A total of 270 nurses and caregivers who applied under JPEPA or the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) left for Japan last May 10. They are the first batch of health care workers given the opportunity to work abroad as a nurse.

The second batch of 10 workers is scheduled to leave on May 31, for a total of 280 successful applicants. There are still 86 positions available for there are originally, 366 job vacancies for 134 Japanese institutions and facilities.

A few years ago, in a study conducted by Worldwide HealthStaff Associates Ltd., they came up with the top 10 countries outside the United States that produces registered nurses. It’s not surprising that the Philippines came out on top.

In 2005, among all the countries that took the NCLEX exam, nurses educated in the Philippines, India, South Korea and Canada represented 80% of a internationally educated nurses passing the NCLEX exam. The Philippines, took 50% of the numbers.

Do you want a career as a health care professional? Are you looking for healthcare job vacancies? Where can you find career information for healthcare jobs?

You should know that the fastest growing health care jobs are in the health services field and 19% of all health care job growth from 2004 – 2014 will be in health services.

The reason for this is the aging population of the world. Advances in diagnosis and treatment are making people live longer. That’s why a career in health care is an advantage nowadays.

How do you apply for the NARS program or the Nurses Assigned in Rural Service? Then you will be glad that you can file your application at the nearest Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office. You can also apply online at www.nars.dole.gov.ph and download the application forms there.