RCSI Bahrain hosted Professor Julie Green, Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, United Kingdom, for a partnership launch under the Patronage of Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Rana Bint Isa Bin Duaij Al Khalifa, Secretary General of the Higher Education Council and Deputy Chairperson of the Higher Education Council Board of Trustees, in the presence of His Excellency Mr Roderick Drummond, British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain and Dr Jamila Jassim Mukhaimer, President of Bahrain Nursing Society.

Thanks to the partnership between Keele University and RCSI Bahrain, a nursing student exchange programme will take place annually where nursing students from both universities will visit one another's campuses to participate in learning and teaching activities and attend clinical observerships in local healthcare facilities.

Professor Sameer Otoom, President of RCSI Bahrain, stated: “To advance healthcare in Bahrain and beyond, it is critical that nursing students experience a diversity of interactions with patients, interprofessional relations and healthcare environments. Nurses play a vital role in the delivery of primary and community care, and their understanding of patient care in an international context is key to evolving current practices.”

He also thanked Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa for her patronage and support of this partnership, since developing future professionals with the relevant skills needed in Bahrain to construct a knowledge-based economy is part of the Higher Education Council’s strategic plan, in line with the country’s goals under the National Vision 2030.

Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa - Secretary General of the Higher Education Council and Deputy Chairperson of the Higher Education Council Board of Trustees noted: “In healthcare, as in any other sector, it is important to prepare graduates to be able to keep up with global developments in their field of knowledge so that our workforce is ready to meet the needs of current and future societal needs.”

RCSI Bahrain nursing students participate in a range of community engagement activities and undertake clinical placements in primary and secondary care nationally, contributing to the health programme of Bahrain, where they experience first-hand the advancement of the health and well-being of the local communities. Students also have opportunities to volunteer internationally via the international community engagement initiatives.