Well-trained nurses experienced in state-of-the-art hospitals are being scouted from the UAE to work in understaffed western healthcare systems, say recruiters who fear a shortage of qualified staff.
The economic benefits of care through creating long-living healthy communities is the message on International Nurses’ Day, May 12, but hospitals have raised concerns of the pulling power of the region’s nursing profession.
Paths to citizenship, free education, competitive pay and shorter working hours are attractive propositions for nurses looking to relocate from the GCC to Australia, the US or Europe.
The nursing profession is just not what you choose – it’s a calling, number one
Sarah Illyas,
chief nursing officer at Aster Hospitals and Clinics
Experts said the UAE’s super-skilled nursing workforce is in demand from other nations that have seen increasing numbers leave the profession in recent years.
According to the International Council of Nurses (ICN), about 100,000 nurses have left the US healthcare system since 2020, with up to 600,000 more expected to depart by 2027.
The UK has also reported an increase in nurses looking to leave the industry since the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, while in Switzerland drop-out rates of newly qualified nurses are between 18-36 per cent, the ICN said.
That has increased pressure on the UAE workforce, seen as perfectly primed to step in and fill vacancies around the world, said Mohamad Fakih, chief nursing officer at Fakeeh University Hospital, Dubai.
“From a retention standpoint, there is a huge challenge in the UAE,” he said.
“In the US, UK, Australia and Europe, there is very high demand for nurses, especially after Covid, which has put the nursing shortage as a national crisis.
“There are a lot of agencies, hospitals and government authorities facilitating the recruitment of nurses from different parts of the world, and they're giving a lot of extra benefits for nurses.
“In New Zealand, for example, after three months of joining nurses would be considered for permanent residency.
“Because they are in high demand, some countries are even facilitating their permanent residencies, such as green cards.
“Western countries know very well that nurses in the UAE in particular are very well trained.”
Talent pool
India and the Philippines are the main talent pools from which nurses are recruited worldwide.
With its diverse population and global transport links, the UAE is a popular place for healthcare staff to gain expertise in advanced clinical settings, with a broad expanse of hospitals and clinics.
Despite offering golden visas to nurses, however, some hospitals in the UAE are still finding it difficult to retain staff.
“Nurses here know very well if they go to the US or UK, there are many benefits,” said Mr Fakih.
“It's also about having another nationality and a free education for their families and also less working hours.
“In the US, usually it's 30 to 35 working hours per week, but in the UAE it is closer to 48 hours per week.
“When we talk about retention, it has been a big challenge over the past two to three years, nurses are grabbing that opportunity.”
Up to 80 per cent of nursing recruitment is driven by a small number of high-income nations, mostly from countries with poorer economies.
In late 2023, the UK’s NHS reached its target of recruiting 50,000 nurses, but 93 per cent were recruited internationally, rather than home-grown.
According to the ICN, 6,000 of those nurses were from countries marked by the World Health Organisation as having the most pressing health workforce challenges.
These ‘red list’ nations have the numbers of working doctors and nurses below the global average of 49 per 10,000 population.
Of these 55 countries identified by the WHO, 37 are in Africa.
Global challenge
Recruitment is a global challenge, with 25 per cent of nurses in Fiji leaving to work in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
Speaking ahead of International Nurses’ Day, ICN president Dr Pamela Cipriano said now is the time for a shift in perspective and for counties to invest in nursing.
“We have seen time and again how financial crises often lead to budgetary restrictions in health care, typically at the expense of nursing services,” she said.
“This reductionist approach overlooks the substantial and often underemphasised economic value that nursing contributes to health care and society as a whole.”
Sarah Illyas, chief nursing officer at Aster Hospitals and Clinics in the UAE, who has been nursing for 24 years, said the profession is unlike any other and can still be an attractive career.
“I never wanted to become a nurse and my childhood dream was to become a journalist, a crime scene reporter,” said Ms Illyas, from Pakistan, who lives in Dubai with her husband and two children aged 15 and 16.
“My mum was a nurse and she did not approve of me to get into anything so volatile, so she wanted me to follow the same path.
“Surprisingly, when I got into this profession and I started going near the patients, learning what healthcare is all about what the nursing profession calls for, there was a 360 degree transformation in my mindset. I realised what humanity is all about.”
Pandemic
Ms Illyas said recruiting nurses became more challenging after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Twenty years ago, nursing was presumed to be an accessory department to the whole healthcare ecosystem,” she said.
“Nursing has since gained a lot more recognition.
“When the pandemic came in, the scarcity of nurses became a global agenda.
“There are institutions developing these nurses from the academic point of view.
“But is that nurse sufficient enough for me to take straight from the graduating college to start providing clinical care?
“The answer is no, because nursing is a very skill-oriented profession.”
Ms Illyas has faced her own health challenges, being treated for breast cancer.
Now given the all-clear, she has fresh perspective on the value of nursing and the special requirements of the job.
“The nursing profession is just not what you choose – it’s a calling, number one,” she said.
“You will find yourself frustrated in this profession because the profession calls out for a lot more sacrifices than you can imagine.
“But we are a chosen generation.
“Florence Nightingale didn't have the resources – her motivation was simply to serve and contribute in her own way to make anybody's pain go away. That is nursing."
Ministerial approval
"Nurses are the cornerstone of any health system, making it very important to invest in nursing staff to prepare them for health leadership positions, as well as to highlight the capabilities of national nursing cadres in global campaigns," said Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, in a statement to mark International Nurses’ Day.
"The evolving needs of health care have reaffirmed again and again the critical role of nursing cadres in shaping future healthcare strategies.
"Nurses play a fundamental and vital role in supporting universal health coverage and improving the quality of life of the community."
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
SPECS
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD%204
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
