Marriage bliss evades Saudi nurses

JEDDAH: Saudi nurses are complaining that there is little support for them in the workplace and that they still face opposition from fellow citizens for taking up the profession.
While they recognize it is a noble profession, much of Saudi society needs to be convinced of this fact. Many single nurses said they do not get marriage proposals, while those married are often threatened with divorce, a media report said.
They said that they are working long hours, often at night. Some have called on the Health Ministry to hire expatriate nurses.
According to recent statistics, only 30 percent of nurses are citizens. In addition, only 3 percent have bachelor’s degrees and 97 percent diplomas, while internationally 70 percent of nurses have degrees and the rest diplomas.
The report stated that some people believe Saudi nurses are more interested in their appearance and mobile phones, rather than caring for patients. They are also not as competent as foreigners, the report stated.
However, several Saudi nurses said that they are often kept from gaining experience by expatriates who are afraid of being replaced. They are often assigned only simple tasks, they said.