Reimagining nursing excellence in PH
In the recently released Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by subject, three nursing schools from Asia proudly entered the Top 20. It’s a powerful affirmation that the region is gaining recognition in the global academic stage. But while our neighbors are ascending, the Philippines—long known as a global producer of top-tier nursing talent—remains absent from even the Top 100. It’s a reality that’s both sobering and telling.
Why has no Philippine nursing school made it into the list, despite our reputation as one of the world’s leading exporters of highly competent, compassionate nurses? The answer lies not in the capability of our nurses, but in the structure of the system that produced them.
Our nursing education remains anchored in a colonial-era model of workforce production. For decades, our programs have been designed not to develop scholars, researchers, or policy leaders, but to meet foreign licensure standards and labor demands. This legacy, while historically significant, has come at a cost: the stifling of homegrown academic innovation and leadership.
Global ranking systems like QS and Times Higher Education use metrics such as research output, institutional reputation, and internationalization. These are valid, but they are not neutral. They reward institutions in high-income countries with long-standing access to funding, publishing platforms, and global research networks. Philippine nursing schools, like many in the developing world, suffer from chronic underinvestment, fragmented policy support, and undervaluation of nurse-led knowledge production. What’s often overlooked is the richness of practice-based knowledge, culturally responsive pedagogy, and community health innovation happening every day in our classrooms, barangay health stations, and rural hospitals.
Unfortunately, these forms of excellence don’t translate into citations or publication counts in Scopus or Web of Science. As a result, our contributions remain largely invisible in global academic spaces, despite being deeply impactful on the ground.
Some may say rankings don’t matter. But they do. Rankings influence institutional funding, attract partnerships, and shape perceptions of academic credibility. When Philippine nursing schools are excluded, we lose opportunities to lead, to publish, and to influence the global narrative of what nursing excellence looks like.
To move forward, reforms must be systemic and systematic. The Philippine nursing sector must take ownership of its intellectual and cultural capital. This means establishing nurse-led research centers focused on community health, building writing and publication capacity among faculty, and creating regional collaborative efforts that foster coauthorship and knowledge sharing.
The Commission on Higher Education must pivot from a compliance-based approach to one that invests in capacity and creativity. A national research and publication fund for nursing is long overdue, along with faculty mobility grants and incentives for scholarly work. Accreditation systems must also evolve to recognize innovation and real-world impact, not just paperwork.
The Board of Nursing must help lead the shift by reassessing licensure frameworks, endorsing continuing professional development that emphasizes systems thinking and evidence-based practice, and codeveloping an academic career pathway for nurse educators. These are practical, doable actions that can change the game.
Global ranking bodies must also be challenged to expand their definitions of excellence. They must account for diverse contributions and contextual realities—especially those coming from low- and middle-income countries. The current frameworks risk reinforcing inequality, rather than measuring true merit.
Ultimately, we need to stop thinking of ourselves as merely a source of labor. The persistent migration of our nurses is not just about foreign opportunity—it’s also about the absence of viable pathways for growth and recognition at home. If we want to retain our brightest minds, we must create spaces for Filipino nurse leaders, scholars, and innovators to thrive.
We have the talent. We have the dedication. What we need now is the will to transform. Let’s move from being a country proud to produce world-class nurses, to a country that nurtures and celebrates world-class nurse scholars. We may not be in the rankings yet, but the journey toward meaningful recognition begins with how we choose to value ourselves.
——————
Jerome Babate, Ph.D., MBA, RN, LCLP; Noriel Calaguas, Ph.D., RN; Rozzano Locsin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, and Rudolf Cymorr Martinez, Ph.D., RN, FFNMRCSI are committed advocates for the welfare of Filipino nurses. Interested parties or those seeking further information may reach out through npcalaguas@outlook.ph
