1.

1 Graduate Employability

Employability has undergone a transformation in recent years. Originally defined as a

combination of skills, knowledge, and personal attributes that make an individual an
outstanding employee (Borsola, 2020), the current focus is primarily on technical skills and
attributes essential for graduates to be deemed work-ready (Rowe, 2017). This shift is
particularly relevant in the context of nursing graduates, who need to possess a
comprehensive set of competencies to secure employment, including success in the nurse
licensure examination, which involves a waiting period of up to four months for results due
to varying examinee volumes.

Securing a job in nursing also hinges on the graduate's competencies, as professional

nurses are expected to provide quality care across diverse demographics and health
conditions (Commission on Higher Education, 2017). Despite these qualifications and the
annual influx of nursing graduates, challenges exist in finding hospital employment. In the
past, hospitals restricted nurse hiring, relying instead on nurse trainee programs, which
presented issues as trainees paid for experience without job guarantees. Some hospitals
have since discontinued this practice.

To address high unemployment rates among nursing graduates, other sectors, notably
the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, have started hiring nurses. This industry has
thrived in the Philippines since the mid-1990s, leveraging the clinical backgrounds of nursing
graduates for medical information outsourcing and homecare call centers. This shift
highlights that nursing graduates can contribute effectively to various sectors beyond
traditional nursing roles.

1.2 The Role of Higher Education in the Employability of the Nursing Graduates

As competition among nursing graduates intensifies, it is crucial for higher education

institutions (HEIs) to strategize and facilitate opportunities for nursing graduates to secure
employment in hospitals or within health-related organizations. HEIs must actively work
towards enhancing the job prospects of their graduates in alignment with their respective
degrees.

Education and training systems are vital for lifelong learning and adapting to changing
job markets. Graduate Tracer studies help evaluate program quality and job relevance. A
study re-evaluated the University of Cebu Lapulapu and Mandaue College of Nursing's
graduates. Most graduates (93%) didn't pursue further education, highlighting a need for
continued learning emphasis. There's a trend of graduates seeking employment abroad,
which could be mitigated through community service focus. Top post-college training
includes Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Intravenous Therapy.
Enhancing core skill concepts is essential. Graduates find basic nursing, communication,
decision-making, human relations, and problem-solving skills most useful in their industry.
(Feliciano et al., 2023).

Every academic institution's goal is to produce competent and highly qualified

graduates that can eventually be competitive in a local and global arena. A graduate tracer
study is a very powerful tool that can provide valuable information for evaluating the
whereabouts and performance of the graduates in the workplace. (Cuadra& Aure 2019)
 1.2.1 Review of the Nursing Course Curriculum and Curriculum Revisions

Emphasizing the role of higher education institutions in enhancing graduates’

international employability has become increasingly vital. This emphasis stems from the
growing employment prospects available to graduates and serves as a critical gauge of the
quality and value of education provided by universities (Rowe, 2017). One aspect of this is
the university’s policies regarding curriculum review and updates. It’s essential to periodically
revise the curriculum to adapt to current competency expectations and provide clear
guidance on students’ post-course outcomes. Curriculum revisions involve aligning aims,
objectives, content, learning outcomes, and assessment methods with the institution’s
vision, mission, and goals. Various approaches to curriculum revision can include adding
pertinent courses to enhance student competencies, removing outdated courses, and
improving the overall structure of the existing curriculum (Brosola, 2020). The nursing
curriculum primarily emphasizes a clinical approach, and the incorporation of evidence-
based concepts is key to meeting the required professional goals. According to the
Commission on Higher Education’s 2017 guidelines for BSN Programs, higher education
institutions are encouraged to tailor their curricula to their specific contexts and missions.
This flexibility is acceptable as long as they can prove that their approach ultimately leads to
the attainment of nursing outcomes, even if it follows a different route, as long as the
curriculum delivery effectively supports program goals.

1.2.2 Development of Industry Partners

Nursing education aims to produce competent professionals for safe and effective
patient care. To achieve this, the curriculum must align with clinical programs, bridging the
theory-practice gap. Unfortunately, conflicts between theory and practice have been
observed, with some graduates lacking essential skills. Training institutions have also raised
concerns about poor clinical performance. Therefore, nursing educators play a pivotal role in
ensuring the alignment of theory and practice, a crucial aspect of nursing education that
must not be neglected. (Bvumbwe, 2016).

1.3 Challenges arises in Nursing Education

The top priority for higher education institutions offering nursing programs is to ensure
the delivery of high-quality nursing education. Achieving this goal relies on having competent
faculty members and deans who play a crucial role in the nursing academe. Nursing
educators are expected to provide students with quality education encompassing both
theoretical knowledge and practical skills, imparting the essential competencies required for
their future roles (Bvumbwe, 2016). Additionally, they are also expected to demonstrate
advanced practice roles. Furthermore, qualified faculty, curriculum enhancement is vital in
nursing education as it serves as a guide to elevate educational standards. Fawaz, Hamdan-
Mansour & Tassi (2018) emphasize that nursing education aims to develop nurses capable of
providing safe, high-quality care and adapting to the evolving demands of the profession.

