Fiji's Health Director, not surprised Fiji nurses didn't pass NCLEX

The issue regarding the conduct of nurses on the academic level hired by the LBJ hospital has come under the scrutiny of Fiji’s Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong.

Fiji’s FBC reported that Dr. Fong says he is not surprised the Fijian nurses did not pass the National Council Licensing Examination to be certified as registered nurses.

The Permanent Secretary commented in light of an article stating that the American Samoa House Health Committee met and discussed the status of two out of the 21 nurses from Fiji who passed the NCLEX, or National Council Licensing Examination, to be certified as registered nurses.

It says three others who sat the exam at the end of last month did not pass and will make a second attempt in September, while the other 16 are still in the preparation phase and should be taking the exam at the end of September or early October.

The article also noted that American Samoa Community College nursing program head Lele Ah Mu Mageo told the committee that recruiting nurses from Fiji was not done right from the start, and she feels this is why the results have not been satisfactory.

However, Doctor Fong says local nurses are trained according to Fiji standards, and therefore they pass the requirement made by the Ministry of Health.

“We raise the standards according to the standards we need in Fiji, not the standards that America wants or the standards that Australia wants. "We need to meet our needs, and that’s what we work on. It’s not a difference in standards; it’s a difference in what we need, so we train our nurses according to what we need.”

Doctor Fong says American Samoa’s health regulatory body requires them to sit for another relevant examination in the USA.

The Fiji Nursing Association has refused to make any comments.

Photo" FBC News