Strengthening Nursing Education: How Faculty Presence Enhances Student Engagement and Learning Community

Author Biography

• JOHN SILVA FLORES, MAN, RN, Saint Bernadette College of Lourdes

  Mr. John Silva Flores is dedicated both to nursing practice and education. He has been in the profession for 31 years now. He finished his Bachelor of Nursing degree at Caritas Family Colleges, Manila, in 1994 and passed the Philippine Nurses Licensure Examination the same year. He enhanced his craft as a Volunteer Nurse in Valenzuela General Hospital while working as a Private Duty Nurse for 3 years. Then, in 2001, he was hired as an Operating Room Nurse at the University of the East Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, where he honed his dedication to nursing. In 2004, while pursuing his master's degree, he joined Our Lady of Fatima University, College of Nursing as a Clinical Instructor and Faculty member. In 2007, he moved to First City Providential College as a Clinical Coordinator. In the same year, he earned his Master of Arts in Nursing degree at the University of La Salette in Santiago, Isabela.

  Furthermore, in 2011, he was appointed as Dean of the College of Nursing at First City Providential College. He was the prime mover behind the Bachelor of Science in Midwifery at the said institution when the BS Nursing program’s enrollment declined. During his term as dean, the programs under his umbrella sought accreditation. Both programs in Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Midwifery were Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) Level 3 and 2, respectively. Also, the departments participate in their respective International Organization Standards pilot programs, ISO 9001:2015 certified.  He further seeks higher education and enrolled at La Consolacion University Philippines, Malolos, Bulacan, in 2018 to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Management, Major in Curriculum Development. He passed the comprehensive examination in 2022 and is currently drafting his dissertation to complete the degree. During his journey in graduate studies, he was able to publish 2 papers entitled “NNCCS: Basis for Determining the Competencies of Newly Hired Nurses”, presented in 2019 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and as a co-author, “Incarcerated Education: A Phenomenological Case Study”, published in Lambert Academic Publishing. Mr Flores is also an active member of the Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing (ADPCN) since 2010 and the Philippine Nurses Association since 1994. In September 2022, he joined his new organization, St Bernadette of Lourdes College, and served as Dean of Higher Education.  In December 2023, our panelist spoke at the conference for curriculum development in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.  In May 2025, he co-authored a research presentation titled “Factors Influencing Career Preferences of Nursing Students in Selected Nursing Schools: Basis for Career Planning Program” at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in Bangkok, Thailand. Furthermore, he spearheaded the College of Nursing's accreditation. SBLC is now EOMS 21001:2018 Certified Level 2 and ACSCU Candidate.  His presence at school events and student assemblies highlights his active role in student engagement and community building within the educational institution.