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Local healthcare groups report that they have noticed a steady increase in the number of male nurses
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The increasing number of male nurses entering the UAE’s healthcare sector adds diversity and more value to the healthcare system, experts say.
“I have experienced first-hand the benefits of being a male nurse in multiple areas of the hospital,” said Justina Nancy Mendonca, Group Chief Nursing Officer for Thumbay Healthcare. “They increase diversity and bring different skill sets into the existing healthcare system.”
Local healthcare groups report that they have noticed a steady increase in the number of male nurses in the profession. Abu Dhabi-based Burjeel Holdings is one company that has seen more male nurses in recent years.
“We have about 35 percent male nurses,” said Rani Elsa Oommen, chief nursing officer at Burjeel Holdings. “We also have more male nurses than female nurses in some facilities in industrial areas. If you compare that to where it was about 30 years ago, less than 10 percent of nursing students were male. A few years ago, in In the UAE, there are no Emirati male nurses. Today, besides female nurses from the country, there are male Emirati nurses.”
Sarah Elias
Sarah Ilyas, chief nursing officer at Dubai-based Aster Hospitals and Clinics, said the gender gap between male and female nurses would close. “The ratio of male to female nurses at Aster Hospital is 1:6,” she said. “We expect this gap to close over the next few years. Over the past decade, we’ve been seeing more and more men joining the nursing workforce.”
forever an asset
According to Justina, the presence of male nurses is especially helpful in certain departments of the hospital. “In areas like emergency rooms, operating rooms, intensive care units and dialysis units, male nurses do a good job and are sometimes even more popular,” she said. “There are many reasons. For example, in emergency rooms and operating rooms, there is a need to transfer patients from beds to stretchers. Male nurses can support female nurses well in these situations.”
Lani also supports this. “Male nurses are also popular due to the need to cater to male patients, work fields and physical requirements,” she said.
Tino Oman
Tinu Oommen, a senior registered nurse at the NMC Royal Hospital in Sharjah, said he has seen many male nurses handle delicate situations well. “I see that in emergency rooms, male nurses are not panicked and are ready for a challenge. That’s one of the reasons why we can see at least one male nurse in any intensive care unit.”
Nursing as a service
For Jobish Gopinathan, head nurse at Aster Hospital in Mankhool, it was the thought of serving people that led him to become a nurse. “As we support patients on their recovery journey, I’m sure they will pray for us in silence,” he said. “So, nursing is a career I chose out of passion and it gave me a sense of purpose and fulfillment in life.
Jobish Gopinathan
Severe health setbacks during Covid-19 haven’t stopped him. “In the emergency room, we are the first point of contact for patients,” he said. “Soon, I tested positive. I had severe pneumonia and was in intensive care for over three weeks in a coma. The doctors and team did everything they could to bring me back to life. I had serious post-Covid complications. But once I got back on my feet and I didn’t flinch because I was worried about reinfection. I went back to the emergency room and took care of every patient that came to us.”
For Lebanese national Rami Atef Amhaz, Intellectual Property Manager at Burjeel Specialist Hospital in Sharjah, an illness close to home led him on the road to healthcare. “In our house, there were no doctors or nurses, and my grandfather was sick,” he said. “So, I decided over 20 years ago to study nursing to save lives. In fact, my dad encouraged me to study nursing.”
Rami Atif Amhaz
He said the profession has taught him a lot. “Because of my experience as a nurse, I have learned many valuable skills. Today, because of my experience and communication skills, I can confidently handle emotional or difficult patients.”
challenge
The biggest challenge in this field is patient attitudes towards male nurses. “Patients often ask for female nurses,” Justina admits. “Mainly older male patients prefer male nurses.”
Shaz Amin
Shazia Amin, Director of Nursing at the NMC Royal Hospital in Sharjah, said more was needed to understand the role of male nurses. “There are mixed feelings about the services that male nurses provide,” she said. “Once you see nurses caring for you, the gender disappears. sexual acceptance.”
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