ABU DHABI // Nurses in the Middle East are generally of poor quality and will improve only if the region gets serious about local training, doctors and health officials said yesterday.
According to Obaid al Jenaidi, the president of the Emirates Nursing Association, this poor quality was partly due to the lack of opportunities for career growth. The UAE, for example, does not have any education programmes to allow nurses to advance.
"The Middle East's healthcare sector is growing rapidly, but this growth could be affected by the lack of trained nurses from national populations," Mr al Jenaidi said.
Mr al Jenaidi said that in countries such as the US, nurses spend 10 to 20 per cent of their income taking extra courses to develop their skill set, but that does not happen here.
"In our countries, little or no importance is given to the competency cycle, which is a great tool to empower and to further educate nurses" he said.
Mr al Jenaidi was speaking on the opening day of the three-day Abu Dhabi Medical Congress, which for the first time includes a nursing conference. It has brought together hundreds of nurses from various nationalities and backgrounds.
Masoumeh Kazemi, a registered nurse at the Mideast Polyclinic in Dubai, welcomed the idea of being given a chance to develop.
"This is really new insight for me, because generally we as nurses are thought of only in terms of basic care," she said.
"We would appreciate the chance to improve and specialise and become educators as well."
The region has only one centre - in Saudi Arabia - where nurses can pursue specialisations in fields such as diabetes, paediatrics and intensive care.
Khatoon al Juma, the director of nursing at a private hospital in Kuwait City, said investing in nurses' career development would help them gain respect.
"The old picture of the nurse as just a servant or a maid has changed," she said. "People know now that she doesn't just change patients and wash them."
This change in perception has led to more nationals pursuing the field of nursing - but obstacles remain.
"When a nurse is given the opportunity to specialise, to pursue a master's or a PhD, then she is proving her worth and helping to strengthen the healthcare services that a patient needs," Ms al Juma said.
Danah Smith, a lecturer in nursing from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland at the Medical University of Bahrain, agreed that there was a lack of training.
"Nurses want to pursue higher education, but in order to do that, they are going abroad, and that is too costly," she said.
She called on every country in the region to offer nurses the chance to specialise and to continue their education, not only in nursing leadership or management, but at the clinical level too.
"It not just about a doctor prescribing medication and asking the patient to come back in four months - it is about educating that patient and telling them how to live with and manage their disease, which is the nurse's job," she said.
At the congress, more than 200 healthcare specialists from around the world are discussing medical advances, service innovations and efficiency.
hkhalaf@thenational.ae
SPECS
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Indika
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RESULTS
Tottenham 1
Jan Vertonghen 13'
Norwich 1
Josip Drmic 78'
2-3 on penalties
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5