Dubai: A Lebanese medical professional, who has worked 33 years for the same hospital in Abu Dhabi, said her love for UAE has made her stay on in the emirates this long. Her passion and love for her job equally has propelled her to take the decision to make the UAE a home for her and her family, she said.
Nina Aoun, 57, who is a unit manager at the Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi, has grown from being a midwife at the same hospital.
“Absolute love for my job and the Corniche Hospital has kept me working with more responsibilities,” she said.
Aoun said being a midwife has been one of the most gratifying things for her. “Sometimes it has been challenging, like any other profession. But being in the UAE has helped a lot. The emirates has such an advanced system in place for medical professionals – whether it is about the rules and regulations or the ethics. Everything is so clearly laid out that it makes working here easy.”
She recalled how at the beginning of my career as a midwife, she would work over 12 a day, 15 shifts in a month.
Who is a midwife?
“A midwife is a healthcare provider who is trained to provide obstetric and gynecological services, including primary care, prenatal and obstetric care, and routine gynecological care. Midwives deal with pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care and postpartum health. Some midwives also provide reproductive care like pelvic exams, pap tests and more,” explained Aoun, who completed her diploma in midwifery in 1987. She also did a diploma in nursing back in 1986.
“Being a midwife and supporting women during their delivery requires a special skill. It requires a special love to give and share. Providing care and support for women during their labour is a very fulfilling job. To think that I have been able to assist in bringing a new life into this world feels great,” she said.
Aoun has assisted in delivering more than 4,000 babies at Corniche Hospital so far.
Blast from the past
Aoun recalled a moment when one of her old patients recognised her from her voice. “The lady had delivered her first child 15 years ago. I was the midwife. I was constantly talking to her giving her all my support. She returned to the hospital for delivering her third child. When she met me again, she recognised my voice. She said she didn’t remember my face, but my voice, she could not forget because I was talking to her all the time through her pregnancy. That touched my heart.”
Family support
Aoun said she is thankful for the support of her husband Rabih, who works as an IT consultant in Abu Dhabi. Her three children who were all born in Abu Dhabi - not surprisingly at the Corniche Hospital – have also been supportive of their mother’s busy work schedules. “My son, Michael, is a mechanical engineer by profession, daughter, Tiffany, is working for a private firm in the finance field and another son Martin is in first year university. “Their success is my success too,” said Aoun.
Career achievements
Aoun said as of one of the COVID heroes, she was assigned to establish the first isolation unit at Corniche Hospital. She was also put in charge of managing an isolation ward at an Abu Dhabi hotel. “I received an award of certificate from SEHA Group Nursing Officer for my role during the pandemic. It is a treasure and will be close to my heart always.”
Aoun said one of the biggest highlights of her long career at the Corniche Hospital has been the fact that she has learnt to understand different cultures. “Whether it is my colleagues who belong to different parts of the world or my patients, I am so blessed to have met so many people from such varied backgrounds. I don’t think I would have got this kind of exposure anywhere else.”
