PRESIDENT OF THE UAE NURSING AND … Annual Report 2013.pdfUAE Nursing and Midwifery Council Annual...

PRESIDENT OF THE UAE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY COUNCIL

HRH PRINCESS HAYA BINT AL HUSSEIN,

WIFE OF HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM,

VICE-PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER OF THE UAE AND RULER OF DUBAI

UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council

Annual Report 2013 3

BOARD MEMBERS

1. DR. ABDULKAREEM SULTAN AL OLAMA, CEO, Al Jalila Foundation

2. PROF. BASSAMAT OMAR, Dean, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah

3. DR. FATIMA ABDULLAH, Emirates Nursing Association

4. DR. FATIMA AL JASMI, Asst. Prof., Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAE

University

5. DR. FATIMA AL RIFAI, Director, Federal Department of Nursing, Ministry of Health

6. DR. MUHADITHA AL HASHIMI, Director - HCT Sharjah Colleges, Higher Colleges of

Technology

7. MS. KANEEZ AL ABDOLLI, Director, Students' Counseling Department, Ministry of

Education

8. DR. MOHAMMED HAG ALI, Advisor on Health Sciences, Institute of Applied

Technology

9. PROF. MONA AL RUKHAIMI, Emirates Medical Association

10. DR. OMNIAT AL HAJRI, Manager, Health Promotion and Surveillance Dept., Health

Authority of Abu Dhabi

11. DR. RAMADAN IBRAHIM, Director, Health Regulation Department, Dubai Health

Authority

12. COLONEL SAEED AL THEHLI, Section Head of Training and Development, Military Health

Services

13. MS. SALMA AL HANAEI, Asst. Nursing Director, Al Rahba Hospital, Health Authority of

Abu Dhabi

14. MS. WAFAA KAMARIEH, Nursing Director, Department of Medical Services, Ministry of

Interior. Framework



MISSION

Our mission is to protect and promote the health of the people of the UAE by unifying

standards for nursing and midwifery practice, education, and licensure.

VISION

Our vision is for nursing and midwifery to be self-regulated, and for nurses and midwives of the

UAE to practice in accordance with unified national standards and to provide reliably high

quality nursing and midwifery services in all care settings throughout the UAE.

Our aim is for nursing and midwifery to systematically contribute to improving the health status

of the people of the UAE and to be valued and supported for those contributions.

VALUES

Our values ground the work of the Council in our mission of protecting the health of the public.

We strive for excellence and a high level of professionalism in all we do.

We are accountable to the public as we act in the best interests of those we serve.

We are fair and act with integrity in setting and applying standards.

We are collaborative, engaging all stakeholders in our work.

We are effective, setting and maintaining high standards for efficiency and service.

We are innovative, searching for the best solutions to meet the public’s needs.

We are advocates for those we serve and for our constituent organizations, striving

together for healthier outcomes for the people of the UAE.



BACKGROUND

In March 2009, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime

Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued a Cabinet Resolution (No. 10 of 2009),

establishing the United Arab Emirates Nursing and Midwifery Council under the leadership of

the Council President HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of

Dubai, and with the support of His Excellency, the UAE Minister of Health.

The decision to establish the Council reflects the government’s dedication to further improve

healthcare by advancing nursing and midwifery, essential components of high quality

healthcare for the UAE. The Council, in line with the highest international standards, will

establish unified, national standards for practice, education and professional conduct. The

ultimate aim is to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of the public with safe nursing

practice.

HRH Princess Haya’s role as President has been a key driving force for the establishment of the

Council. Her commitment towards providing access to high quality healthcare across the UAE is

highlighted in Her encouragement and ongoing support in identifying sustainable solutions

towards upgrading nursing care.

Council members represent all relevant healthcare and educational entities in the UAE,

including representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of

Interior, Ministry of Higher Education, Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, SEHA, Dubai Health

Authority, Dubai Healthcare City Authority, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah University,

Fatima College of Health Sciences, the Armed Forces Medical Services, Emirates Medical

Association, Emirates Nursing Association, and the private healthcare sector.



BOARD MEETINGS

The Council Board convened three times during 2013:

1ST MEETING (31 JAN. 2013)

The UAE NMC first Board meeting of 2013 was held in Dubai International Convention and

Exhibition Center. HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Chairperson of the UAE NMC, urged

efforts to develop governance of the Council and to unify standards of licensing and

registration of all health professions, including nursing and midwifery.

