Two Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) graduates secured two top spots in the recently concluded November 2024 Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination (PNLE).
Among the 29,349 passers of the November 2024 PNLE are AdDU graduates Juliahluz Quitayen and Jericho Angelo Famador, who placed at the top 7 (91.20%) and top 8 (91.00%), respectively.
In an interview with Atenews, Famador shared that this success came with many additional challenges as he once failed college and almost dropped out of nursing school.
“During the review, most of my scores in recalls and pre-boards fell short of my desired standards… My mindset was to improve every day, even if it was just by 1%. This approach brought me a sense of peace, knowing that I was striving to grow with every question I answered and every lecture I absorbed.”
Famador also emphasized that his success was driven by a personal competition with himself, not others.
“I had to overcome my self-doubt… [Just] trust in yourself, and the Lord. Never compare yourself and your progress to others as comparison is the thief of joy. The only person you should be competing with, is the person you were yesterday,” Famador said.
Quitayen echoed the same sentiments, stressing the importance of believing in one’s potential as the most critical aspect of success.
“Before the review started, I trained myself to accept the inevitability of making mistakes, and probably lots of mistakes. This acknowledgment allowed me to view challenges as an inherent part of striving toward my goals. Moreover, this understanding helped me become more compassionate to myself by seeing myself as a human being, bound to make mistakes but equally capable of learning and improving.”
For Quitayen, nursing was initially a choice made by her family, but she grew to appreciate the profession over time.
“Although I initially lacked a clear motivation during my first years in nursing school, I have come to recognize the meaningful impact that nursing has on the lives of others, as well as the personal growth and fulfillment it fosters. This understanding has been a driving force behind my commitment to pursuing a career in nursing.”
Quitayen quoted his father’s words to remind everyone that no one is incapable of doing great things.
“I could never not associate my student nurse journey and the review season with this one “brain sticker” from my dad, “Hapit naka dira, Kit. Naa ra na sa tumoy sa imong ballpen.” Whenever I feel helpless, I rely to this quote to remind me not to underestimate a person’s capability of creating his reality.”
Ateneo de Davao University’s School of Nursing garnered an overall passing rate of 98.14%, with 98.74% for first-time takers passing the PNLE.
The PNLE was held last November 9-10 and took place in 19 testing centers across the Philippines.