Dr. Mohammed Al Houqani, Secretary General of the National Institute of Health Specialties, based at the United Arab Emirates University, participated in a workshop to roadmap the implementation of the National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery 2022 – 2026. The workshop was organized by the National Committee for Nursing and Midwifery Affairs of the Ministry of Health and Prevention in Dubai and included national stakeholders from the regulatory, service, and academic sectors.

Dr. Al-Houqani delivered a presentation giving overview of the National Institute of Health Specialties’ initiative to establish nursing specialties within its remit. The initiative introduces a nursing residency program with professional orientation that differs from traditional academic routes into nursing because of its emphasis on training, development of practical skills, and specialized practice.

Dr Al-Houqani explained that the objectives of the initiative, which provides a national platform for nurse training, are to improve standards in the nursing profession, to provide nurses with opportunities to specialize, and to attract UAE nationals to the profession of nursing and its specialist fields. The residency program is designed to international standards of effective practice and promotes the status of nursing and its integration amongst other medical specialties.

Dr Al-Houqani said, The National Institute of Health Specialties at the United Arab Emirates University benefits from its broad and high-quality international experience in the field of nurse training and aims to improve the quality of all medical education in the UAE. We are confident that this initiative will contribute to reductions in the cost of healthcare provision, will provide a solution to the shortage of doctors, and will ensure a specialized career path for nursing practitioners.