It’s no secret that one of the reasons why Filipino nurses aim to work in the UAE is to gain enough experience at an international medical institution to give their CV a boost by the time they apply for the next level of their career in another country, where they can aim not just to have a good career, but residency in their next country of choice as well.
In the case of Jorena Cruz, she grabbed the opportunity to head to the United States after around four years of working here in the UAE. Now based in Houston, Texas, the Filipina nurse banks on her years of experience in providing genuine care for hundreds of her patients when she was here in the UAE to continue exhibiting that unique brand of tender loving care ‘TLC’ that only Filipinos can provide in the US.
“Careerwise, US salary rates are education and experience based – and in addition, Nurses in US have more autonomy in their practice. There’s also less required working hours per week (36 hrs/week), plus having multiple part-time jobs is okay here too,” beams Cruz.
A brave new world
While Cruz raves about her current career – she never forgets that there was a point in time when she struggled, especially during her first few months of stay. “The number one challenge would have to be transportation. When I came here to the US, I didn’t know how to drive – but I forced myself to learn in order to adapt to my new working environment,” shares Cruz.
Further, Cruz also notes that while English is the first language of the country, she found herself confused as to the terminologies used within the medical institution where she was hired: “Another challenge was the terminologies used and their language at work, they use different terms and medicine brands here. But as time flies, I manage to learn from my colleagues and through experience enough for me to do perform my tasks well.”
Be headstrong
With her new vision for a stable career in a new country, Cruz continues to adapt towards her new surroundings as she begins to lay the foundations of her long term plan in the US. She advises fellow nurses that they must have the will to survive and the capacity to continuously learn in order to progress their career. “Be headstrong. Going here is not easy, but it’s worth it,” said Cruz.
