Working as a Nurse in Saudi Arabia: A Complete Guide
For many reasons we would discuss here, choosing to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia is a noble decision. The Middle East has a significant concentration of nurses because of their high demand.
Working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia is based on a contract that could last for one to two years, after which renewal can be offered. Except for senior nurses, this type of contract covers only the nurse, and if you insist on coming along with your family, expenses are on you.
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Types of Nurses in Saudi Arabia
Registered Nurse/ Staff Nurse
These nurses could be domiciled in the hospital environment to provide quality healthcare to patients. Some other times, they offer this healthcare service to employees. A few other times, they go to their patients’ homes and treat them there.
Emergency Nurse
Among the many other responsibilities emergency nurses have, the chief is responding to emergencies and assisting doctors in providing emergency health care for patients who need them.
Intensive Care Unit Nurse
Patients recuperating from whatever illness must be closely monitored to observe subtle changes that might lead to a relapse. This is where these intensive care unit nurses come in.
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They observe the patient’s recovery journey and make necessary observations. Intensive care unit nurses also administer intravenous drugs or gastric tubes so that doctors know how patients are faring.
Salaries of Nurses in Saudi Arabia
It must be said that these salaries depend on the expertise, experience, and even age of the nurses. For instance, staff nurses in Saudi Arabia earn about 12,200 SAR. The salaries range between 6,480 SAR to 18,600 SAR if you consider the cost of housing, transportation, and other benefits.
Working Conditions for a Nurse in Saudi Arabia
Working Atmosphere
First, if you wish to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia, you need to know that there is a massive difference in the working conditions in Saudi Arabia and in many European countries. The healthcare sector closely models that of the American healthcare system. Nonetheless, it shouldn’t be difficult to adjust if you have the requisite skills every nurse should have.
Shifting
On average, nurses in Saudi Arabia work as many as 44 hours. Before you fret, you can rotate between day and night duty even though, in the event of a nurse shortage, their foreign nurses are overworked.
Safety of Patients
The safety of patients is always a priority in any working healthcare system worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, the patient safety culture is below par, which has led to the punishment meted out to those who are found to be guilty of specific medical errors and negligence.
Nurse-patient ratio
This ratio takes into cognizance the patient complexity or acuity, the number of admissions, discharges, and transfers, and even the skill level and expertise of these nurses. The ideal ratio should be 1:2 or even less. However, there could be considerations to 1:2, 1:1, or even 2:1 if the need arises.
Hospital Equipment
The massive investment of the Saudi Arabian government in medical care is palpable. For example, a projected nine percent increase in the medical devices market is a testament to this. Little wonder, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is ranked among the top 26 countries having a reputable healthcare system.
How Can You Apply to be working as a Nurse in Saudi Arabia?
Possessing the proper skill set, mainly as a nurse who wishes to work in a foreign country, can position you for an exciting and, of course, lucrative career. However, as it is with other countries, Saudi Arabia has certain rules that guide application. We will outline some of them here.
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Requirements to become a Nurse in Saudi Arabia
It is important that if you want to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia that you must first have a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. In addition to this degree, you are also expected to have completed general education coursework.
The essence of having a Bachelor’s degree is the depth of the topics taught, even though a good number of these topics are covered in an Associate degree. Besides, there is the school of thought that the jostling for spaces in nursing would get stiffer and only applicants with a Bachelor’s degree stand a good chance of being hired.
Have your Nursing License
Working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia would only be possible if you have obtained a license. Obtaining a license can only happen if you pass the licensure examinations in your home country.
Mumaris+ Registration
The Mumaris+ Registration is the means the Saudi Arabia Commission for Health Specialist use to give eligibility numbers to those approved because they met the requirements to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. You can register with your phone and email numbers and then create an account on the Mumaris+ web portal.
Write and Pass the Prometric Examinations
A license from your home country certainly isn’t enough if you want to be retained as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. So, you should take the Saudi Arabia Council Examinations, also known as Prometric examinations, if you want an upgraded work status in Saudi Arabia.
Immigration for Nurses in Saudi Arabia
As we said earlier, working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia is based on a contract basis of a maximum of two years which can be renewable. However, if you want to work and live as a nurse in Saudi Arabia, you will need a work and residence permit.
Moreso, you will need a sponsor, who often is your employer. They will help you obtain visa permission from the Ministry of Labour. By the way, you can only get a residence permit if you have gotten a work permit.
Prometric Examinations
For foreign nurses who intend to work in Saudi Arabia, this screening examination is one they can’t afford to take leniently. It is a time-limited examination, and if the candidate fails to complete the examination within the stipulated time, such a candidate would have lost the chance of working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. This same exam affords only three attempts.
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Conclusion
Have you ever wondered why so many people continue to flock to Saudi Arabia to work as nurses? If there is a standout reason, it has to be the number of healthcare facilities springing up every time.
