THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment has selected the university to be a special review center in Region I for the June 2006 passers of the licensure examination for nurses.

MMSU has been chosen upon recommendation of schools recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as centers of
excellence (COE) in nursing.  The COE schools based their recommendation on the selected schools’ graduates’ performance in past nurse licensure examinations (NLE) and on considerations of geographical distribution.  MMSU is the only university in Region I that has been chosen to serve as special review center.

DOLE Sec. Arturo Brion was authorized to designate schools that are either recognized by CHED as COEs in nursing or with the highest passing rates in nursing examinations in their area.

The special review refers to the series of classes – covering topics included in Tests II and V of the June 2006 nurse licensure examination (NLE) – offered exclusively and on a voluntary basis to all nurses licensed under the June 2006 NLE.

The Special Review Program is meant to prepare the examinees for the DOLE-initiated voluntary retake examinations scheduled for June and November 2007 which is non-licensure in character, free of charge, and with no effect on the validity of licenses previously issued.  Passing the voluntary examination will enhance the employability of nurses and qualify them for a VisaScreen Certificate of the US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). 

It can be recalled that the June 2006 NLE created controversy all over the world after an alleged leakage of questions on Tests II and V.

The offering of special review classes is a form of government assistance to voluntary examinees as contained in Executive Order No. 609 which came out after the CGFNS decided that Philippine nurses licensed pursuant to the Board of Nursing Examination of June 2006 shall not be eligible for the grant of VisaScreen certificates and that a retake shall remedy the nurses’ eligibility problem.

The special review is free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis.

As participating school, MMSU shall provide the physical facilities, qualified faculty for the special review, and the computer support for communication and administration purposes during the review.

The COE schools shall prepare the special review curriculum that all participating schools shall follow.