Each of the five tests in the nursing board examination was supposed to measure the examinees’
competence in a particular field of nursing practice. Test V of the June 2006 nursing board pertained to Psychiatric Nursing. “Certainly, statistics is not the correct basis for evaluating the examinees’ competency in Psychiatric Nursing,” she said.
”The two Board of Nursing members who were identified to be involved in the leakage were already named. But it seems that the PRC has lost much of its intelligent judgment for it to be easily persuaded by the two BoN members’ incredible excuses,” Calderon added.
One of the two BoN members, she said, explained before the PRC fact-finding committee that the questions she prepared were taken away from her bag unnoticed. The other testified that a copy of her exam questions was taken without her knowledge when she photocopied the list of her questions.
These are far-fetched alibis, to say the least, Calderon said. “And all that the PRC could do was to advise the two to inhibit themselves from matters concerning the BoN while the investigation is pending,” Calderon said. This, she added, demonstrates “that the PRC is a toothless
commission which does not have the political will to pursue its investigation with resoluteness.”
Earlier, lawyer Kissak Gabaen, also speaking in behalf of the complainants, called for the suspension of the two BoN members. However, Calderon said that the PRC cannot even recommend their suspension.
The PRC filed an administrative charge against the two BoN members for “neglect of duty that gave rise to the leakage of test questions,” a charge criticized as based solely on the latter’s alibis.
“The PRC fact-finding committee was pathetically incompetent to establish whether there was only a neglect of duty or there was a deliberate act of leaking exam questions,” Calderon said.
This, she added, has resulted in a “crisis” in the country’s nursing profession.
This week, Calderon added, the Baguio-based nursing leaders, examinees, nursing students and concerned members of the nursing profession are launching the Baguio chapter of the Coalition of Concerned Nurses (For Truth, Integrity and Justice). Bulatlat
