Meladee M. Stankus ,RN MS, President and CEO of NIUSA and Arthur Cantos, RN BS, President and CEO of Bayani Consulting-to speak on “Current Issues in Foreign Nurse Recruitment” at the March 12-13, 2004 5 Philippine Nurses Association of America ( PNAA) Western Regional Conference.  This will be held at the Sheraton Airport Hotel Tempe at 1600 South 52^nd Street, Tempe, AZ 85281. For registration information, call:  602 239 2801.

Mr. Cantos will address the response of the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA)  to Ms. Barbara Nichols, RN MS, of the CGFNS during her presentation this last Jan 2004 in Manila.  The PNA has outlined the problems many Philippine nurses have experienced in their applications for the CGFNS certificate and Visa Screen.  Mr. Cantos was one of the authors of the request by letter that the CGFNS open a full service office in Manila and address the poor customer service that has been provided in the past.  In effect, the Philippine nurses are the largest consumer group of all CGFNS services and yet, the most poorly served.

Ms. Stankus will outline the current plans of the National Council State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to begin international NCLEX testing in 2005.  The NCSBN criteria of country selection for the first four test sites will be reviewed, with a criticism of these criteria compared to the foreign nurse NCLEX applicants national country of residence.  Ms. Stankus will cover the country specific statistical reports provided by the NCSBN and the many problems facing the foreign educated nurse who attempts to apply and pass the NCLEX.  An overview of issues addressed in her recent article, “Once a Foreign Nurse….Always a Foreign Nurse: The many questionable and numerous requirements that various state boards of nursing impose upon nurses who are foreign graduates, despite citizenship and years of US nursing practice. 

Together, Ms. Stankus and Mr. Cantos will discuss the recent changes in the Visa Screenä  requirements and in particular, the effect upon Canadian and Mexican nurses who are working in the US under the TN or Trade NAFTA Visa.