‘A career in nursing is very rewarding’

DUBAI // A bedside manner perfected over eight years as a nurse in a government hospital helped Samera Al Shabebi become a leading light in her profession.

As head of compliance and assurance at Dubai Healthcare City Authority, she hopes to inspire other Emirati women to follow in her footsteps.

Ms Al Shabebi spoke of the challenges she faced during her training in an emerging healthcare environment and the values learnt. Confidence was key to her success, she said.

Nurse training gave her experience from general medical departments to more specialist surgery and paediatric wards.

Her time in oncology, caring for terminally ill cancer patients, delivered the life experience that has proved most valuable.

“Those three years were for me the most challenging time in nursing,” she said. “For the first month, I would cry every day. I had to learn how to be strong enough to manage not only the patient’s treatment, but the complications that went with it. Not only did I learn nursing skills, but also leadership. It is hard discussing cancer with a patient.

“In oncology, you see nursing from a different angle, because the outcome is not always satisfactory.”

Compassion and sensitivity were key skills that have served her well throughout her career. Managing the care and expectations of patients from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds taught her a new level of understanding.

“I had to learn to help with the grieving side,” Ms Al Shabebi said. “From day one we learnt about counselling, not just the patient – but also the family.”

Ms Al Shabebi’s training in health care began in the 1980s. She studied for a university degree in Sharjah followed by a diploma in health sciences, then practical training at Dubai Hospital.

Growth in the health sector led to demand for home-grown health professionals, particularly Emirati women, of whom there are few compared with other nationalities.

“Some Emirati women may have been put off by the long shifts or unsociable hours, but nursing is very rewarding,” she said. “We need to have more women with experience in the field; it helps to develop confidence elsewhere in society.

“It is important to have a day celebrating women’s achievements. Some women choose to stay home, but they add huge value to their children.”