Kuwait Bound Ex-Clinical Instructor

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I was hired a month ago by the Ministry of Health of Kuwait to work as a staff nurse there. My problem is the only solid bedside nursing experience I had was my 3 1/2 years in a tertiary hospital as a nurse clinical instructor. Previous to that was only a month of training in MS and another month in HD, then I got hired by the school I graduated from my BSN to teach third year nursing students.

I didn't lie on my resume but passed the written and oral exams given by the ministry and on my way to Kuwait 2-3 months from now awaiting for my visa. I have resigned from the college October 2008 and have failed miserably to get hired or even volunteer as staff nurse probably because of my age (35) or lack of openings or job vacancies. So when I passed the Kuwait exams I grabbed it but now wondering if I can survive as a staff nurse in Kuwait because I have been out of nusing for almost a year now and with admittedly less staff nurse experience to begin with.

I'm also wondering why my batch mates in nusing who worked at OR and ER for almost 4 years now were not even considered by the Kuwaiti ministry just for failing the 50 item exam but obviously were really experienced practice-wise.

Thanks for your comments.

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I'm also wondering why my batch mates in nusing who worked at OR and ER for almost 4 years now were not even considered by the Kuwaiti ministry just for failing the 50 item exam but obviously were really experienced practice-wise.

Thanks for your comments.

Simply stated, they failed to meet a set standard. Regardless of experience, one of the standards for this position was passing a written exam. They failed to meet this standard while you passed. I would not over think this concept. They may be great nurses, and some employers in the US may look at the whole picture instead of an exam; however, this may not be the case in other places.

Good luck with your experience. You should try to immerse your self in the culture of Kuwait. The culture and day to day life is significantly different from the US in some cases. Learn about the religion and try to pick up some basic Arabic speech. While English is common in countries such as UAE and Kuwait, showing somebody you care enough to learn a little about their native tongue can go along ay in earning their respect. I say, start as soon as possible. Ramadan will start in August of this year, and this can be a culture shock for the unprepared. (Speaking from experience on this one.)

Good luck.

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Thanks. I really have to adjust as you said, specially on the fact that this might be the first time I will be away from my wife and 3 kids for 2 years.

I'm Asian, passed my NCLEX and IELTS but can't get hired in the US or Canada due to my lack of clinical experience so this might be the start. My sisters are waiting for me there in the US so I hope the economy picks up or else I would really have to have my sights on Canada instead.

I'm hoping someone from the middle east can give me a heads up if I can survive there.LOL

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Yes, you can survive. Much of the health care in these countries is provided by foreigners. Filipino nurses do particularly well in the UAE; therefore, I can only assume the same with Kuwait.

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Thanks bro. The worst part of being unemployed is not the lack of money but the lack of something to do.

I hope this is it or at least it has given me something to hope for and look forward to.

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Specializes in ICU.

First of all brush up on your nursing skills and know your meds for your floor. Secondly when you get there be sure to team up with people form your background on the unit. They will show you the needed skills for you to survive.

Kuwait is laid back country. It's extremely rich and modern. If you are a male you will be in a male unit. Men and women are separated in hospital wards. Family ties are big and very strong. Don't be surprised if your patient's room get filled up all day long with visitors.

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Thanks for all the advice and the PM.

Does that mean I'll probably be working with other male nurses because that would really be a nice thing to look forward to since guys might be more forgiving of my predicament being breadwinners themselves.

I am no trouble maker and practice no vice but aside from those things, what else can I have trouble with in a major way?

Thanks.

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Uh, are you saying that you female colleagues will not be "breadwinners"? Maybe I misunderstood your last post, but IF you think most of your female coworkers don't understand what it's like to be breadwinners, think again, b/c they most definitely are breadwinners too!

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Ooops sorry what I meant was not guys in general but those guys that I might meet there who are most often than not breadwinners who might be more sympathetic as opposed to single male nurses who might not care about how important the job is for guys like me who are being depended upon by my family.LOL.

Seriously, what I mentioned on the post previous to this was my bias on working with fellow male nurses. I find male nurses to have a cooler temperament but that's just me.

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Ooops sorry what I meant was not guys in general but those guys that I might meet there who are most often than not breadwinners who might be more sympathetic as opposed to single male nurses who might not care about how important the job is for guys like me who are being depended upon by my family.LOL.

Seriously, what I mentioned on the post previous to this was my bias on working with fellow male nurses. I find male nurses to have a cooler temperament but that's just me.

Hi Hdiddy Can you give me some tips on how to pass the KUWAITI ministry exam?? TIA

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