Dubai: The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has launched the “National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery — Road map for 2025” to encourage more citizens to join the profession, promote public and specialist nursing academic programmes, and raise the quality of nursing care and midwifery services around the country.
The strategy is built around five key pillars — governance, leadership, and effective legislation, a comprehensive labour administration system for the nursing and midwifery profession, high-quality health and nursing services, improving the quality and innovation in education and professional development, and scientific research and evidence-based practice.
Approved strategy
The UAE Nursing and Midwifery Strategy is approved by the Education and Human Resources Council. It was developed by local and international experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Council of Nurses (ICN) to ensure the adoption of best international practices. The Supreme National Committee for Nursing and Midwifery was formed with the membership of all national bodies and partners under the presidency of the Ministry of Health and Prevention to oversee the implementation of the strategy.
Among the most prominent quick-to-implement strategic solutions included in the time plan are; developing a career progression mechanism in the human resources path; including the nursing profession in the curricula from the first to twelfth grades to create a new image about the profession in society; and introducing a national accreditation program for excellence in nursing care and midwifery in the professional practice track, in addition to the investment in building the leadership capacity of nursing cadres including leadership in times of crises and emergencies.
Strategy objectives
The National Nursing and Midwifery strategy aims to enhance the scope of the profession through professional organisational policies and practices to ensure the profession sustainability and contribution to achieving the sustainable development goals. The strategy ensures the proper planning of nursing and midwifery workforce in terms of recruitment and retention in response to the needs and priorities.
A comprehensive health care system
Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al-Owais, the UAE Minister of Health, said: “The launch of the UAE National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery -Roadmap for 2025 comes as part of the UAE’s strategic orientations towards the leadership and adoption of the best regional and international practices in the sustainability of the health system, in addition to enhancing its contribution to the comprehensive development process adopted by the wise leadership to improve the performance of all sectors and services, under an integrated work system that brings together all the relevant bodies.”
Progressive outlook
Dr Youssif Al Serkal, Director-General of the Emirates Health Services Establishment (EHSE), said: “The UAE National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery -Roadmap for 2025 represents a forward-looking vision to enhance the status of the nursing profession in health policies, as being one of the most important strategic professions in the health system and plays an indispensable role in supporting the universal health coverage.”
Relentless efforts
Dr Sumaya Al Balushi, Director of the Nursing Department and Chairperson of the Supreme National Committee for Nursing and Midwifery, said the UAE National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery was the result of the efforts made by multidisciplinary national teams from health, educational, and concerned authorities, noting that the repercussions of Covid-19 have clearly demonstrated the heroic role of the front line of defence as a source of trust and reassurance.
