Yousef Abu Kharmh, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing at UCQ, caring a patient at a hospital.
DOHA: As Qatar’s healthcare system is expanding with an increased demand of nurses as well, 133 students from the University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ) are graduating on May 13.
UCQ offers two unique streams leading to a Bachelor of Nursing degree and a Master of Nursing programme. The campus, through its education programmes and other activities supports the health and wellness of the people of Qatar, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
This year’s class includes 120 students graduating with bachelor’s degrees and 13 with master’s degrees. Among them 13 are Qataris.
Abeer Mohammed Alhajjaji, a Qatari graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing, told The Peninsula, “I am a very ambitious person. I love to work on my skills and plans as much as I can. In all years during studies at the university, something kept me motivated and enthusiastic to achieve reach the best from me.”
But, she said, her greatest inspiration was and would always be the belief that she had a role as a nurse and responsibility.
Abeer says she had a dream to be a healthcare professional since the age of seven. She was impressed by presentation made at her school by the UCQ and was later got scholarship programme by the Sidra Medicine to study nursing.
“Sidra Medicine supported me and gave me the chance to be a nurse and serve my county,” said Abeer.
Abeer, who is the third sibling of the family to take up nursing as a profession and her father Mohammed Mohsen Alhajjaji, says, “Four years ago when Abeer came and told me that she would like to be a nurse, I believed in her decision and knew that she is going to be a great nurse. I am very proud of her and will always be supporting her during her career.”
“Qatar is a fast growing country and us, as citizens have the obligation to be part of this development. The healthcare sector is improving. Recently, a new hospital was opened which is Sidra Medicine and the country is supporting all citizens to enroll in many medical fields such as nursing, medicine and pharmacy. Therefore, we should understand the effort done by the country to engage its people in this significant development,” he added.
UCQ provides graduates with not only medical knowledge, but also fundamental skills, relevant to family, community and hospital settings. This year among the graduating students 18 are male.
Yousef Abu Kharmh, a Jordanian resident in Doha, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing, says that he was interested in the healthcare field and found nursing to be more optimal on communications with patients and family.
“I want to help, support, and make people feel better. It is a positive feeling when I help people with their suffering and encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle,” he said.
Students gain a unique life experience at UCQ. The medical knowledge and skills fostered throughout the UCQ programme enable graduates to provide valuable care and advice to their communities and families.
While, Blessy Jhon, an Indian resident graduating with a master’s degree in nursing, says, she was encouraged throughout by the faculty during her study period at UCQ and her first priority is providing comprehensive patient care in Qatar based on the knowledge and skills she has gained.
