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National Study to Address Nurse Shortage

DUBAI — A critical nursing shortage has prompted the UAE to undertake a nation-wide study and identify factors that can make government hospitals a better workplace. It starts next month.

The first such initiative, the national project will study how the UAE can retain nurses in ministry hospitals by providing a favourable work environment and job satisfaction.

The study is the outcome of a research pilot project, Thinking Magnetism, held by the Ministry of Health recently. It showed that nurses in six randomly selected ministry hospitals were not satisfied due to factors including low remuneration and lack of involvement in decision-making.

The upcoming study, titled Nursing and Quality Hospital Care in UAE, will define areas that require major change in focus, explained Dr Suzan Ahmad, Primary Investigator of the project.

The UAE, like several other countries, is facing a severe shortage of nurses, especially Emiratis. Last week, the Federal National Council took up the issue and laid out a plan to overcome the dearth by launching a higher education programme.

“This magnet research is considered the core of the first national nursing study, the results of which will be benchmarked between national, 
regional and international hospitals,” said Dr Ahmad who is also the head of the Health Information Department at the ministry.

The national project, which will include 30 hospitals countrywide, has a budget of Dh500,000 and will be conducted by four local researchers working under an advisory committee and a consultant from University of Pennsylvania.

“We hope a foundation of health excellence can be laid in UAE hospitals based on the results of this five-month-long study,” Dr Ahmad said, adding that the study would be expanded to the GCC region later.

Magnet hospitals are recognised by the American Nursing Credentialing Centre, because they meet the criteria to measure the strength and quality of nursing. Such hospitals deliver excellent outcomes due to high job satisfaction and low staff turnover, she said.

During the UAE pilot study, the magnet indicators showed very low scores for ministry hospitals as compared with USA magnet hospitals, said Dr Ahmad.

The indicators studied were based on nurse participation in hospital affairs, nursing foundation of quality of care, nurse manager ability, leadership, staffing and resources as well as nurse-physician relationship.

Among the 14 urgent requirements identified, the pilot study found that nurses could be retained if offered part-time jobs, flexible recruitment and promotion policies, and offered competitive salaries. Involvement in decision-making and encouragement of a healthy nurse-physician relationship was also suggested.

Expatriate nurses working in the government hospitals demanded equal treatment with UAE nationals and placements according to qua-
lifications.

“Despite being equally qualified, we are hardly given administrative positions,” said a nurse who has recently quit her job as a supervisor in a government hospital. “If we are paid and treated well, we will not think of quitting 
our jobs.”

She also said that insecurity in the work environment and change in the authoritative nature of physicians would also help the nurses retain jobs.

“The nursing profession is looked down upon,” said Dr Vijaya Kumardhas, Dean of Ras Al Khaimah College of Nursing at RAK Medical and Sciences University.

“Encouraging all-round development through continuous medical education provided by the ministry will also give incentives to nurses,” she added.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.ae