In the UAE, the number of students enrolled in nursing programs has significantly increased since the pandemic.

Prolonged public awareness efforts, the nation's promotion of medical tourism, golden visas for nurses, top-notch education, competitive compensation, and perks all contribute to this.

Mohamad Fakih, Chief Nursing Officer, Fakeeh University Hospital Dubai, stated in an interview with Khaleej Times: "In particular, there has been an increase in student admissions to nursing professions after COVID-19 because of the huge campaign that has happened during the pandemic." The UAE government has given the nursing profession a lot of assistance, from the establishment of universities and nursing schools to the golden visa.

He clarified that during the past few years, more UAE citizens and nationalities have been admitted to universities to pursue careers in nursing.

Fakih emphasized that nurses receive excellent training in the UAE because it is recognized as one of the top healthcare destinations in the region.

They work at hospitals that are accredited by international organizations and receive the best training available. People are exposed to a great deal of technology, and extensive resources are used for training.

One of the Gulf nations that offers postsecondary education to nurses seeking to complete their Master's and PhD degrees is the United Arab Emirates. In the UAE, there are at least four reputable universities offering a range of advanced nursing education programs," he continued.

Further Emiratis enter the nursing field.

Professionals in the industry clarified that a professional workforce in healthcare, especially nurses, is desperately needed as the nation develops into a hub for medical tourism.

The dean of the Gulf Medical University's college of nursing, Dr. Selva Titus Chacko, stated: "There has been a notable increase in nursing admissions in the UAE over the last three years, with a remarkable 200 percent increase in the number of students choosing to pursue a career in nursing." This increase includes foreigners as well as Emiratis.

The national healthcare policy places a high priority on healthcare as a fundamental tenet for the country's future growth, especially in light of the UAE's 50th anniversary in 2021.

According to Chacko, the "UAE National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery: A Road Map to 2026" has been motivated by this strategic vision to improve nursing education and training, which has led to an increase in admissions to meet future workforce demands.

She also mentioned that a defined pathway for nursing education and professional growth has been made available by the recent development of a UAE National Competency and Professional Practice Framework for Undergraduate Nursing Programs.

Nursing programs are offered by a number of universities, including Gulf Medical University (GMU), Fakeeh University Hospital, the University of Sharjah, the University of Ras Al Khaimah, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU).

According to Fakih, Fakeeh University now hopes to become the first in Dubai to award nursing degrees to its graduates. We are moving in the direction of this within the coming years.

As a result, we are today regarded as a center for nursing education and accept nursing students and graduates from several UAE colleges. He said, "We train them on technology, policies, procedures, and protocols, as well as our standards of practice at the hospital."

Nonetheless, he stated that a number of reasons contribute to the severe nursing shortage that exists both globally and in the United Arab Emirates.

Expanding the role of nurses

Although nurses were traditionally mostly connected to hospitals, they have significantly improved population health over the last ten years.

According to Fakih, nurses have historically only been employed in medical facilities. But in the last ten years in particular, nurses have significantly improved the overall health of the populace, particularly in the areas of community services, home healthcare, immunization programs, schools, and corporations. These days, nurses work in both community and healthcare settings.

He went on, "We have seen a migration of nurses or a dropout of nurses from the profession, among both males and females," providing insight into the reasons why occasionally men and even women choose not to pursue careers in nursing.

It is true that having and raising children can add a lot of duties to a woman's plate. Nonetheless, both men and women are genuinely impacted by what occurs at work. According to Fakih, there have been a lot of nursing profession dropouts and job shifts.

Nonetheless, he emphasized that the nursing profession in the United Arab Emirates has undergone a notable transformation.

For instance, many nurses work for pharmaceutical businesses or medical equipment manufacturers. They also pursue leadership positions, education, and training. A lot of people who leave the bedside enter these spaces.

Experts noted that there has been a discernible change in the Emirati community's understanding of the importance of education and training for those in the health professions.

More Emiratis are pursuing jobs in nursing and other health-related fields as they become more aware of the opportunity for professional growth and advancement in the healthcare sector, according to Chacko.