RIYADH, 8 June — Nursing is a relatively new profession in KSA — the first students only began their nursing studies in 1961. The first nursing school was established in Riyadh but before long, schools were established in Jeddah and Al Hofuf in 1961 and 1968 respectively. Initially, these institutes were known as “Intermediate Health Colleges” but were subsequently called Nursing Colleges and became a college within a university. At first, the number of students was small but recent statistics have shown that in Dammam, for example, the number of students entering the Nursing College each year is about 130. There are now graduates entering the profession from institutes in Al Hofuf, Qatif, Al Jauf, Hafr Al Batin, Dammam and Riyadh.
Nursing in the Kingdom is divided into two streams — the first is nursing under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, and the second is under the Ministry of Higher Education. These two frameworks support Saudi graduates in the fields of primary health care, health education, hospital administration and medical research.
Just 30 years ago, there were 521 health care centers in the Kingdom. Many of these centers had only one female nurse and one male nurse and, at that time, there were only a total of 2,268 nurses in the Kingdom, most of whom were male. By 1982, the number of nurses in the Kingdom had risen to 30,799. This number, however, was largely foreign nurses. At the same time, more and more trained Saudi graduates were entering the nursing profession as young people were encouraged to participate in this dynamic and growing field.
Nursing has a vital role in today’s communities. By developing communications , we are now able to gather information concerning the health and welfare of people, thus enabling scientific research into the medical problems found in all communities.
Despite its role, there are still problems facing nursing in KSA. Some of them are:
1. Closing the gap between supply and demand.
2. Determining the nursing qualitative requirements.
3. Promoting interest in Nursing as a profession for women.
4. Offering a variety of roles for graduate nurses.
5. Promoting nursing in the field of administration and management.
6. Finding a balance between Saudi and non-Saudi nurses.
The strategic plan for future requirements of nursing in KSA is divided into 3 stages:
• First — The qualification stage. This begins with the preliminary encouragement of students to take up nursing studies and culminates in the choice of suitable applicants.
• Second — The continuing education stage. After selecting suitable applicants, the students must undergo rigorous study and training in accordance with international standards.
• Third — Ongoing social education programs to raise the profile of nursing as a profession in KSA.
The last point is extremely important if we are to develop and build up the profession in Saudi Arabia. Currently, there is a definite shortage of qualified Saudi nurses, both male and female, in hospitals and health care centers throughout the Kingdom. An education program is essential in order to attract young people into nursing. In addition, a registration system for all Saudi nurses will be part of the graduation process in the future strategic plans for nursing. This will create a network throughout the country and eventually internationally.
While there is no documented history of nursing in the private sector, we can reasonably suggest it originated in the Kingdom in 1981 with the coming of private hospitals. Nursing in private hospitals does not differ much from public hospitals — nurses in both areas are responsible for the safety and care of patients, arrangements for nursing and the operation and management of nursing services.
The most important aspects of nursing are “understanding the patient’s needs”, “recognizing the patient’s rights” and “maintaining the patient’s dignity”. It is also important to educate the patient so that following discharge, he or she will not undertake activities to cause a recurrence of their medical problem.
Incorporated into the patient education program is information on nutrition, general health and hygiene. It is also very often the nurse’s role to help cheer the patient — lift his spirits and, perhaps to him hope.
Nowadays, nurses in KSA have grown in stature. They have progressed from the simple nurse graduate to men and women with vital roles in administration and who participate in international conferences and meetings. In other words, they have come a long way in a relatively short time!
