COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS OF

REPUBLIC ACT 9173 AND REPUBLIC ACT 7164

RA 9173

ARTICLE V.
NURSING
This act states that the nursing
EDUCATION education program should provide
general and professional foundation
for the practice of nursing. It also
states that all the learning
experiences should follow the
regulations and requirements set by
Commission on Higher Education
(CHEd) for nursing education.
This act also states that the faculty
must be:
(a) Be a registered nurse in
the Philippines;
(b) Have at least one (1) year
of clinical practice in a field of
specialization;

RA 7164

This act states that the nursing

education should provide sound
academic and professional
foundation for the practice of nursing.
It did not state the specific
department that should provide
policies needed to be used as guide
for nursing education in the
Philippines.
This act also provides the
qualifications of the faculty must be:
(a) Be a Filipino citizen;
(b) Be a registered nurse in
the Philippines;
(c) Have at least three (3)
years of clinical practice in a

SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES and their
IMPLICATION TO
NURSING PRACTICE
AND EDUCATION
The nursing education in
R.A. 7164 as compared
to that of R.A. 9173 did
not specify the
commission on which all
the regulations and
requirements can be
found. Whereas, RA
9173 specified the CHEd
as the sole provider of
the rules and regulations
about nursing education.
There is also a
significant change on the
number of years one
should have in the
clinical practice, and the
holding of a masters
degree for those wishing
to be dean of a
university.

(c) Be a member of good

standing in the accredited
professional organization of
nurses; and
(d) Be a holder of a master's
degree in nursing, education,
or other allied medical and
health sciences conferred by a
college or university duly
recognized by the
Government of the Republic of
the Philippines.
In addition to the
aforementioned qualifications,
the dean of a college must
have a master's degree in
nursing. He/she must have at
least five (5) years of
experience in nursing.

field of specialization;
(d) Be a member of good
standing in the accredited
national nurses association;
and

NURSING PRACTICE:

This implies that if

theres a smaller number
of years of experience
(e) Be a holder of a masters
that one is required to
degree in nursing or other
have so that he or she
related fields conferred by a
can apply for a job as a
college or university duly
faculty member, there
recognized by the
Government of the Republic of will also be an increase
in the number of nurses
the Philippines;
practicing their
specialization at the
In addition to the aforementioned
same time applying for a
qualifications, the dean of a college
job as nursing educators
or school of nursing must have had
at least there (3) years of experience so that they can earn
more income.
in teaching and supervision in
nursing education, and preferably
EDUCATION:
must have a masters degree in
administration and supervision of
If theres an increase in
nursing education programs.
the number of years of
experience that one
should have if she/he is
applying for a dean of a
college, therell be a
decrease in the number
of applicants applying for

the said position.

ARTICLE VI
SCOPE OF
NURSING
PRACTICE

The scope of nursing, as identified in

this act, are those that render nursing
service to individuals, families and
communities in any health care
setting. It also stated that as any
independent practitioners, nurses are
primarily responsible for the
promotion of health and prevention of
illness. Whereas, as the members of
the health care team, nurse should
collaborate with other health care
providers.

This act states that the scope of

nursing should be that one whether
for a fee, salary or other reward or
compensation, singly or in
collaboration with another, initiates
and performs nursing services to
individuals, families and communities
in various stages of development
towards the promotion of health,
prevention of illness, restoration of
health, and alleviation of suffering
through:

It also states that it is the duty of the

nurse to provide nursing care
thorough the utilization of the nursing
process; establish linkages with
community resources and
coordination with the health team;
provide health education to
individuals, families and
communities; teach, guide and
supervise students in nursing
education programs; and undertake
nursing and health human resource

(a) Utilization of the nursing

process, (b) Establishment of
linkages with community
resources and coordination of
the health team; (c) Motivation
of individuals, families and
communities; resources and
coordination of services with
other members of the health
team; (d) Participation in
teaching, guidance and
supervision of student in

There was a significant

change between the
qualification for nursing
service administrators
wherein the RA 7164
states that the nursing
service administrator
should be a Filipino
citizen or a former
Filipino citizen who was
has officially declared
his/her intention to
reacquire Filipino
citizenship while the R.A.
9173 did not. R.A. 7164
states that one should
have achieved a degree
in nursing service
administration while R.A.
9173 only specified that
one should have a
masters degree major in
nursing.
The R.A. 7164 also
states that only holders

development training and research.

This act also provides the
qualifications of nursing
administrators such as the following:

(a) Be a registered nurse in

the Philippines;
(b) Have at least two (2) years
experience in general nursing
service administration;
(c) Possess a degree of
Bachelors of Science in
Nursing, with at least nine (9)
units in management and
administration courses at the
graduate level; and
(d) Be a member of good
standing of the accredited
professional organization of
nurses;
Provided, That a person occupying
the position of chief nurse or director
of nursing service shall, in addition to

nursing education programs,

and (e) Undertaking nursing
and health manpower
development training and
research and soliciting
finances.

