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UAE: Award-winning Emirati nurse thrives in private sector job, hails leaders’ vision

"I feel proud when they look at me and call me a frontline hero"

Khadija Hasan Alamasi has been a high achiever in her life. She beams with pride talking about her successful journey on the road less travelled by Emiratis. Seeking to serve the community, she chose to be a nurse, encouraging and attracting more Emiratis to follow the path.

In her career spanning 14 years, she has made her mark, won a few best nurse awards, and significantly from the start of 2022 has been shining in the competitive private sector job through her hard work and dedication.

Talking about breaking stereotypes, Khadija underlined that her motivation came from the vision set by the UAE leaders and the inspiring stories of bold women she heard as a child.

“I decided to become a nurse after a health emergency occurred in my family. That incident made me realise the value of being a nurse. Also, I grew up hearing from my grandparents that nurses are angels on earth without wings. I was enamoured by this idea and also inspired by the compassion and care of the founding father of this nation,” Khadija told Khaleej Times ahead of Emirati Women’s Day.

In 2009, she started her career in the government sector with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Saqr Hospital and Saif Hospital) and bagged a few best employee awards. In 2013, she moved to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi where she won several honours, including the ‘Best Emirati Nurse’ across all SEHA facilities, the ‘Individual with Innovation’, an award for project implementation, and got recognition from the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council too. Mid-career, she took up a second challenge to shift from her comfortable government job to a private sector position.

Since joining Abu Dhabi’s Burjeel Medical City this January, she has excelled in her job. She is also the first Emirati nurse in Burjeel Holdings.

“As a nurse, you are here to serve the people and may have to go through difficult situations. But your passion will help you overcome the challenges.”

Khadija, a nursing quality manager at Burjeel Medical City, noted that the work culture and people’s attitudes towards the profession have significantly changed.

“Earlier, some people thought that a nurse’s duty was just to give injections. Now the situation has changed. I feel proud when they look at me and call me a frontline hero,” she said and pointed out that the changes are because of the initiatives and awareness created by the UAE leaders to empower women and healthcare workers.

She praised the government’s Nafis programme to encourage UAE nationals to opt for private sector roles.

“The ongoing Nafis programme and the government’s initiatives to encourage the nursing profession are attracting more talents to the nursing sector.”

Nursing in spotlight during Covid-19

Khadija said the Covid-19 pandemic played a crucial role in highlighting the importance of nursing as a profession. As an Emirati woman, who has inspired many to choose nursing as a profession, Khadija feels proud when people from her community admire her.

“For women, the UAE is the best place to follow their passion. UAE and its leadership offer many opportunities to explore. Be proud of what you are choosing. Follow your dreams and be the woman you are,” said Khadija.

While thanking the visionary leadership of the UAE for empowering and guiding the decisions of the youth, Khadija, a mother, appealed to the next generation to “explore the unexplored, as this is a country that turns challenges into opportunities.”