The significance of the clinical learning environment in ensuring high-quality nursing

education has been acknowledged for quite some time. Recent decades have seen an
increased interest in enhancing these clinical settings (Sundler et al., 2019; Yazdankhahfard,
Ravanipour, & Mirzaei, 2020). Nevertheless, issues pertaining to both theoretical and clinical
training have been reported in the literature, impacting students’ learning experiences and
creating difficulties in the clinical practice setting (Drateru, 2019; Panda et al., 2021; Uzelli
Yılmaz & Akın Korhan, 2017). Challenges such as inadequately planned clinical education,
organizational deficiencies, ineffective clinical evaluation, unsupportive learning
environments, insufficient clinical supervision, and difficulties translating theoretical
knowledge into clinical practice are viewed as obstacles in clinical learning (Panda et al.,
2021).

The literature highlights several reasons for the challenges faced by nursing students,
including a lack of clinical practice facilities, shortages of professional nurses and instructors,
a high number of nursing students, negative attitudes of healthcare staff, communication
issues, inadequate laboratory and classroom resources (Drateru, 2019; Günay & Kilinç, 2018;
Lethale, Makhado & Koen, 2019; Phuma-Ngalyaye, Bvumbve & Chipeta, 2017; Uzelli Yılmaz &
Akın Korhan, 2017). The clinical environment is dynamic and complex, encompassing various
new settings and roles that students must be prepared for (Drateru, 2019; Moghaddam et
al., 2020). Inappropriate social norms in the clinical environment, such as a lack of cohesion
among nurses, mutual disrespect, megalomania, abuse, mistrust, and false patterns, have
been shown to negatively affect the student-nurse relationship and ultimately deteriorate
clinical education (Moghaddam et al., 2020).

While challenges in the clinical learning environment vary from country to country,
some issues are universal (Drateru, 2019; Gao, Zhang, Wen & Chen, 2017; Panda et al.,
2021). These challenges are prompting nursing education to explore new methods and
models for clinical practice (Ekstedt, Lindblad, Löfmark, 2019; Landeen et al., 2016; Uzelli
Yılmaz & Akin Korhan, 2017). For example, curriculum changes have facilitated students’
ability to integrate various aspects of knowledge, skills, and reasoning, promoting effective
nursing practices and professional confidence (Landeen et al., 2016). Additionally,
simulation-based education has positively contributed to students’ knowledge, psychomotor
skills, communication abilities, satisfaction, and self-confidence (Uzelli Yılmaz & Akın Korhan,
2017).

As technological and scientific advancements continue to shape education, it’s

important to recognize generational differences, particularly with the “Z” generation, which
is closely connected to technology. Most students within this generation actively use
computers, smartphones, websites, and engage in online social interactions. To enhance
education quality and adapt to changing educational needs, it's essential to conduct periodic
studies on the challenges faced by students. New educational approaches, including
technology, must be developed to meet the needs of this generation (Baraz, Memarian &
Vanaki, 2015; Drateru, 2019; Moghaddam et al., 2020).

References:

Bvumbwe, T. (2016). Enhancing nursing education via academic– Clinical partnership: An

integrative review. International Journal of Nursing Sciences 3, 314-322

Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order No. 15 Series of 2017, 2-3. Retrieved
from http://ched.gov.ph.

Fawaz, M., Hamdan- Mansour, A., & Tassi, A. (2018). Challenges Facing nursing education in
the advanced healthcare Environment. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences,
9, 105-110.
Rowe, A. (2017). Developing graduate employability skills and Attributes: curriculum
enhancement through work-Integrated Learning. Asia Pacific Journal of Cooperative
Education 18(2): 87-99.

Ali, G. & Ali, N. M. (2017). Clinical learning environment and the influential factors from
nursing students’ perspectives. Kufa Journal of Nursing Sciences, 7(2), 65-80.

Baraz, S., Memarian, R. & Vanaki, Z. (2015). Learning challenges of nursing students in clinical
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Günay, U. & Kılınç, G. (2018). The transfer of theoretical knowledge to clinical practice by
nursing students and the difficulties they experience: A qualitative study. Nurse
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Landeen, J., Carr, D., Culver, K., Martin, L., Matthew-Maich, N., Noesgaard, C. & Beney-
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Lethale, S. M., Makhado. L & Koen, M. P. (2019). Factors influencing preceptorship in clinical
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Moghaddam, H. R., Aghamohammadi, V., Jafari, M. Absalan, M. & Nasiri, K. (2020).

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Feliciano, T., Lopez, M., Villarante, C., Diamante, V., & Sanchez, M. (2023). GRADUATE
TRACER OF THE COLLEGE OF NURSING-EXCERPTS FROM THE PREVIOUS FINDINGS TO
PRESENT: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS. AGPE THE ROYAL GONDWANA RESEARCH
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Cuadra, L., Aure, M.R.K., G. G. (2019) The Use of Tracer Study in Improving Undergraduate
Programs in the University. Issue No. 1 Volume 6