Question & AnswerQ&A (PRC BOARD OF NURSING Resolution NO. 27-94)
Section 12, Article III of Republic Act No. 7164, the Philippine Nursing Act of 1991, empowers the Board of Nursing to give written examinations to applicants for license and require them to pass it.
Under Section 4(b), Article III of R.A. No. 7164, the Board of Nursing has the power to describe the subjects in the Nurse Licensure Examination and determine the syllabi of these subjects along with their relative weight.
Section 15 authorizes the Board of Nursing to determine the scope of the examination, taking into consideration the objectives of the nursing curriculum, broad areas of nursing, other related disciplines, and competencies.
The revised BSN curriculum by the DECS is competency-based and community-oriented, aiming to make nursing education more relevant and responsive to the health needs of the country.
The ICNLE was adopted to better measure the competencies of new nursing graduates for safe and effective practice, responding to changes in nursing education and health care needs.
The Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing (ADPCN) approved a resolution in October 1993 requesting the Board of Nursing to implement the ICNLE starting in 1994.
The ICNLE consists of four tests organized around the major goals of nursing: Test I - Promotive goals; Test II - Preventive goal; Test III - A & B Curative goal; Test IV - Rehabilitative goal.
The resolution became effective fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation, whichever occurred earlier, following its approval by the Commission.
Sections 4(h) and 10, Article II of Republic Act No. 7164 provide the legal basis for the Board to adopt the ICNLE and modify the examination system and scope.
The ADPCN, in collaboration with the Board of Nursing, conducted and continues to conduct nationwide seminar workshops on the development of competency-based achievement tests.