This act states the nursing service

administrators should:
(a) Be a Filipino citizen or a
former Filipino citizen who
was has officially declared
his/her intention to reacquire
Filipino citizenship;
(b) Be a registered nurse in
the Philippines;
(c) Be a member in good
standing of the accredited
national organization of
nurses;
(d) Have at least two (2) years
experience in general nursing
service administration; and
(e) Possess a degree of
Bachelor of Science in

of a masters degree in
nursing administration
shall be appointed to
such position by year
2000 while the R.A 9173
states otherwise. In
9173, the
chief nurse in public
nursing shall be
prioritized and those that
are serving the military
hospitals who have a
masters degree in
nursing shall also be
prioritized provided that
they have finished the
General Staff Course
(GSC).
NURSING PRACTICE:
The significant changes
in this article implies that
if one is not required to
have a degree in nursing
service administration
and just a masters
degree in nursing, there
will be an increase in
those that are qualified

the foregoing qualifications, possess:

Nursing, with at least nine (9)

units in management courses
at the graduate level.

(1) At least five (5) years of

experience in a supervisory or
managerial position in nursing; Provided, That a person occupying
and (2) A master's degree
the position of chief nurse or director
major in nursing;
of nursing service shall, in addition to
the foregoing qualifications, possess:
Provided, further, That for primary
hospitals, the maximum academic
qualifications and experiences for a
chief nurse shall be as specified in
subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this
section: Provided, furthermore, That
for chief nurses in the public health
nursing shall be given priority.
Provided, even further, That for chief
nurses in military hospitals, priority
shall be given to those who have
finished a master's degree in nursing
and the completion of the General
Staff Course (GSC): Provided, finally,
That those occupying such positions
before the effectivity of this Act shall
be given a period of five (5) years
within which to qualify.

to apply for such

position, hence,
increasing job
opportunities.

EDUCATION:
(a) At least five (5) years of
experience in a supervisory or
managerial position in nursing; This implies that those
nursing educators who
and
have finished a masters
(b) A masters degree major in degree in nursing can
nursing service administration apply as nursing
administrators, thereby,
or its equivalent: Provided
increasing those
however, That those
professors of nursing
occupying such position
before the effectivity of this Act who actually have
acquired greater
shall be given a period of five
knowledge and higher
(5) years from the date of
experience than the
effectivity of this Act within
regular educators.
which to qualify: Provided,
further, That, by the year
2000, only holders of a master
s degree major in nursing
administration shall be
appointed to such position:
Provided finally, That, for

hospitals with bed capacity of

fifty (50) and below, the
minimum academic
qualifications and experiences
for a chief nurse shall be as
specified under subsections
(c), (d) and (e) of this section.

ARTICLE VII
HUMAN
RESOURCE
UTILIZATIO
N AND
MANPOWE
R DEVELOP
MENT

This act provides that the studies for

nursing manpower needs,
production, utilization and
development should initiate,
undertake and conduct studies on
health human resources production,
utilization and development.
This act also presents that the Board
in coordination with the accredited
professional organization recognized
specialty organizations and the
Department of Health is hereby
mandated to formulate and develop a
comprehensive nursing specialty
program that would upgrade the level
of skill and competence of specialty
nurse clinicians in the country, such

This act provides that the studies for

nursing manpower needs,
production, utilization and
development should undertake
studies and initiate and/or cooperate
with appropriate government or
private agencies in the conduct of
studies for health human resource
production, utilization and
development.

Theres a huge
significant changes that
occurred in the human
resource utilization and
manpower development
when the R.A 7164 was
revised to be R.A 9173.
R.A. 7164 only states
that the nursing board
should conduct studies
involving manpower
utilization and
development in
cooperation with the
government agencies.
While, R.A. 9173, states
a more comprehensive
and precise list of

as but not limited to the areas of

critical care, oncology, renal and
such other areas as may be
determined by the Board. The
beneficiaries of this program are
obliged to serve in any Philippine
hospital for a period of at least two
(2) years and continuous service.

benefits that are needed

for professional nurses
to be satisfied. These
benefits include
increased salary, training
of hospital staff and
incentive for nurses and
their dependents.
NURSING PRACTICE:

It also states that the salary of nurses

should not be lower than salary
grade 15 prescribes under Republic
Act No. 6758, otherwise known as
the

"Compensation and Classification

Act of 1989": Provided, That for
nurses working in local government
units, adjustments to their salaries
shall be in accordance with Section
10 of the said law.
This act also states that annual
financial requirement needed to train
at least ten percent (10%) of the
nursing staff of the participating
government hospital should be
chargeable against the income of the
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
Office and the Philippine Amusement

Since 9173 revised a lot

of things in 7164, with all
the added benefits and
all, will
increase the people who
are wanting to become
nurses leading to
increase job hopefuls,
decreased job
opportunities considering
that the country cant
provided enough jobs for
everybody and last is the
increase of number of
nurses who will work
hard to provide safe,
quality and basic health
care.
EDUCATION:

and Gaming Corporation, which shall

equally share in the costs and shall
be released to the Department of
Health subject to accounting and
auditing procedures.
This act also states that the nurses
and all their dependents should
establish an incentive and benefit
system in the form of free hospital
care for nurses and their
dependents, scholarship grants and
other non-cash benefits.

If there will an increase

in job hopefuls for
nursing, there will be an
increase in population of
student nurses leading to
increased nursing
schools leading to
increase demand on job
opportunities and
eventually, because the
country cant provide
enough jobs for
everybody, increased
unemployment.