Her Royal Highness emphasized the necessity of encouraging and supporting all related

initiatives that would raise the standards of the nursing staff through continuing education,



exchanging experiences and openness to international experiences. Her Royal Highness

Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein gave directives to establish a specialized research Centre at the

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Academic Medical Center.

A summary report of the Council’s achievements between 2010-2012 showed great

advancement through the constitution of specialized scientific committees in the field of

practice, education, and registration and licensing.

The Board members also discussed the Council’s strategic directions for the years 2013-2015 in

light of the directives of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein and the outcomes of

the retreat which was held last December. The Council is envisioned to be the advisory body to

regulate nursing and midwifery profession in the UAE and will establish a research center and

unify the examination procedures too. It will also seek for increasing the number of UAE

national nurses and apply unified standards and encourage higher education institutes to

attract specialized nursing education.

2ND MEETING (13 JUNE 2013)

The UAE NMC second Board meeting of 2013 was hosted by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al

Maktoum Academic Medical Center - Dubai Healthcare City Authority. The meeting agenda

included a proposal to hold a forum, on a large scale, to spearhead the efforts aiming at

increasing the national workforce in nursing and midwifery. A brief presentation on the ICN

25th Quadrennial Congress in 2013 held in Melbourne – Australia was done. Twenty Emirati

nurses from various healthcare facilities across the UAE attended the conference and four

scientific papers could get it through to the stage. Based on this summary the Council Board

recommended to develop a plan to host regional conferences or other international

professional events.

Board members also reflected on the proceedings and the outcomes of the first scientific

conference of the Council, which was held on March 21. A recommendation to hold a second



conference in the near coming years where nurses from the neighboring region as well as

across the globe can join in was articulated.

Furthermore, Board members envisioned a bright stance for the UAE NMC pausing as a

regulatory as well as an advisory body to healthcare entities aiming at improving the health of

the public through safe nursing practices. Providing advice on nursing registration and

licensing exams was perceived by Board members within the capacity of the Council.

The meeting was concluded by signing the strategy and standards of nursing education in the

UAE which has been developed by the Scientific Committee on Nursing and Midwifery

Education.

3RD MEETING (31 OCT. 2013)

The UAE NMC third Board meeting of 2013 was hosted by the Dubai Health Authority and HE

Eng. Essa Al Maidoor, the Authority’s General Director, attended the opening and offered full

support to the Council and its causes.

The meeting agenda included a presentation on the code of conduct proposed and developed

by the Scientific Committee on Nursing and Midwifery Practice. The Board advised to consider

promoting a positive practice environment to ease the activation of the code of conduct.



The work scheme of the workshop on nursing specialist practice for the Gulf Cooperation

Council (GCC) Nursing Technical Committee was presented. The event, scheduled on 24 and

November 25, 2013, was stated to be held in coordination with the Emirates Nursing

Association and the World Health Organization. A detailed scheme for the planned

Emiratization forum was presented by Dr. Fuzan Al Khalidi, the new Chairperson for the

Emiratization Committee. The forum was envisioned to invite all stakeholders to discuss

strategies and initiatives on Emiratization, coordinate efforts, and issue workable

recommendations.



UAE NMC Conference

Under the patronage of the President of the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council (UAE NMC)

HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE NMC in

collaboration with the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA), and with support from the Ministry

of Health, organized the 2013 UAE NMC Conference under the theme “Shaping the Future of

Nursing and Midwifery in the UAE” on 21 March 2013 at JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai.

The conference was opened at the Gala dinner on 20 March 2013, which was held to celebrate

the Council's achievements, and to award those who contributed to these achievements, as

well as UAE NMC Board members, conference speakers, sponsors, and partners. About two

hundred national and regional leaders in nursing and midwifery and healthcare attended the

Gala dinner.

In his opening speech, H.E. Dr. Salim Al Darmaki, Acting Undersecretary, Ministry of Health, on

behalf of His Excellency Abdul Rahman Al Owais, Minister of Health welcomed the

distinguished guests, and all the audience. H.E. highlighted the important role of the nursing in



the healthcare field. H.E pointed that the UAE gave great concern and interest to the nursing

and midwifery profession through establishing a specialized council to highlight and improve

the aspirations and ambitions of the country and the nation towards best nursing practices.

