score level between 4-5 and only for speaking and listening. With academic, the passing mark is a score level of 7 in all aspects. Take note that these are also timed between 30-60 mins per aspect. Speaking is an interview for 15 mins.

https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/joining-the-register/english-language-requirements/accepted-tests/ (https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/joining-the-register/english-language-requirements/accepted-tests/)

https://www.ielts.org/ielts-for-organisations/common-european-framework

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jun/24/english-speaking-ovserseas-nurses-fail-nhs-too-tough-language-test (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jun/24/english-speaking-ovserseas-nurses-fail-nhs-too-tough-language-test)

Also, take into considerations that Filipinos are taught American English which is different to British English. Spellings are not really the same, i.e. realization vs. realisation, optimize vs. optimise, disoriented vs. disorientated, and so much more that will be graded especially in reading and writing tests. Every commas, periods and different punctuation are graded as well.

Take a look at the samples here for IELTS Academic and see if you think you can get a score of 7 in every tests. Answers are usually at the last page of every sample but don't take a peak before answering the questions.

https://www.ielts.org/about-the-test/sample-test-questions (https://www.ielts.org/about-the-test/sample-test-questions)

[Arthur Little]

Points taken, Rayna ... especially the one about Americanised English being that taught in the Phils - notably the spellings of words like 'program', as opposed to :Britain:'s programme (thanks [?MAINLY] to modern computer jargon) to add to those others you've mentioned already.

But that said, I'm inclined to suspect that the Royal College of Nursing & Midwifery tend to set unreasonably high standards to ensure their own British applicants are given precedence over those from abroad.

Conversely, however, due to Britain's current membership of the EU, the College's "hands are tied" in as much as it's obliged to accept European applicants - many of whom NEITHER speak NOR even understand the English language. Indeed, the same rule applies to the Teaching Profession here ... :anerikke: ... as Myrna knows only too well. :cwm23:

[Arthur Little]

Talking of standards, Myrna graduated with a #Bsc (Honours) degree from the University of the South East Philippines in 1985, passing her Teaching Board Exam first go, with a score of 83% ... taught for 22 years at Panabo National High School, Davao del Norte... and was on track for topping #that up with a Master's degree when, being the only girl in a family of 5 boys (all married), she'd to quit her advanced study to care for her ailing, widowed mother who subsequently died.

Yet, gallingly, :angry: despite the best efforts of our local MSP on her behalf, shortly after her arrival, was informed by the Scottish Minister of Education that she would need to embark upon a further University course here, in order to continue her teaching career.

[fred]

We know a nurse here that managed to get employed by the NHS in the UK.. Her English was impeccable IMO.. She failed the IELTS 4 times before eventually succeeding.
I doubt many Brits could pass that thing to be honest.

[grahamw48]

My sister (B.Nurs - Manchester) taught the nursing degree course for 10 years at Aberdeen University.

She recently retired from her more recent career as a Health Visitor in the Durham area, and couldn't speak highly enough of the many Filipinos with whom she had worked during the past few years. :smile: