Sidra Medicine recognized GCC Nurses Day with staff celebrations on Tuesday, highlighting the work of its nursing team to transform care for children, young people and women in Qatar. The occasion was a time to celebrate the important role nurses play as part of multidisciplinary teams at Sidra Medicine and highlight the progress of profiling nursing as a career of choice.

During the event, Sidra Medicine Deputy Chief Nursing Officer Deborah Kelly thanked her colleagues for the critical work they do on behalf of patients every day, saying: “Our goal for nursing at Sidra Medicine is to ensure our patients have access to a world-class nursing and midwifery team. To that end, we have gathered a multicultural team of nurses and nurse practitioners who’ve joined us from all over the world to care for the women and children of Qatar. They are truly the ones who make personalized care possible by getting to know the patient and their needs better than anyone.”

The celebrations, also sought to highlight the work Sidra Medicine has undertaken to educate the community about the importance of nursing as a profession and encourage more Qataris to pursue a career in nursing. Awards were also handed out to nurses who exemplified excellence in their roles.

Speaking at the event, Nurse Nouf Al Kuwari, who was one of the first Qatari nurses to join Sidra Medicine, said: “Becoming a nurse is a privilege. You are entrusted with returning a person back to health. There’s no greater responsibility and we are starting to see the community in Qatar recognize the value of nursing as a career. My colleagues and I spend a lot of time going to schools and meeting with students and their parents to help dispel any lingering misconceptions and encourage more people to study to become a nurse.”

Maryam Al Neama, a nurse who works in the children’s Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) at Sidra Medicine added, “Nurses are essential members of any care team and are the first point of contact for patients and their families, positioning them as the voice of the patient. I have personally found the experience humbling and rewarding. The growing need for quality patient-centric care in Qatar makes now the best time for more Qatari nurses to join the ranks of this esteemed profession.”

Together with partners at the University of Calgary in Qatar (UC-Q), Sidra Medicine has been heavily involved in profiling the benefits and opportunities a career in nursing offers. The organization currently sponsors six Qatari students studying at UC-Q as part of the Bedayati Program — a one-year New Graduate Nurse program designed to attract national nurses to Sidra Medicine. It supports the transition of Qatari nurse students to their professional role at Sidra Medicine. Once onboard, Qatari nurses embark on a progressive career path, which encourages them to develop, complete their masters and serve by example in promoting the role of nurses in healthcare.

Sidra Medicine is also pioneering the Nurse Practitioner (NP) profession, currently employing 25 NPs from the US and the UK. NPs, who have earned a Master’s Degree in Nursing, are able to prescribe medicine, order tests and diagnose conditions in collaboration with the doctor. NPs can also train to perform minor procedures in the operating room.

“As we ramp up operations through mid-2018, the medical teams at Sidra Medicine continue to rely heavily on our strong nursing team to provide the best care possible to our patients. We are proud beyond words to have gathered such an incredible group of people, with endless compassion and skill and are committed to encouraging others to follow suit,” added Sidra Medicine’s Deborah Kelly