Filipino-American Dr. Rhigel Jay Alforque-Tan took oath as president of the Nevada State Board of Nursing on Jan. 6, in a ceremony presided by Honorable Judge Cheryl Moss and joined by Honorable Judge Bill Henderson.
Tan’s election makes him the first Asian American male elected to the position in the 92 years of the board’s existence.
Originally from Cebu, Philippines, Tan came from humble beginnings, making ends meet by peddling bananacue (caramelized bananas on sticks) and boiled eggs. He had dreams of going to medical school to become a doctor, but given his financial situation, he took nursing instead.
At the Cebu State College-Cebu City Medical Center College of Nursing (CCMC), he graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s of science in nursing in 1990, then migrated to the United States years later.
“Being educated in the Philippines brings with it the responsibility to influence the nursing profession in a global perspective,” Tan previously told the Asian Journal. “Beyond just making a living, [nurses] should also be involved in promoting public safety through participation in regulatory tasks.”
He added, “Filipino nurses are not only world-class care providers, but also global professionals capable of contributing to general welfare and safety of the public.”
With only $200 in his pocket and the H1-A visa (or temporary work permit for nurses) that he received from the US Embassy, Tan moved to the United States after being hired by a nursing home in Las Vegas. There, he took on the tasks of a nursing assistant, such as bathing patients, helping them use the bedpan, and changing their diapers.
In 1995, Tan passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses [NCLEX-RN], allowing him as a nursing assistant in healthcare to become a professional licensed Registered Nurse.
He also worked with Nathan Adelson Hospice to start a program for nursing students to be “Hospice-oriented” and educated in Hospice Principles. The program’s success garnered $85,000 in funding by the MGM Mirage Foundation, and was later presented at the National Hospice Leadership Convention in Washington, D.C.
As a health care professional, Tan has focused on researching and developing an Evidenced-Based Practice (EBP) training program along fellow educated nurses, and the use of human patient simulation technology in nursing. Over the years, he crafted policies and procedures that impacted the outcomes of his patient’s lives patient satisfaction. He also established a program accredited by the Nevada State Board of Nursing to help jobless Nevadans get back in the work force as Certified Nursing Assistants, and provided them with opportunities to work in a skilled nursing facility. Tan’s program helped 200 successful nursing candidates get back into the work force.
Based on a vision that is informed by personal experience, commitment and a deep passion for education, Dr. Tan became a clinical instructor in Nursing at the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN), and as a college professor, was awarded tenure in 2005.
He soon joined the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), College of Nursing, becoming an assistant professor and finishing his doctorate in nursing practice in 2011.
Tan’s positive influence in promoting nursing as a career did not go unnoticed. He was awarded “Health Care Hero” by the Nevada Business Community and Anthem Blue Cross. His passion for medical research also paved the way for multiple Nursing Education studies and publications in several international journals.
Continuing his passion for community service, Tan established a mental and psychiatric clinic to provide services for Las Vegas and Clark County residents. He also founded a mental health non-profit called The Goal Foundation, which raises awareness in decreasing social stigma attached to mental illness, and to outreach to communities about the biological and genetic component of mental health issues.
In November 2011, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval appointed Tan to the Nevada State Board of Nursing, with an appointed term until November 2015. He lobbied for the passage of Assembly Bill 170, which allowed autonomous practice for Advanced Practice Nurses, and became Nevada law in July 2013.
Tan was also a member of the Nevada State Board of Nursing Advisory Committee for Advanced Practice Nursing from 2008-2010, the Clark County Emergency Corps, and the Zetta Kappa Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nurses, according to his biography.
Along with multiple recognitions and awards, Tan is also actively involved in the Asian American community of Las Vegas, particularly among his fellow Filipinos. He co-founded the KALAHI Philippine Folkloric Ensemble, a cultural community-based organization aimed to unite the community through preservation and promotion of the Filipino heritage through arts and culture. He was a board member of the Philippine Nurses Association of Nevada, and initiated the formation of an EBP Committee of the association.
He also spearheaded a fundraising campaign during the 2013 Philippine Typhoon Haiyan, raising enough money to build a new settlement in the typhoon-ravaged Leyte islands. The settlement was named “Las Vegas Village.”
Through his Yolanda Alforque-Tan Scholarship Foundation, named after his mother, and the Maria Libron Nursing Scholarship Foundation, Tan assisted 20 young scholars in the Philippines who have shared the same vocation of service and dedication, but could not afford the cost of education. The scholarship has helped students become full-time nurses.
Sandoval re-appointed Tan as a board member of the nursing board on Dec. 16, 2015.
Despite Tan’s various accomplishments, he is now pursuing his second Doctorate degree in nursing at the University of Arizona, focusing on genetics and genomics.
“I made my own story [a] guiding encouragement for [other Filipino nurses] to achieve a sense of professional achievement even while away from the Philippines,” he said.
(With reports from Amelia Abello and Dymphna Calica-La Putt/AJPress)
So proud to be one of his students under his advisory class ’95 at CCMC-CSCST. Such a great teacher and person in general. My heartfelt congratulations and thank you to Dr. Rhigel Tan. More power to you!