More home-grown nurses needed

A growing population and a rise in chronic diseases mean the demand for nurses is increasing, say experts.

Minimol Nair, left, prepares a case sheet for a patient in the emergency unit at Al Noor hospital in Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The National

DUBAI // More nurses, and better education for them, are needed to cope with the UAE’s ever-increasing demand, health professionals say.

“The World Health Organisation predicts that by 2020, more than 1.8 million extra nurses will be required worldwide,” says Dr Amer Sharif, managing director of education at Dubai Healthcare City. “The UAE is no stranger to this shortage.”

A rise in chronic diseases including diabetes, an ageing population and sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles will mean more nurses are needed here, Dr Sharif says.

“Aptly called front-line staff in a health system, nurses are essential for the delivery of safe and effective health care,” he says.

“With the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and obesity in the UAE, as well as a growing population, we need nurses with the right skills and competencies.”

Most nurses in the UAE are expatriates. Figures revealed at last year’s Abu Dhabi Medical Congress show only 3 per cent of the 23,000 to 25,000 nurses in the country are Emirati.

Figures also suggest the ratio of nurses for each person in the country are declining, says Helen Henderson, nurse educator at Dubai Healthcare City and member of the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council.

There were 26 nurses for every 1,000 people in 2012 – the most recent figures available – which is significantly lower than the West, Ms Henderson says. In 2008 that figure was 41.

“To meet the growing demands of the UAE’s healthcare system there needs to be a strong and capable nursing and midwifery workforce.”

The UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council was established in 2010 to oversee the licensing and regulation of nursing, alleviate some of the problems affecting the profession and strengthen the education of nurses and midwives.

There are four universities in the UAE that offer undergraduate nursing studies: Sharjah University, Higher Colleges of Technology, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, and Fatima College of Health Sciences.

Only the RAK university offers a postgraduate programme.

There is an urgent need for more specialised courses, says Ms Henderson.

“We need to invest in UAE nursing and midwifery programmes and offer a much wider range of post-registration and postgraduate courses that can enhance the attributes of the registered nurse.”

Dubai Healthcare City is hoping to close the gap with access to further education for nurses, says Dr Sharif.

“As part of our commitment to medical education, DHCC provides training courses for nurses at the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Medical Simulation Centre and the Mohammed bin Rashid Academic Medical Centre,” he says.

In the past 18 months, more than 800 nurses have completed specialist courses and further training, Dr Sharif says.

“We hope events of this nature pave the way for targeted training among the Emirati healthcare workforce.”