Optum Philippines champions continuing education as key to solving nursing crisis

MANILA, Philippines — For years now, the Philippines has faced a nursing shortage, also referred to as the "nursing crunch." 

Filipino nurses continue to seek opportunities abroad or pursue alternative careers, citing low pay, heavy workloads and limited growth as their reasons. 

For Optum Philippines, the largest global in-house capability center in the country, addressing this issue at the root requires innovative, multi-faceted solutions. As an advocate of life-long learning, the company believes that the Optum Health Education Global platform will provide support for healthcare professionals with the tools they need to excel in their profession which will help mitigate the nursing shortage.

A May 2022 article by Rowalt Alibutud, published in the Journal of Global Health, highlighted the global shortage of approximately 5.9 million nurses. Additionally, according to reports, nurse shortage in the Philippines has reached 127,000 and is expected to more than double to 250,000 by 2030.

What’s driving the shortage? A myriad of factors, turns out. 

Ivic Mueco, managing director for Optum Philippines, explains to Philstar.com in an exclusive interview, “Our research shows that it’s not just low pay or working conditions affecting their decision to leave; it’s also the lack of career progression. In the Philippines, there isn’t a clear career progression path that will draw a picture of success for talented nurses. ” 

She emphasizes that career growth is often overlooked as a driver of the shortage, yet it is a crucial factor in retaining nurses within the country.

While the government has made efforts to address the shortage, such as through the Clinical Care Associates program and the Philippine Nursing Practice Act of 2022, Mueco stresses that more needs to be done. 

“We recognize the government’s recent efforts, but through the nursing forums that we’ve held over the past two years, we’ve learned that the nursing shortage is a complex issue that requires collaboration from various stakeholders,” she says.

Optum’s research underscores the importance of supporting continuing education and creating stronger career paths for clinicians, both of which can positively