HMC organizes ‘Nursing Without Borders’ workshop for secondary school students

The Health Profession Awareness and Volunteering Program at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in collaboration with the University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ) and the Qatari Society of Nursing recently organized a training workshop for secondary school students in Qatar entitled: "Nursing without Borders".

Ms. Balqees Al Khazraji, Director of HMC’s Health Professions Awareness and Volunteering Program, said about 35 students took part in the training, which was aimed at raising their awareness about the importance of the nursing profession. “This workshop was organized to introduce students to the nursing work environment and to encourage them to join the profession. The recruitment and retention of Qatari, and other Arabic speaking nurses, is a priority for HMC. Qatari nurses are uniquely positioned to deliver culturally sensitive, patient-centered healthcare in the native language of their patients.”

HMC’s Executive Director of Nursing, Dr. Badriya Al Lenjawi, said Qatari nurses play a pivotal role in uplifting the nursing profession and in encouraging both Qataris and expatriates to pursue a career in the field.

“Nurses are the mainstay of our healthcare system. Today’s nurses are highly-skilled leaders, with advanced degrees, who are playing an integral role in the transformation of healthcare in Qatar. As Qatari nurses we must take responsibility for paving the way for our country’s future nurses, both Qataris and expats. Promoting nursing as a challenging, respected and rewarding field is an ideal way to uplift the profession and to inspire future nurses.”

Highlights of the workshop included sessions on biometrics, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), oral health care, and proper nutrition. Other topics featured at the workshop included anemia, vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis, as well as how to care for wounds, burns and bed sores. Strategies for managing and preventing diabetes and maintaining healthy kidneys were also discussed.  At the end of the workshop, each student was awarded a certificate of participation and received credit for 40 hours of voluntary work.

The participating students were later taken on a tour of UCQ’s campus and learned about study opportunities at the institution. They visited the University’s laboratories and other centers. The tour also included HMC-run facilities, including centers for the care of the elderly and patients with special needs, an education center for children with special needs, the Audiology Unit and other specialty units at Rumailah and Hamad General Hospitals.