In his speech H.E emphasized that this conference came as one of the commendable efforts

and activities to assist the council achieve and activate its national goals and aspirations and as

a great opportunity for all to get to know the council’s role in regulating the nursing and

midwifery profession.

Conference Goal:

The goal of the event was to provide an opportunity for exchange of information within the

UAE nursing and midwifery community about the work of the UAE NMC in protecting the

public.

The objectives of this event focused on:

Reviewing the Council's major achievements and the progress made in the

development of UAE NMC standards of nursing and midwifery registration, education

and practice.

Discussing Emiratization initiatives.

Identifying the challenges and future directions of nursing and midwifery in the UAE.



Conference Recommendations:

1. Human Resource

1.1 Empower nurses to assume leadership roles in diverse areas (profession, politics,

education….)

1.2 Make good use of the available political support by working on:

Patient - Nurse ratio and hence improving quality of nursing care

Image of nursing within public and other healthcare professions

Attracting and retaining Emirati nurses through proper education and proper

positioning in the workplace

1.3 Develop preceptorship programs

1.4 Develop strategies to narrow the practice-education gap

1.5 Develop a clear career path at the Federal level

2. Education

2.1 Seek accreditation to sustain high educational standards and not only for getting

recognition

2.2 Appeal for the engagement of all parties to place nursing at the top national priority and

to keep its standards above par

2.3 Advocate for generic nursing education in preparation for specialization

3. Practice

3.1 Expand international exposure

3.2 Develop Evidence Based Nursing Practice environment

3.3 Advocate for a multidisciplinary approach in education as well as practice

3.4 Create a practice environment that nurtures research

3.5 Work on developing Positive Practice Environment



SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE FOR REGISTRATION AND LICENSURE

The Committee held 8 meetings during this report year. A detailed comparison table of the

registration and licensure requirements was prepared to include all aspects of registration and

licensure like fees, practice hours required, CPD/ continuing education requirements and their

frequency, and the good standing in professional conduct. The table was benchmarked with

the national, GCC and international regulatory authorities Many items needed further

clarifications and considerations.

One issue was raised regarding teaching faculty and how they can maintain their professional license. Discussion led a proposal that to maintain a certain number of hours in a clinical setting and this needs to be discussed more.in the future. Renewal and Reentry to practice/profession standards are in the process of development. Standard of Nursing and Midwifery Registration and Licensure Titles, Definitions and Requirements was circulated for other UAE NMC Scientific committees for feedback. Some valid comments were incorporated in the document.

Nursing and Midwifery Registration Exam: A Proposal for establishment of Nursing and midwifery exam committee was developed

and reviewed by the Registration and Licensing Committee.. The committee has agreed on

the following:

1. Membership should consist of experts in this field practicing the profession of

nursing and midwifery in each sector and not members from the regulatory

authorities.

2. The proposal will be raised to the Registration and Licensing Committee after editing

completed for approval in regard to formulation and content.

3. Information need to be collected on companies specialized in organizing nursing and

midwifery exams.

4. The exam committee has the right to use any relevant expertise in this field.



SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE FOR PRACTICE

- The code of conduct was finalized by the committee and went through all the stages

stipulated in the Approval and Dissemination of Council's Formal Documents. It was presented

at the board meeting. The board found the document “comprehensive and represents the

ideal state (as it should)”. The only concern was how the Council can support its

implementation and hence the recommendation was to seek the endorsement of the

regulatory agencies and really advertise so that it can become a tool for improving both care

and practice. The code of conduct will be again on the agenda of the next board meeting for a

decision.

- The committee is still working on developing the Scope of Practice Users Guide.

- The Scopes of Practice for the RN, RM, PN and PM were brought to the board meeting for the

members to sign them off as per the policy: Approval and Dissemination of Council's Formal

Documents.



- The committee terms of reference were disseminated and letters for committee membership

renewal were sent to each member as the office term came to an end. Committee

membership will be revised accordingly.

SPECIALIZATION COMMITTEE

- The “taskforce” title was changed to “committee” as its work is ongoing as a standing group.

