When Filipinos visit hospitals in the UAE, they are easily relieved at the sight of a fellow Filipino ready to aid them towards better health. Many Filipino health professionals, most of which are nurses, have seen increasing numbers as years go by – to the point where several established medical institutions have even launched their very own clinics dedicated for Filipinos!
Filipino nurses have since been lauded as the hospital’s arm for giving care that comes from the heart with their genuine passion for aiding their patients coming from different walks of life, from over 200 nationalities residing here in the UAE. Here are the top reasons why Filipino nurses do prefer working in the UAE.
Professional growth
2018 TFT Awards Healthcare Professional of the Year and NMC Mabuhay Clinic’s Head of Department of Dr. Aileen Villanueva, who’s been in the country for more than a decade, sees the country as a place for growth and career advancement for nurses. “There’s room for professional growth because Filipino nurses working here are well recognized. They come here equipped with good education and are highly conversant – which allows them to easily adapt to other languages. They are fast learners as well!”
Trustworthy and compassionate
2016 TFT Awards Healthcare Professional of the Year Dan Lester Dabon said that Filipino nurses easily capture the hearts of people that they give care to with their innate traits. “Filipino nurses embody qualities that would gain the trust of the patients; empathy, quality, passion, genuineness and caring,” said Dabon. The Risk and Safety Officer furthers that this converts to the nurses’ fulfillment of their personal dreams as they work in an environment that helps them become globally competitive nurses with knowledge, skills, and right attitude combined.
Adapting to UAE’s diversity
2017 TFT Awards Healthcare Professional of the Year Divina Digap shares that the adaptability and efficiency of Filipino nurses are just two of the many traits that give them that needed edge to excel in their career. “Filipino nurses here in the UAE feel like it’s their second home already – with the country’s convenience and safety, coupled with the responsibility of caring and communicating for over 200 nationalities, the opportunity that the country provides for us nurses is something that’s challenging yet fulfilling at the same time,” shared Digap.
The Filipino brand and ‘TLC’
As they count the years working here in the UAE, Filipinos earn the experience that they require enough to then take on their next steps of their career, as patients whom they’ve given care to continuously thank and praise them for their hard work. “Iba kasi talaga ang Filipino TLC (tender loving care), We take time to listen to each patient’s complaints in regards to their health concerns, even personal issues sometimes. We educate them well about their sickness, hence providing personalized care,” shares Villanueva.
As a clinical resource nurse herself for more than 17 years, Digap shares that Filipino nurses give the aura of kindness as if they’re taking care of a fellow family member: “Sabi nga nila, iba ang kamay ng Filipinos! They (other expats) feel as if they are with their family they talk to Filipino nurses. They do trust most of our kababayans because they feel comfortable and secure that they are in good hands.”
With the reputation that Filipino nurses and Filipino workers here in the UAE have built for themselves, it’s no wonder why many employers have taken a liking to hiring Filipinos amongst their ranks from workers to top positions in companies – regardless if they’re based here in the UAE or anywhere else in the world. “Filipinos are known to be excellent individuals no matter what endeavor they are in. Filipinos have indeed become a well-known ‘brand’ across the world, a brand that everyone loves, not simply because of our competencies but mainly because we are Filipinos,” shares Dabon.
