Dubai- With more hospitals and medical facilities opening up in the country, the shortage of qualified and experienced nurses in the region has become even more glaring.

The demand for nurses and other medical professionals is slowly starting to overwhelm the number of available practitioners in the field. The situation has reached a point where the government has decided to craft out strategies that will help lure over the much-needed manpower.

A Growing Demand

Despite concerted efforts to open the country's doors to aspiring professions in the medical field, the high demand for qualified nursing professionals in the country is still very far from being met. It is a reality that the region is unable to produce the right number of graduates that have the qualifications and experiences enough to meet the needs of the growing population.

It is expected that the shortage is far from being resolved since there has been an increase in the number of medical facilities that have recently been opened in the region. The government has to find ways on how to address the shortage lest the population suffer from decreased quality of medical care as a result.

A Call Unheeded

While the country has since been host to a considerable number of Indian and Filipino nursing practitioners, many of these professionals are now turning to the United Kingdom and the United States for possible employment. These countries offer better wages and better career opportunities. The fact that there are incentives such as relocation allowances and even family visas for the successful candidate make them better destinations for many nursing professionals.

Among the reasons why there is a shortage of nurse practitioner doctorate degrees is because the country offers low status and low wages. The opportunities provided in UAE are significantly limited too. The fact that there are very limited advancements in establishing a career in this field has led many professionals to turn to other courtiers to look for employment opportunities.

Bridging the Gap

As a way to address the shortage, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has decided to take concrete steps resolve the issue. Considering how there is a need to get the number of nursing practitioners in the country increased to at least 25 percent, it has been decided that overseeing the regulations and licensing of the profession is a good first step to achieve this goal.

It should be noted that there are specific qualifications that a nursing practitioner should complete before getting qualified to practice in the country. The government has decided to amp up its efforts in encouraging practitioners in the field to consider taking specialty programs like the online doctoral nursing programs offered by Bradley University as this allows them to branch out to other areas in the field that require more intricate and specialized care.

A body that will oversee regulation is seen as a practical solution to help address this serious nurse shortage affecting the country. Since it will be responsible for such concerns as scopes of practice, salaries, regulation and licensure, and code of conduct, it is expected that it will bring about the changes needed to make the country a much more attractive and lucrative destination for the professionals in the nursing and the medical field. Improving the overall public perception of the nursing profession is also part of the goal to. Making it more desirable is going to be an effective way to attract the right professionals to come and stay.