Finding references

[EW323]

Hello, I am an RN currently living in the UAE but got my license in the US in 2012 (ADN RN). Since moving to the UAE in 2013, I have only been able to work 2 1/2 years total because of needing to support my kids, so I went back to school and got a BSN and then an MSN. Now the kids are in college, and I am a well-educated nurse with no references. All my jobs are about 10 years old now, and people I worked with are no longer there, and some of the companies have even changed hands (I had more than one job). My university teachers say they cannot provide references, maybe because my courses were online, and so, here I am, age 53, with over 35 years of overall work experience, and ADN, BA, BSN, MSc, MSN.. and I do great in the interviews, they want to hire me and.. I can't get a job because some of them want a minimum of five references. I do have one or two, but I am at a loss after that. It has been impossible to get a volunteer job here because I don't speak Arabic, Tagalog, or Hindi. So... what to do?? Thank you