United State Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. gave an inspiring message to all the new nurses in the Philippines to be great, honest and build a better Philippines and a better United States in a graduation rite held in Angeles University Foundation’s College of Nursing last Saturday.
Mr. Thomas gave this challenge to the new 576 nursing graduating class who are in bubble over working abroad or taking more training after graduation.
However, Thomas did not assure if the American labor markets is still in need of Filipino nurses, he did not even mentioned on the state of the US economy which still has to recover from the recent financial crisis.
Thomas had told reporters that surely, there is a demand in the US, but emphasizes that just like what President Obama said, they have also nursing graduates in the US who also have to finish their examinations and obtain jobs in the future.
He also advised the new graduates to take advantage of the situation here in the Philippines to help their co-Filipino citizen, which has a great need for their service. “Charity always begins at home” he added.
Thomas also praised the quality of nursing care by Filipino’s, regarding to the service given to his mother last year.
Expressing his respect to the Filipino nurses who took care of his mother. He said to his address that the personal touch and care that his mother had felt and treated were matched only by the nurse’s expert advice and professionalism. ‘I am convinced that the quality, skill and friendliness of her Filipino nurse made her quick recovery possible” he told the graduates.
For the past few years, Philippines have been the top source of foreign-trained nurses in the United States. This is according to Barbara Marquand in a report on the industry career website.