The United Arab Emirate (UAE) seems to be the destination for several Nigerian professionals including nurses who are trooping to the country because of the green opportunity available there. We can blame the reason to be poor educational structure, lack of job opportunities, the high unemployment rate in the country, and poor salary scale. But whatever your reasons are, we’ve found out in recent times that Nigerians are been trained or working as nurses in UAE. So, if you want to be one of them, then you will need to know How to be a Nurse in UAE.
How to be a Nurse in UAE
Whether you are planning to study the nursing profession in UAE or you are already a nurse but want to migrate to UAE to practice, you must acquaint yourself with the modus operandi of becoming a nurse in the country.
Nursing is a lucrative and highly patronized profession that is in charge of providing care to individuals, families, communities, and populations. Also, the profession promotes education, prevention, collaboration, coordination of care, and adheres to a high standard of care.
Becoming a nurse in UAE can be tasking, same as every other country but, it is achievable and against every obstacle or ill-fated tale you might have heard about the country, you can train to become or work as a nurse in UAE.
So, having whetted your appetite enough, we have outlined some necessary steps that will help you become a nurse in this Arab country in this piece centered on How to be a Nurse in UAE.
1. Earn a Degree
2. Obtain a License
3. Obtain Employment
4. Choose a Specialty
5. Pursue Additional Training
Earn a Degree
Becoming a nurse in UAE like every other country requires you to earn a nursing degree or its equivalent. This implies that you get a formal education in a certified tertiary school offering nursing as a course.
Interestingly, although several areas of the nursing profession require you to get a degree, there are few exceptions where associate certificates or diplomas in Nursing will also give you a head start.
What is important is that the school you will enroll in is certified and duly accredited. Interestingly, there are several institutions or nursing schools in UAE that you can enroll in to get the degree you need.
Obtain a License
The next step upon the completion of you earning a degree in the nursing profession, the next step on How to be a Nurse in UAE is to obtain a license. Truth be told, without a nursing license, you can’t practice as a nurse despite having a nursing qualification.
You can earn your nursing license by passing a national nursing licensure examination (NCLEX). However, you need to know that licensing requirements are different from state to state, nursing speciality, and occupation.
Below are some of the national exams that you will write to get your license.
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): This is a state competency exam is designed for nurses who want to work as nursing assistants.
• National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN): this is the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Nurses in this cadre are required to pass this test to earn their NCLEX-PN license.
• National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN): this licensure exam is meant for Registered Nurses (RNs). They are required to pass this test to gain their license to practice.
Obtain Employment
Once you are through with your education and have gotten your license, the next step is to find a job.
Interestingly, the nursing profession is a lucrative one and there is plenty of room and it is a rapidly growing field. Also, the location where you search for a job matters and thankfully, UAE has a lot of opportunities.
There is room for you to be employed in any of the long-term care facilities which are envisaged to be more popular as the population grows.
Choose a Specialty
As a nurse, you must get to the zenith of your profession. that is why after the completion of your education, get your license (NCLEX), and probably a job, the next thing you might want to consider is to choose a specialty. That is, you should choose from the several nursing specialties that appeal to you and enroll.
Choosing a nursing specialty will help you advance much more in your career and also climb higher in your profession. Plus, some nursing positions associated with different specialties may require specific certifications or more advanced degrees.
Below are some of the most popular nursing specialties you can choose from:
• Neonatal Nursing: These nurses specialized in caring for patients directly before and after giving birth.
• Nurse Midwife: These nurses are specially trained to guide patients through the entire process of pregnancy and delivery. Midwife nurses are highly demanded in the hospital
• Clinical Nursing: These nurses have advanced degrees and advanced certifications. They primarily oversee the work of other nurses.
• Critical Care Nursing: these nurses are trained to specially work in critical care units or trauma centers.
• Anaesthesia Nurse: An anesthetist nurse is specially trained to provide pain medication (anesthesia) care for patients before, during, and after surgery. That is, they administer medications to keep patients asleep or pain-free during surgery, plus they regularly monitor every biological function of the patient’s body.
Pursue Additional Training
Progress in your nursing career may not be all that important but it can come in handy sometimes in the future of your career. Additional schooling or further schooling is important in the nursing field just like other professions. continuous learning will help you bag senior-level employment opportunities, enjoy higher salaries, and have greater responsibilities as well.
Interestingly, there are many options for advanced degrees in nursing in the UAE that you can take advantage of and further hone your nursing skills.
There you have the five various steps that you ought to take to become a nurse in UAE. However, the first to the third step is more important to begin your journey into the profession and the other two are optional but will help you get to the peak of the nursing career.
What do Nurses do?
Having provided you with all you need to know on How to be a Nurse in UAE, we also deemed it necessary to give you tidbits on the nature of a nursing profession.
The job description of nurses is more complex than you might think. However, to shed light on the nursing profession, below are some responsibilities across the nursing specialties:
• Assess patient condition
• Patient clerking
• Record patient’s medical data and relevant behavior
• Work vis-à-vis and communicate efficiently with other members of the healthcare team
• The effective use and maintenance of medical equipment
• Take part in forming a treatment plan for patients
• Counsel and advise families on the condition of the patient and post-hospital care
How Many Years Does It Take to Become a Nurse?
Don’t let anyone fool you by scaring you as to the period of studying to become a nurse. The period varies depending on the specialty that you are interested to study.
The minimum amount of time needed to become a nurse is between 2 to 3 years of coursework for an associate degree in nursing. While a bachelor’s degree takes 3 to 4 years of coursework. A master’s degree in nursing on the other hand usually takes from 2 to 5 years depending if you study part-time or full-time.
How much does it Cost to Study Nursing in UAE?
It is imperative to prepare adequately before embarking on any endeavor. As such, it is paramount that before you embark to study the nursing profession in UAE, you should know how much it’ll cost you.
The cost of studying nursing in the UAE varies depending basically on the educational institution you enroll. Nonetheless, the average fee expected to be paid by the applicant is within the range of $300-500.
You also must know that payment is non-refundable. Plus, there is the likelihood of making additional payments on top of the initial payment. Additional payment may include an admission fee that must be paid before the first semester begins.
How Much are Nurses Paid in UAE?
Nursing as mentioned outrightly in this informative piece is a lucrative profession and one that is in high demand. As such, nurses working in UAE typically earn around 20,800 AED monthly. The lowest salary nurses can be paid is around 13,000 AED. The highest amount nurses can be paid is around 40,800 AED. However, the actual maximum salary is higher.
The salary scale provided above is the average monthly salary that includes housing, transport, and other benefits.
Conclusion
I bet your question on How to be a Nurse in UAE has been answered by now going by the lengthy discussion we’ve had so far. So, all you need do is to follow the steps discussed above and you will probably land achieve your dream of becoming a nurse in this Arab country. So, waste no time today and jumpstart your way to becoming a nurse.