My Pinoy IEN Story: Beating Gender Roles Part 1

Dominated by mothers, daughters, nieces and sisters, the male species is starting to become visible in the nursing profession nowadays. Contrary to what we see on the floor, the 2017 RN Practice Analysis published this year revealed that 8.6% of the successful NCLEX-RN Canadian jurisdiction takers were males in 2017. Out of the 3,000 respondents 6.0% were Filipinos (NCSBN, 2018). Brawny strength is indispensable during action-packed shifts. This will be a two-part series of inspiring stories. Let's learn from the journey of a few good men.

JC Gamutan

Pinoy IEN: Congratulations for finally getting your RN in Canada after 4 long years! Hahaha! Share mo naman background mo?

JC Gamutan: Hi! I graduated in 2005 and worked as an RN at Phillips Memorial Hospital in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, a tertiary hospital affiliated with Del Monte Philippines Incorporated. It was under the management of Capitol University Medical Centre. I worked as a float RN for 5 years over at the medical-surgical, pediatric wards and ER. I completed my Master's in Nursing major in Medical-Surgical Nursing in Liceo de Cagayan University in 2012. Dumating ako ng Canada nung November 2013 through the Québec Skilled Worker Program and landed in Montréal.

Pinoy IEN: Bonjour/Hi! Hahaha!

JC: Ça va bien? Hahaha!

Pinoy IEN: Bakit after four years? Hahaha! I know it won't matter but tell us what happened behind the drag? Average kasi naten sa Pinoy IEN usually within 18 months to get licensed may less than 12 months nga naging RN na sa Ontario!

JC: Ganito yan... Haha! Jusko aabutin tayu ng ilang season sa kwento ko. Hahaha! Andami kong detours in life. I processed for the  Ordre des Infirmières et Infirmiers du Québec (Order of Nurses of Québec) but it didn't pull off. Alam mo naman pag bagong dating full of dreams and very innocent. Back in our days there was no Pinoy IEN to inform us about options! Talagang DIO (Do-It-Ourselves) ginawa namin. So I waited for almost a year to get in the IEN integration program at John Abbott College naka pasok at pumasa naman sa course in September 2015.

Pinoy IEN: It's kindda ironic in your case kasi kwento mo, you are also an NCLEX-RN passer and a New York-licensed RN. Eh nag harmonise ng NCLEX-RN si Canada with the States in late 2014! How come you never thought of processing outside Québec? Eh may NCLEX-RN ka na pala eh! Haha!

JC: Ouch pinapamukha mo talaga saken! Hahaha. Na wili din kasi ako sa Montréal because in Québec you will be given a Graduate Nurse license if you are a CPN or Candidate for the Profession of Nursing. While prepping for the OIIQ RN exam, alam mo naman ang Québec may sariling RN exam din, a CPN could also earn. I was totally unaware of the happenings outside Québec! Indi ko alam anong processes ng Alberta ng Ontario or whereever.

Pinoy IEN: FYI you can also work as GN outside Québec at mas malaki pa rate nila. So anung ginawa mo while you were trying to pursue nursing? Were you able to work as GN in Montréal?

JC: Unfortunately, indi. Hahaha! Na interview ako but when we shifted to the French portion of the interview sumablay na ako kaya never ako na hire dun kahit casual position man lang haha! 

Pinoy IEN: May reference ka naman diba from CIs and from networks? You were one of the members of the Filipino Nurses Association of Québec. I'm pretty sure they have networks. Anyare? So knowledge of French isn't enough talaga anu? It should be push-button bilingual talaga. On the spot talaga.

JC: Hindi. Waley talaga hahaha! Na bubulol nga ako sa Tagalog at English sa French pa kaya! Jusko!

Pinoy IEN: So pano ka nagsurvive while doing all these?

JC: Ako na talaga ang multi-skilled sir! Hahaha. Nag factory during weekdays, day off ng sabado minsan wala at nag yaya/caregiver ng linggo. Repeat. Friend kelangan kong mag survive because I was alone in Montréal. No one is working for me! I have bills to pay for kaya learning French or furthering my French knowledge wasn't part of the plan. Kelangan ko din mag day off. I'm not a super hero!

Pinoy IEN: I've heard na ganun daw talaga life sa Montréal if you're not truly bilingual. Haven't you had enough? I mean siempre magsasawa ka din. You are very educated at mukhang martyr ka mag work! You have a Master's degree. Did you know that they pay you post-graduate premiums on top of your wages outside Québec? Totoo. CI ko sa Calgary, she's being paid 150 CAD on top of her wages monthly for having a Master's degree completed in the Philippines! Dean of nursing ng isa sa mga Admin naten sa Pinoy IEN, is being paid the same on top of her wages in Vancouver!

JC: Ouch wala naman ganyanan hahaha! Uy kayo ha naka bili naman ako ng brand new na sasakyan kahit ako ay manggagawa at sa pabrika ako nag work earning 12 something lang per hour. Hahaha!

