FOR thousands of years, both men and women have been engaged in nursing. They have helped to improve and look after the health of their communities — and they are still doing so. In view of this, it is unfortunate that many people do not recognize the significance of the nurses’ contributions. Here in the Kingdom, many people look upon nursing as inferior to other occupations. When it comes to women in nursing, the situation is even worse. Since nursing requires interaction with both sexes, many Saudis look upon women nurses as socially and culturally unacceptable. Brave women, however, have struggled against these prejudices and they have succeeded in winning acceptance for themselves and their profession.
In the early days of university education in the Kingdom, few students chose to study nursing. Those who did had to combat the prejudiced ideas mentioned above. Many who began to study nursing dropped out of the course because of pressure from family and friends. Very few carried on to the end of their course but those who did deserve commendation and their stories are worth telling.
Dr. Bothyna Murshid was originally surprised to find herself assigned to the College of Applied Medicine in Riyadh. “I was planning to transfer to the College of Medicine after completing the basic courses and then I met the head of the nursing department. She asked me if I wanted to be a pioneer in my country and I decided that I did. The next step was convincing my family which was not easy. They finally agreed and I became one of three in the class. I underwent training in various Riyadh hospitals and then applied to King Faisal Specialist Hospital. I was the only Saudi among 1,000 nurses. They were not too happy at the idea of a Saudi nurse and many times I felt like a stranger in my own country. The public too in those days was surprisingly disapproving of Saudi women in nursing.”
Dr. Murshid said that she was extremely fortunate in having a number of supportive and encouraging friends. She continues her story, “As one who worked in the medical clinics, I discovered a need for information about diabetes and how people could live with the disease. I thought of setting up a diabetes education clinic and when I proposed the idea, it was accepted. That clinic is what I am remembered for, even now.”
After seven years in diabetic education, Dr. Murshid decided to continue her education. With a master’s degree from the University of Michigan and a doctorate from Yale, she is back in the Kingdom with both dreams and ideas. “My studies included both administrative and clinical nursing. I want to direct my knowledge into research. One of my aims is to correct our community’s misconception toward nursing. I believe strongly that a Saudi nurse communicates better with patients. She understands the patient’s culture and psychological needs and so she is more effective in analyzing his or her condition. By providing appropriate health care for patients, public opinion of Saudi nurses is bound to improve.”
Dr. Sabah Abu Zinadah was ready to face every challenge and she met them all successfully. In 1983, when she went to work at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah, she was the first Saudi nurse there. She was originally appointed at grade one despite her outstanding academic record and her experience. “I filed a complaint to get what any graduate Saudi nurse deserves. After two years of negotiations, I was granted my rights. It is now a rule that all graduate nurses are appointed at grade seven.”
Obtaining a master’s degree was one of Dr. Abu Zinadah’s goals. She did not, however, want to study abroad so she and her friends developed a plan. “We contacted the dean of the College of Applied Medicine in Riyadh and he promised to start a post-graduate program at the university. He kept his promise and we were the first to graduate with master’s degrees. After gaining that qualification, I worked as director of nursing at the Royal Commission in Yanbu and I was the highest paid nurse in the Kingdom. A few years later, I felt that I was ready to study abroad so I went to the United States and got my doctorate.”
Dr. Sabah Abu Zinadah is currently assistant chief of nursing affairs at King Faisal Specialist Hospital. She is proud to be the first Saudi nurse to hold this position. She is widely known for her Saudization plans in the hospital. “There are only seven Saudi nurses on the staff of the hospital. Great efforts should be made to increase this number.”
In spite of the success of pioneer Saudi nurses, families still object to their daughters choosing this career. When Zulfa Al-Dar decided to register at the Nursing Institute at the Eastern Province, her parents literally locked her in a room to change her mind. Like many others, her parents wanted her to be a doctor. They looked on nursing as inferior. “People still think that nursing is a profession for the poor. I had to fight hard for my right to choose my career. Since the era of Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, women have treated wounded soldiers; it is neither forbidden nor it is shameful. Nurses provide vital health care and are just as important as doctors.”
Zulfa’s father finally gave his approval and she graduated from the institute and immediately immersed herself in all the available training courses with the aim of enhancing her knowledge and gaining experience. She studied infection control, burns, pediatric nursing and midwifery. She traveled to the US and spent a year there to improve her English. “Now, I am in the Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinic at King Fahad National Guard Hospital. I am eager to participate in public forums and symposiums which provide information about nursing to the public. My family now knows how determined I am to prove myself as a Saudi nurse and I am proud of their support. I believe the good reputation we Saudi nurses build is the first step in changing people’s ideas and prejudices.”
Elham Al-Ateeq turned to nursing after seeing the poor quality of care her late father received in an intensive care unit. A member of the second class to graduate from the College of Applied Science at King Faisal University, she began her career as a registered nurse seeing patients in the hospital and in their homes. Within a year, she was selected to join a team of experienced international educators in establishing a pilot nursing diploma program for women in Al-Qassim. “It was a jump for me to move from bedside nursing to administration. Working on the project was a unique experience that increased my personal and professional maturity. The community resisted the project because of the prejudice against nursing. This reinforced my determination to promote nursing and to educate the community about it.”
After the success of the project, she went to the Ministry of Health where she was an adviser on the problems of Saudi nurses. Shortly after, she went to the US where she got her master’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston. She is currently an education coordinator at KFSH&RC and will soon return to the US for doctoral studies at Columbia University. “Education is the main vehicle for promoting health and preventing disease. My goal is to help students achieve excellence by dedicating themselves to their work. Respect for nursing must begin with the nurses themselves.”