Try BPO jobs, labor chief tells unemployed nurses

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A labor group, however, slams the call of labor chief for nurses to try out jobs in BPOs as a bad ad hoc plan

MANILA, Philippines – The labor department calls on unemployed nursing graduates to think “out-of-the-box” and check out jobs in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said Friday, March 2, that there are some 100,000 medical-related jobs available for nursing graduates in the “healthcare information outsourcing sector” of the BPO industry.

Her advice is a response to the increasing number of unemployed nurses who are into “nurse-volunteerism cases in hospitals and medical institutions in the country.”

“With the fast-growing and innovative trends and advancements in the healthcare industry, I encourage you to go out-of-the-box, beyond the traditional clinical jobs, and explore other emerging medical and health-related careers that are needed by our labor market today,” she said.

Baldoz explained that “healthcare careers now expand into various disciplines”.

A nursing graduate may apply as clinical research associate, who “monitors and administers health and safety protocols and related study training to assigned work sites”.
 
One may also try applying as “Clinical Appeals Specialist, who abstracts clinically relevant facts documented in the patient’s medical record, reviews clinical cases and responds to written medical appeals of patients and clients.”

Other job options include medical transcriptionists, medical secretaries, medical coders and billers, medical assistants, medical representatives, and medical butlers.

Baldoz said that the salary in healthcare outsourcing jobs range from P14,000 to P18,000, while clinical appeals specialists employed in the BPO industry receive P20,000 to P40,000. The amounts may even exceed depending on the hours of work, typing speed, and type of employment.
             
She revealed that these amounts are actually almost double of the average monthly salary of P10,000 received by nurses working in hospitals and private institutions. These employment alternatives, she added, also offer trainings that can “increase their competencies as they venture to their dream medical profession in the future.”

“With the fast-growing and innovative trends and advancements in the healthcare industry, I encourage you to go out-of-the-box, beyond the traditional clinical jobs, and explore other emerging medical and health-related careers that are needed by our labor market today,” Baldoz said.

‘Ad hoc plan’

Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), however, slams the labor department’s advice and even called it an “ad hoc plan”.

“After creating a glut of nursing graduates who failed to find jobs abroad, the government is now calling on nurses to apply for the limited number of jobs in the BPO industry,” Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson, said.

The group described the government’s action as lack of a comprehensive and sustainable employment plan from the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. This plan, they claim, serves “the demands of the foreign market and not the interests of Filipinos.”

“The majority of our people badly need healthcare and unemployed nurses can be employed to meet this need. The Aquino government, instead of trying to meet the needs of our people, wants jobless nurses to meet the needs of the market dominated by big foreign capitalists,” Labog said.

Labog added that given the drop in employment options in the country, “it is such a shame that the Aquino government continues to rely on foreign investments to generate jobs in the country.” -Rappler.com

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