Nursing in Saudi Arabia

Suga18 · Mar 21, 2005

actually my instructor has worked in saudi. and she loved it. all the stories she tells us.

Sonku · Mar 22, 2005

Suga18 - thanks for the reply...would you mind asking your teacher where exactly she worked? In what city and hospital? If I'm going to do this in the future I want to go to a place that is recommended.

Thanks a bunch.

actually my instructor has worked in saudi. and she loved it. all the stories she tells us.

RRN · Mar 22, 2005

Suga18 - thanks for the reply...would you mind asking your teacher where exactly she worked? In what city and hospital? If I'm going to do this in the future I want to go to a place that is recommended.
Thanks a bunch.

Check with Helen Ziegler..

She and her, doctor husband, worked there for years before starting their agency . It's in Toronto if I'm not mistaken..

I interviewed in L/A with them back in 1999 ..Sure wish I had gone then when things were a little quieter..

http://www.hziegler.com

Kyriaka · Mar 22, 2005

Hi there,
Has anyone out there ever gone abroad and nursed in Saudi Arabia?
Lately I have been having the itch to do some international nursing of some kind. I did a volunteer experiance in the past in Ghana, West Africa and really was rewarded. I'd really love to do some international nursing in the future again. I'd love to go back to Africa but find it very difficult to find any work there that would pay my bills back home (If you know of anywhere let me know). I've noticed it's all volunteer basically. Then I thought of Saudi Arabia and have heard they pay very well (tax free) and some nurses have enjoyed there time there.
I'm not afraid of the culture shock. That I would love. It's the work load I'm afraid of and how nurses are treated. Would a North American (Canadian) be welcomed there? What was your experiance? I'd love to hear.
Also if you know of anywhere else "exotic" to work that pays pretty much the same as a north american nurse could you let me know?
I know I could go to the US or England etc...but I want something totally different...like india or africa or...well...you get my point!

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I am all for international nursing. But you need to look into what it means to work in a country under the Shiria (Islamic law).

You can be arrested by the religious police for many things.

RRN · Mar 22, 2005

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I am all for international nursing. But you need to look into what it means to work in a country under the Shiria (Islamic law).
You can be arrested by the religious police for many things.

That can happen anywhere...When you violate the laws of any country.

NorthER,RN · Mar 22, 2005

Hi! I just came back last October from a year in Saudi - I really loved the place. I enjoyed the culture and the people and did my level best to get out and about as much as possible. I love the desert in all of her moods from the absolute scorching heat of a 47 degree celcius summer day to the freezing cold of a rainy winter night. I worked hard - the hours are longer than here in British Columbia and there are so many different ways of doing nursing when you are nursing with nurses and doctors from around the world. The Saudi Riyal is tied to the American dollar, and as our loonie rose against it, the pay dropped - however with rent paid for and few bills I found that had a lot more money than I have here.

I was never at a loss for things to do and places to go. I wore my abaya and kept my head covered when out of the hospital. I didn't join in the drinking co-ed parties that I felt were just another way to make westerners look as though they had no respect for the country and the religion. As a guest in Saudi you can chose to be with people who see it as a chance to experience so much that is new and exciting, or you can b**ch about what you're missing. You can get everything there that you can here in Canada - even your favourite brands of makeup and favourite snacks and food - although you might like to try something new. Saks 5th Avenue, hobby stores, Body Shop and most of the stores that you see in your local mall are there in Riyadh and in Jeddah.

I honestly felt safer in Saudi than I do in Vancouver (live north of there now), and I walked through the city souks and malls alone at night (lots of stores open very late to beat the heat). Once I got used to the taxi drivers speed I found that I could settle down in the back seat and relax - you cannot drive there and you never sit in the front seat with a man that you aren't related to - although on trips out to the desert with friends I didn't make much of an issue about where I sat. I love photography and so I still have my desert pics to make me happy.

You need to be very aware that Helen Ziegler is making a bunch of money by supplying you as a western nurse to Saudi - so make sure that you get all of the information that you can in writing - DO NOT believe what they say, believe only what they write and remember that the hospital can change things once you arrive. If there is some area that you won't work in make sure that you are very explicit about that - I'm an ICU/CCU nurse and I ended up on a stepdown unit - I found that particular area had many rather unsafe practices and I was not able to transfer out due to staffing levels.

Take your drug books and reference books with you, and be sure to talk with someone professional about your tax status.

Have an excellent time, the women are very friendly - they will pray for you to accept Islam, and they appreciate kindness and a friendly manner so much. Babies are revered there as being the reason for women to live - and in turn the gate to paradise is found at the foot of your mother, so you will find that families and tribes are all important to the individuals.

Forgive me for rambling on - certainly my experiences won't be your experiences, but I hope to return some day to Saudi - till then Ma'asalama (one way to say goodbye - it means sort of go in peace)

Kyriaka · Mar 22, 2005

That can happen anywhere...When you violate the laws of any country.

______________

Most countries dont have religious police.

Now when in Rome, do as the Romans. But it is important to investigate whether you are able to conform to those laws.

RRN · Mar 22, 2005

______________
Most countries dont have religious police.
Now when in Rome, do as the Romans. But it is important to investigate whether you are able to conform to those laws.

More countries than you know have relegious police.. Just take a quick look at the US Congress recently.

NorthER,RN · Mar 22, 2005

Kyriaka, have you had a look at www.medhunters.com for exotic jobs?

You could also look at:

www.reliefweb.int/vacancies/

www.msf.ca

www.alertnet.org

www.sainternational.us/

www.vsocanada.org

www.careerswithoutborders.com

You could browse these sites and their links. The only ones that I would really feel confident about are medhunters, medicins san frontieres, and vso here in Canada.

Good luck.

Sonku · Mar 23, 2005

Everyone,

Thank you so much for all of your postings and information. Thank you also for sharing your experiances.

I have some thinking to do. I just know I'm not happy where I am now. We'll see.... I'm a pretty new nurse so I know I have to build up some experiance here first but later on I plan to do something exciting!

Thanks again.

Kyriaka, have you had a look at www.medhunters.com for exotic jobs?
You could also look at:
www.reliefweb.int/vacancies/
www.msf.ca
www.alertnet.org
www.sainternational.us/
www.vsocanada.org
www.careerswithoutborders.com
You could browse these sites and their links. The only ones that I would really feel confident about are medhunters, medicins san frontieres, and vso here in Canada.
Good luck.