Pinoy IEN: Hahahaha! Wala ka bang friends outside Québec who gave you an idea na 'ganito samin sa BC sa Ontario or ganito sa Nova Scotia? Ganito sueldo ng RN dito. Ganito requirements.' As in waley? And it's a gospel truth that Québec RNs are among the lowest paid in Canada?

JC: Sinasaktan mo naman ang puso ko sa mga tanong mo! Hahahaha!

Pinoy IEN: Hahaha! Hindi friend. Imposible naman walang nagyaya sa yo, diba?

JC: Of course naman meron. My mom's sister in Alberta is an RN. However, indi na sya well-versed sa processes because things have changed since then. Te 2003 pa sya RN jusko lumilipad na rate per hour nya ngayun haha! Pinapagalitan na nga ako. I took the OIIQ RN exam for 2 attempts unfortunately I failed twice as well. I had to make critical decisions kasi if I take the third attempt and fail I would be barred to practise as RN in Québec and Canada!

Pinoy IEN: True. Recent update on the OIIQ RN Exam is shifting to 100% multiple choice question (MCQ) this Fall. Anu ba ang exam dati ng OIIQ?

JC: It was essay-type tapos short answer. Totoo na mahirap sya kesa sa NCLEX-RN not because it is a hardcore nursing exam BUT mahirap because we had many ways and ideas how to attack an OIIQ RN exam question. Walang review materials available. And we don't know how they checked or marked the exam. I should say the approach is like the Philippine RN exam back in the days Canadian version na naka essay. There were weird questions. Out of this world. Haha! Mahirap ang NCLEX-RN. Take 2 din ako. The NCLEX-RN is an adaptive exam. Definitely, your answers are calculated as you answer questions correctly and incorrectly. In fairness, I stopped after the 75th question and finally passed! Haha!

Pinoy IEN: You all have the reasons to move. What's making you stay? Love life? Hahaha! Friends?

JC: Hahaha! Wala. Probably, anxiety and fear. Anxiety to start all over again.

Pinoy IEN: I wouldn't blame you because Montréal is indeed a spectacular city with a unique identity I should say pero diba... Why fear? Indi ka naman pamilyado. You're single and can do great things! May relatives ka pa sa Alberta!

JC: There is a scare circulated among the Filipino Community in Montréal telling us na bawal daw lumipat ng ibang province kasi daw we were selected kuno by Québec. Syempre innocent sa mga pangyayari and how things are outside Québec. Kaya yun nagpaka martyr for almost 4 years in Montréal.

Pinoy IEN: That's preposterous! PR naman kayo dumating diba?

JC: That really kept me staying in Montréal. Kahit dindeny ko minsan, I have wasted those years because of FEAR! My cousin, he's one of the active Admins of the Pinoy IEN, became a nurse before I became one! I finally decided to move out of Québec nung nalaman ko na may mga pumasa ng Québec RN exam na walang work. Yung iba naman may work sa hospital as casual PERO full-time naman sa factory or McDonald's kasi wala naman maxadong shift. And a friend/housemate who was able to work with a Permis Temporaire (Temporary Practise Permit) at a hospital in Montréal but decided to immigrate to Australia instead and one day left Montréal. Full licensed Australian RN na sya dun ha! It was too much. These are realities that some Filipinos, including myself, do not embrace and recognize in Montréal. Pride seguro. It took a long time to sink in.

Pinoy IEN: What a sin! But look at you now! You received a Somewhat Comparable to Canadian RN Education on your NNAS Report! Nag bunga din naman friend. Mahaba lang talaga journey mo. Hahaha! I think it's time to look forward on how things are going to be in the future. You've learned a lot on your journey.

JC: Oo naman. I think it's my time to shine now. Char! Haha! Somehow may bearing din ang IEN Integration sa John Abbott College. But not everyone in our class who attempted to process their RNs outside Québec got the same NNAS Report. Nag Not Comparable sila.

Pinoy IEN: Probably because of your Master's din kaya nag ganun NNAS Report mo at depende din kung sang school/University ka nag BSN. That's amazing! So anong bago saten?

JC: Hahaha! I was considered for a full-time RN position at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre here in Halifax, Nova Scotia while waiting for the final processes of my RN license. Tapos vacay muna sa Pinas. Pahinga ng 2 weeks tapos balik agad to start a new chapter in my life. Charot! Hahaha! The Pinoy IEN FB group is indeed helpful. It's for everyone. Para sa mga bago at para din sa mga nawawalan ng pag-asa. Very inclusive. I never seen a success rate of Pinoy IENs ever before! Ang daming naging RN talaga.

Pinoy IEN: It's more of a community effort I should say. We're trying to veer away from those unwanted traits that some Filipinos are known for. The Admins do not have the habit of grabbing credit of members' victories instead we celebrate with the victors and recognize their work. Congratulations for finally making it and for the on the spot full-time RN job!

To be continued...

Image source: https://cdn.vectorstock.com/i/1000x1000/19/48/male-nurse-walking-vector-19131948.jpg?download=1