The Role of Pre-Medical Assessments in the International Nurse Recruitment Process
Interestingly, when recruiting international nursing candidates, if you are recruiting candidates from the Philippines under the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), it is mandated that the candidate must first pass a pre-medical exam. This pre-medical exam is relatively extensive, covering blood tests, chest x-rays, mental health, overall physical health, eyesight and hearing. If something out of the ordinary arises in the medical exam, good practice is to raise this with the Occupational Health (OH) Department of the employing organisation to ensure that this will not be a barrier to future employment. What the pre-medical is trying to avoid is a candidate relocation requiring investment from many stakeholders when the candidate will not be able to fulfil the requirements of the role due to health challenges. Much as a domestic healthcare recruit would be required to undergo an OH assessment prior to commencing their role.
Outside of the Philippines, asking a candidate to undergo a pre-medical prior to deployment is good practice but not mandated. It is important to note that outside of the Philippines, pre-medicals are not standardized or regulated in the same way but a pre-check does often trigger important conversations prior to arrival ensuring a candidate has a smooth and stress-free experience.
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