HISTORY OF NNCS

The development of the NNCCS for nursing practice started in 2001 through the initiative of the
Professional Regulation Commission - Board of Nursing (PRC-BON) which created a National Task
Force for Core Competency Standards Development. The project was completed in 2005 after a
series of workshops, consultations and discussions among representatives of nursing practice,
nursing education and community health nursing. The project consisted of five (5) phases shown
in Figure 1.1.
After four years of development, the Core Competency Standards for Nursing Practice came to
fruition when the BON adapted and promulgated it in 2005. This version had eleven (11) key
areas of responsibility, fifty-five (55) core competencies and one hundred fifty-one (151)
performance indicators. (Llanes)
After four (4) years of implementation, the initial version was enhanced by the PRC-BON in 2009.
Further refinement and validation was done and the project culminated in the publication of the
2012 NNCCS.
In the foreword of the 2012 NNCCS, Professional Regulation Commission Chair T.R. Manzala
stated: “Out of this lengthy process emerged the Revised Nursing Core Competency Standards,
emphasizing the three roles of the nurse: Beginning Nurses’ Role on Client Care, Beginning
Nurses’ Role on Management and Leadership and Beginning Nurses’ Role in Research as well as
four types of clients of the nurse. With the promulgation of the 2012 NNCCS, the succeeding
stage is its implementation and evaluation in both nursing education and nursing service in all
setting. This will be a collaborative activity of all partners of the PRC-BON.”
This collaboration materialized when the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) obtained a
grant from the International Labour Organization (ILO). This project entitled “Nursing Core
Competencies for Master Trainers in Nursing Education and Practice” is the initial step in the
implementation of the 2012 NNCCS.
Significant advances in the nursing profession made it imperative to define the competencies,
performance indicators and standards for beginning nurses in their different roles. The
promulgation of the Philippine Regulation Commission-Board of Nursing (PRC-BON)’s National
Nursing Core Competency Standards (NNCCS) is a response to this situation. However, for
effective and efficient implementation, training programs and materials aligned with the
competency standards need to be developed.
The 2012 National Nursing Core Competency Standards (2012 NNCCS) will serve as a guide for
the development of the following:
• Basic Nursing Education Program in the Philippines through the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED).
• Competency-based NLE Test Framework as the basis for the development of course syllabi
and test questions for “entry level” nursing practice in the Philippine Nurse Licensure
Examination.
• Standards of the Professional Nursing Practice in various settings in the Philippines
.• National Career Progression Program (NCPP) for nursing practice in the Philippines.
• Any or related evaluation tools in various practice settings in the Philippines.
Work-setting scenario on local, regional and global health industry demands was determined
after having conducted assessments, benchmarking studies and application of the competency-
based framework and creation paradigm. This sets the stage for the “beginning” professional
nursing competencies for the care of clients especially performed in 3 distinct and clear ROLES:
the Beginning Nurse Role on Client Care; Beginning Nurse Role on Management and Leadership
and Beginning Nurse Role on Research. These roles set expected patterns of behavior for the
professional nurse in society, performed within clearly established and universally accepted
processes – the NURSING PROCESS.
In each of these roles are RESPONSIBILITIES. These are obligations explicitly carrying the authority
afforded by the state to every duly licensed professional nurse. It spells out very peculiar mandate
in terms of expected performances in order to decide and act based on scientific evidences as
well as ethicospiritual and legal basis for nursing care.
These are translated in what are to be recognized as CORE COMPETENCIES referred to as
technical capacities needed for doing the tasks and roles of every Filipino Professional Nurse.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS are spelled out for each competencies to serve as guide in
evaluating effectiveness of competencies and this can ensure clients’ safety.
At the innermost circle is the raison d’etre (reason for being as nurses). These consists of
individuals, families, population groups and community as clients. They are the recipients of
holistic health care provided by nurses in any work setting.
Organized and put together, these now serve as the conceptual framework of the 2012 National
Nursing Core Competency Standards for the Nursing Practice in the Philippines.