The Future of Nursing in Dubai
Local and international nursing stakeholders gathered at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) on Sunday, November 19th, to discuss the future of nursing in Dubai and the UAE, a trending topic in the healthcare industry.
Earlier this year, H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai launched the Centennial Plan 2071. The plan’s objective is to invest in future generations by preparing them with the skills and knowledge needed to face rapid changes, making the UAE the best country in the world by the next centennial in 2071. The plan is based on four key pillars which are education, economy, development of the government, and cohesion of society. Strengthening the nursing labor market in the UAE contributes to having a solid healthcare system in the country which directly affects all four pillars.
The roundtable discussion brought together a number of multidisciplinary stakeholders from various fronts such as regulators, the Emirates Nursing Association, nursing directors, and academicians for a moderated discussion about the profession together with a number of international delegates from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), MBRU’s international academic partner, led by Professor Donna Fitzsimons, Head of School of Nursing. From MBRU’s end, the Director of Strategy and Institutional Excellence, Dr. Mohamed Alameddine was present, along with members of the faculty of the College of Medicine, and the University’s Provost Professor Mutairu Ezimokhai.
The discourse was comprised of four key themes. The first theme tackled nursing as a profession in the UAE and discussed ways of enhancing the attractiveness of nursing as a career of choice and the supply of nurses in the country, with a special focus on attracting UAE nationals. The other three themes addressed several such as retention of the existing and future workforce, ensuring quality, robustness, and rigor and examining the nursing labor market from a systems perspective to ensure future sustainability. The group reiterated that in order for the nursing field to grow there’s a real need for quality policy analysis and critical review with achievable action plans for the nursing services, as well as strategic planning that captures professional commitment and support.
Looking at the future of nursing in the UAE, the delegates discussed creating an integrated model and simple framework that captures the mentioned themes. One of the main motivators behind the discussion is to improve the health of the citizens and contribute through the nursing practice and nursing research to global health strategies and targets. The roundtable discussion aims to aid in creating innovative models for delivering nursing education and nursing practice, by ensuring that ideas such as equitableness, fairness and accessibility to nursing care are present.
Dr. Mohamed Alameddine commented on the discussion stating, “The Future of Nursing in Dubai is a valuable roundtable discussion. The outcomes of this roundtable will feed into MBRU’s situation analysis and plans to offer nursing programs in the future.”
“The purpose of the discussion is to further understand the landscape of nursing in the UAE in general, and Dubai in particular. Through this meeting, MBRU hopes to play a catalytic role in enhancing the supply and status of nursing in Dubai and beyond. ” Dr. Alameddine continued.
From the Provost’s end, Professor Mutairu Ezimokhai said, “MBRU graduates physicians, but has a very keen interest in graduating nurses in the future. We’re very jubilant to host and be part of the discussion on nursing in Dubai, as we believe that this profession is vital. We aim to contribute to the field in the UAE by presenting continued academic and professional development opportunities through a range of options and delivery mechanisms such as postgraduate study programs.”
Education and healthcare systems directly impact generations, hosting such discussions and addressing the importance of both creating and retaining nursing professionals compliments the UAE’s Centennial Plan. MBRU’s mission is to advance health in the UAE and the region through an innovative and integrated academic health system that is nationally responsive and globally connected, serving individuals and communities. Through education, one of the key pillars of the Plan, we aim to positively affect the future of nursing in the UAE and the wider region.
