TAG | saudi arabia nurse
More and more, nurses in developing countries are packing their bags and heading to other countries. Why are they leaving? Studies have pointed out factors underlying the nursing exodus. In the Philippines, primary factors include inadequate workplace environment, lack of essential facilities and equipment and inadequate compensation and benefits. Other countries have also suffered severe economic crisis and the government had to downsize and can no longer provide additional employment.
Nurses also complain of a lack of recognition which leads to dissatisfaction and frustration at work. Nurses who stay and work for their countries don’t get recognition for their efforts and sacrifices. Under such horrible conditions, even family and loved ones, patriotism and the chance to contribute to the local system are not enough to make them stay and remain in the local health scene.
The United States and the United Kingdom seem to be the most popular target locations for migrant nurses. In the US, nurses are either paid by the hour with an annual take home income of about $54,000, or paid monthly receiving an annual income of $65,000. Rates are also higher for nurses who work on graveyard shifts and even higher for shifts during weekends. In the United Kingdom, newly registered nurses have starting base salary of £17,000 while experienced nurses receive a minimum base salary of £29,000. Just like other jobs, more experience commands higher pay.
Base salary in these countries is quite high but Saudi Arabia which is almost entirely dependent on expatriate nurses, seems to be gaining ground. Saudi Arabia has battled a nursing shortage for a long time now and relies on migrant nurses to staff their hospitals. Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia does not produce its own nurses. Saudi women seem not so bent on taking up nursing in College. Some say that the problem lies in the culture. Whatever the reason, Saudi Arabia is the one of the top choices for nurses to go to for work.
Even registered nurses in the United States and the United Kingdom are opting to go to Saudi Arabia. Nursing salaries in Saudi Arabia is as competitive as these two countries. But what attracts nurses from developed countries to work here is not only the salary but the many benefits and incentives they offer each qualified applicant. Plus the cost of living is not that high compared to the United Kingdom and the US. Prices of commodities in Saudi Arabia are generally cheaper leaving you with more savings.
Aside from the base salary of $30,000 to $35,000 annually, qualified nursing applicants also receive a generous 5 to 8 weeks of vacation leave, free flights and round trip ticket to your country of origin, generous holidays and sick leaves, attractive living conditions with rental allowance from the hospital, medical or health insurance and bonus incentive upon completion of contract. Nursing salaries in Saudi Arabia are even more attractive not only because of these benefits but given the fact that what you earn and take home to your family is tax free.
Travel nursing has nothing to do with a nurse being employed by a transportation company nor does it mean a nurse doing her duties while on a mode of transportation. A travel nurse is an RN who works to fill in vacancies in different medical institutions. It allows a registered nurse a career choice of short-term positions across the country, serving different hospitals. This job is in demand and most hospitals are willing to pay a hefty salary for a nurse to fill in a vacancy until a permanent replacement is found.
Travel nursing used to be an exclusive practice in the US. Today, travel nursing in Saudi Arabia is gaining popularity as the demand for highly qualified registered nurses rise. The contract for a travel nurse usually spans a minimum of three months to as long as a year. With this job, a travel nurse gets to have the benefit of: working in different hospital environments, travelling a lot, be at liberty to carve your career at the pace you are comfortable with, have a very competitive salary plus bonuses.
At a glance, the job of a travel nurse seems unstable for after all you are just filling in until the permanent replacement comes. This is not so for travel nurses are practically recruited by the hospital as full time replacements so there is really no need to worry about being in between jobs. When you choose to be a travel nurse, it is best to register with a recruiting agency so that you are assured of a steady string of travel nursing positions. The recruiter might take quite a chunk out of your pay but in the end, it would be all worth it.
It is a fact that Saudi Arabia has a great demand for RNs and other healthcare providers like doctors and dentists. Saudi Arabia is fast becoming one of the top highly industrialized and urbanized countries worldwide and with progress comes growing demands in education and healthcare.
The need for highly trained nurses in different fields of specialization never ceases. For this matter, a travel nurse is best to be trained in many fields of specialization too. A regular staff nurse earns anywhere from $23,000 to $35,000 a month in a Saudi Arabia hospital. A travel nurse can earn from a$23 to $40 per hour. The difference in salary is dependent on the RN’s country’s basic nurse pay. So, in some cases, working in the USA would translate to more money in terms of gross salary. However, there are no taxes deductible from a travel nurse’s pay slip. If your salary is set at $20 an hour, then you get the $20 as is. No deductions.
Travel nurses are also afforded transient lodgings in the hospital compound they work for. If you work as a travel nurse you will be provided with a fully furnished unit in the hospital’s housing facility. In most instances, the utilities are also paid for by the hospital that employed you. With all these benefits and a six to ten week of paid vacation as an added bonus, who would not want to be a travel nurse?
Saudi Arabia is the biggest country of the Arabian Peninsula. Its capital is Riyadh with a population of close to 5 million out of 29 million of the total population of the country. Saudi Arabia has its first oil boom in the 1980s. The sudden surge in terms of job opportunities and therefore population, led the country to quickly build facilities for the housing and medical needs of its new labor force. Currently, 23% of its population is foreigners and migrants working in different capacities and cities in the country.
The rise of humongous hospitals all over the Saudi Arabia brought on wave after wave of foreign health workers and health providers. Registered nurses and doctors were and still are in demand in the many hospitals all over Saudi Arabia.
One of the leading healthcare related jobs that are in demand in Saudi Arabia is that of a travel nurse. A travel nurse is an RN who works as a replacement for a nursing position that has been vacated. A travel nurse fills in until a permanent RN is hired. Travel nursing in Saudi Arabia is becoming a much sought after job. The reasons are largely due to the many personal benefits raked in by a travel nurse. Travel nursing in Saudi Arabia pays as much as $40 an hour.
The work of a travel nurse usually lasts from a short four weeks to even a year. At a glance, the job would seem unstable for it is actually a temporary position. However, such is not the case. Travel nurses are registered in agencies that handle their job schedules. For a fee, a regular RN could get the services of a travel nurse agency to get the ball rolling, so to speak. You can travel nurses you know for reputable travel nurse recruiters to avoid scams.
Why are more nurses gravitating towards travel nursing in Saudi Arabia? Aside from the great salary, a travel nurse could also incorporate personal touring or sightseeing in between jobs. A travel nurse does not have to be tied up in a workplace that she does not like. She can just leave without fear of being blackballed after the contract. There are a lot or perks that goes with the job. Traveling expenses are shouldered by the employer so is the furnished housing usually within the compound of the hospital. More often than not, the utility bills are also paid for by the hospital.
Since foreign workers are except from paying taxes to Saudi Arabia, the gross income of a travel nurse is as is. There is not a cent deducted from the actual pay slip. A six to ten-week paid vacation is all part of the travel nurse’s package too. A career as a travel nurse is certainly very appealing. You will have the opportunity to be assigned in various locations, meet new and interesting people, work in different hospital set-ups and have the option to accept the temp job on a permanent basis.
