Expatriate nurses lured by high-paid jobs abroad

The lure of high-paying jobs abroad, mostly in the western countries, is blamed for the alarming rate at which expatriate nurses have been quitting their jobs here recently. According to officials of a local hospital, about 30 per cent of the nursing staff has resigned this year. Other hospitals face a similar problem.

Mahani Al Eidaroos, head of nursing in the Sharjah Medical District, told Gulf News, "Expatriate nurses working here receive advanced training and gain good experience that would be desperately sought by other health establishments. This is why expatriate nurses have been targeted by health systems abroad, especially those who speak fluent English."

The Ministry of Health is meticulous in appointing only those expatriate nurses who have the right credentials, she said. "But some of those nurses begin to search for better career opportunities after they complete a few years service. They are lured into nursing vacancies advertised on the Internet or in the media.

Those advertisements often contain attractive packages which some expatriate nurses find hard to resist. So they don't take time to think. They just pack and go," Mahani added.

Qadriya Gholoum, head of nursing at the Sharjah Mother and Child Care Centre, blamed the online recruitment services for encouraging expatriate nurses to quit. "With one click, jobseekers can find myriads of jobs advertised all over the globe. The U.S. and Europe seem to be the most appealing destinations for nurses. Apart from the high salaries they aim to get there, they think of the other advantages that they will have if they acquire citizenship," Qadriya said.

She noted that recruiting priority goes first to UAE nationals, then to Arab expatriates, then to other nationalities. She urged more UAE nationals to join the nursing profession, "who can care for and understand national patients better than their compatriot nurses."

Amina, a national nursing student, said that the departure of many expatriate nurses should stimulate more UAE nationals to choose a nursing career. Nursing is a vital and highly esteemed service in society which was why nurses are called "angels of mercy".

An expatriate nurse, who did not want to be named, said, "No one should blame an expatriate nurse for resigning if she finds a better job somewhere else. Who can turn down a good offer with a better salary and working conditions?"

Ministry of Health statistics indicate rising demand for nursing jobs. More than 1,000 nurses have applied for jobs in public hospitals this year, of whom around 300 were qualified. There are several nursing schools in the UAE and serious efforts are being made to develop the profession and attract more UAE nationals to it.