The launch of the first phase of a new study conducted by the global leader in English language testing, OET in collaboration with the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) aims to shed light on a hidden struggle among many Filipino nurses: the anxiety of using English in the healthcare workplace.
Despite the Philippines being one of the world’s largest exporters of nurses, with an estimated 28,000 Filipino nurses taking the U.S. licensure exam in 2024, the study investigates how many still feel anxious when communicating in English in clinical settings. In conjunction, this study examines how this anxiety may subsequently impact a nurse’s performance, confidence, and even the quality of patient care.
Phase one of this project, which involves 455 non-native English-speaking nurses across diverse healthcare settings in the Philippines, saw the development and validation of a 24-item survey called the Medical Second Language Anxiety (M-SLA) Scale. The tool measures anxiety across five key areas, which include:
- Anxiety when communicating with colleagues
- Comfort in patient interaction
- Confidence in using medical terminology
- Fear of negative evaluation
- Overall self-rating of English language proficiency
Looking ahead, this M-SLA Scale that has been developed will serve as the blueprint used to measure and track language anxiety in nurses who work in English but speak another language as their first language. OET’s hope is that the results will help healthcare leaders and researchers find ways to reduce communication barriers for nurses, which may improve both nursing performance and patient care across the board.
Of the collaboration with the Philippine Nursing Association, Gad Lim, OET’s Director of Assessment and Research says the strategic research is an opportunity to demonstrate what OET already knows to be true – language anxiety and stress may not always be immediately visible, but it has a series of very real impacts on how nurses perform in their workplace setting.
“We are looking forward to utilising the new Medical Second Language Anxiety Scale we’ve developed in collaboration with the PNA to help understand how best to manage language anxiety and improve outcomes for healthcare workers.
“Our hope is that this tool will serve as a practical resource for researchers, training institutions, and healthcare employers looking to better understand and address the communication challenges of non-native English-speaking nurses in the Philippines.” Gad Lim said.
Rosana Grace Belo-Delariarte, president of PNA, said “we are grateful to have this research collaboration between PNA and OET. With this output, we hope to address communication issues that can impact patient care and safety. This will benefit not just Filipino nurses but also other nurses who have to use a second language in their professional practice.”
OET: Supporting Confident Communication in Healthcare
Empowering Global Filipino Nurses
As the world continues to rely on Filipino nurses to fill critical healthcare gaps, building strong communication skills has never been more essential. For healthcare professionals dreaming of a career abroad, finding a trusted partner in language proficiency can make all the difference, not just in passing a test, but in thriving where it truly matters: at the patient’s side. Both the PNA and OET have confirmed that Phases 2 and 3 of the study will soon be underway, with future efforts focused on exploring practical, tangible strategies to reduce second-language anxiety and strengthen workplace communication for Filipino nurses worldwide.