- The committee finalized the drafts UAE NMC Specialization Model and the Scope of Practice

(SOP) for the Specialist Registered Nurse. The SOP for the Specialist Registered Nurse is a

generic one that was used to develop the following specialty SOPs based on the needs

perceived for the UAE, namely: Critical Care, Mental Health, Pediatrics and Community.

- The Psychiatry Mental Health SOP was sent to the UAE NMC Scientific Committee for

Education to hear the feedback from the education perspective and to check whether the

document content do meet the needs required to prepare specialty educational program.

Based on the education feedback, the committee will amend all the specialty scopes and then

proceed with the revision steps as per the Approval and Dissemination of Council's Formal

Documents policy.

- Since few members have resigned and others are not attending the committee meetings

regularly, committee membership will be revised in the coming year and new members will be

recruited.

- The terms of reference of the committee were finalized and uploaded on the UAE NMC

website.

GCC SPECIALIZATION WORKSHOP

The workshop was held on November 24-25 in Dubai. It was organized by the UAE NMC in

collaboration with the FDON, the ENA, the Executive Office of GCC Health Ministers and the

WHO. Ms. Fadwa Affara, WHO consultant for Nursing and Midwifery Education and

Regulation, facilitated the workshop.



The workshop aims were to explore challenges and identify future directions for nursing and

midwifery specialization in the GCC countries in relation to designation and levels of specialist

practice, educational standards, regulation and potential career pathways for nursing

specialists.

The objectives of the workshop included:

Identify international trends for nursing specialization.

Exchange experiences of models of nursing specialization developed in the GCC

countries.

Recommend criteria that need to be met before a field of nursing or midwifery can be

designated as a specialty of the profession.

Explore levels and scopes of practice beyond the generalist level.

Suggest standards and the education pathways for the different levels of specialist

practice in the GCC countries.

Recommend a model for the regulation of nursing specialist practice in the GCC

countries.

Outline a career pathway for nurse specialist in GCC countries.

Around 50 participants attended the workshop including the GCC technical committee

members, representatives from each GCC country, the ENA board members, the specialization

committee and other UAE NMC committee members.

Based on the workshop outcomes, Ms. Fadwa Affara drafted a Framework of Specialist Model

for the GCC countries. It was circulated to all workshop participants along with a feedback

sheet to compile their comments and improve the final version of the document. The deadline

for feedback submission was given as 15 January 2014.



UAE NMC RESEARCH PROJECT:

- The Emirates Foundation approved budget transfer of AED 90,000 from the project grant to

conduct a scientific event. The final financial report was submitted and closed.

- The results of individual MOH hospitals that participated in the study were received from Dr.

Linda Aiken and disseminated to concerned DONs to identify areas that need improvement

and put action plan accordingly.

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE FOR EDUCATION

The Scientific Committee for Education met 5 times during the report year and achieved the

following:

The Education Strategy and Standards were approved by the UAE NMC Board Members

and were posted on the UAE NMC website.

Conducted a current state assessment of learning environment and recommendations

were outlined

An assessment activity was conducted for current and planned nursing and midwifery

educational provision and capacity within the UAE with an aim to inform nursing and

workforce planning and development

EMIRATIZATION COMMITTEE

The Emiratization Committee met six times throughout the report year. The committee

worked on:

Developing a research proposal to evaluate factors impacting the Emiratis to consider

nursing as a career option.

Establishing strategies and standards for attracting and retaining Emiratis in the

profession.

Addressing the barriers and challenges faced by Emirati nurses.



Proposing to Developing an Emirati Nurse database for the year 2012

Involving different organizations such as, Tanmia and Tawteen Council, to gain their

support in promoting nursing in the UAE as a desirable career option for Emirati

women and men.

Recommendation for the Graduates’ Licensing, HAAD:

The UAE NMC was consulted regarding the graduates from Fatima College of Nursing who

completed the internship program but were not successful in obtaining the HAAD licensure. A

meeting was conducted with the examination committee at HAAD for this purpose and a

recommendation letter was submitted to Dr. Hatem Al Ameri, Manager, Health Professional

Licensing Department, HAAD.

UAE NMC COMMITTEES CHAIRS AND COORDINATORS MEETINGS

The aim of this meeting is to shed light on the committees’ activities , discuss the overlaps and

dependencies in order to ensure the coordination of committees’ progress. Four meetings were

conducted during the report year.

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