Nurses' Council processes 467 applications since January
The Council for Nurses and Midwives said today that in spite of working with limited resources and voluntarily, it had processed 467 applications from Maltese, European and non-European nurses since January.
It said in a statement that it was committed to ensure that all locally registered nurses were of the highest possible level to complement the other services offered in hospitals, health centres and other institutions.
To be able to work locally, nurses needed to be registered by the council.
The council said that although a substantial number of the applications it processed this year were registered, some opted to work in other EU countries while others were still waiting for their visa.
The council said that apart from the academic qualifications and training levels, applicants had to be able to communicate without problems with patients.
So, where necessary, it granted nurses a temporary registration permit that enabled them to work in the public service for a definite period until they adapted to the Maltese medical and nursing culture.
This, the council said, was being done in the interest of patients.
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Joseph E Briffa
Aug 21st 2010, 08:12
What's this obsession with speaking only Maltese? In Malta, Nurses study in English, their text books are in English, text books in Maltese just don't exist. English is spoken the world over. So what's all this fuss? Nurses are told to administer 10mg of this and 20mg of that, a saline solution of 5% conc etc. The name of medications are in English, not in Maltese. As for patients, they should all with a few exceptions be capable of communicating in English. They learnt it at school for 12 years at least; and this has been the case for the past 60 years. Moreover English together with Maltese is our national language.
Alice Camilleri
Aug 21st 2010, 09:12
Joseph E Briffa we do nto care a hoot about the English language Briffa. Our language is Maltese and we have every right to speak it and be spoken to in Maltese. The way things are going we will become more abhorrent of and hate any foreign language that is being forced down our throats by foreigners lackeys Briffa. How can you be so obsequious where a foreign language is concerned Briffa?
George Micallef
Aug 21st 2010, 09:14
Joseph E Briffa NO Mr Briffa. English is NOT our national language. It is a foreign language. Maltese is our only National language. English is just an official language which we can and should disregard because yes, it is a foreign language imposed upon us by our ex colonial masters.
Carmel Saliba
Aug 21st 2010, 01:59
The 467 applications processed since January do not mean that these are all working in the public hospitals. Most of them, being foreigners, are solving temporary the problem. Others are Maltese who prefer going to foreign hospitals and even private hospitals in Malta. WHY?
If our University and health authorities continue to limit the number of students to about 160 then the problem will never be solved.
M Attard
Aug 20th 2010, 19:06
UK hospitals are staffed mainly with foreign nurses. Their standards of cleanliness and care leave a lot to be desired.Hospitals,especially those out of London are badly kept and dirty.The standard of care is not all it should be and there is a serious language problem. I have seen blood on walls in cubicles and when I complained I was told they cannot do anything about it untill the contract cleaners come in the morning.I have seen cockroaches and ants under patients beds,in one case an old patient who was bed ridden and couldn't move or shout for help had ants crawling all over her face. When a nurse was told ,she came over had a look,went away and didn't return to see to the patient for at least half an hour.Patients are washed once a day,If they wet themselves during the day or night,too bad they must just wait. Please do not think I am racist,I am not.I am just concerned that we do not go down that same road. The language is a problem too.Lots of Maltese do not speak english at all, or are adequate enough in a second language.What happens then? How do they communicate?.
j grech
Aug 21st 2010, 00:38
dear sir, not because i am a brit having lived in malta for the last 11 yrs do i defend UK hospitals but in all fairness not all hospitals are dirty, it is obvious you have come across a dirty hospital and it makes me ashamed to admit there are a few of them, but you had every right to take the complaint higher and get results,totally agree with you on the matter of foreign staff, they do speak english but elderly and the very young find it extreemly hard to understand with the accents although some of them are extreemly kind and efficient in their roll,i worked for many UK hospitals very clean and caring, unfortunately hospitals are run like a company now with budgets and so contract cleaners seem to be from asia and africa also the new influx of polish and albanians and standards are not what they should be but untill contracts are up for renewal nothing can be done i have been in victorian hospitals where floors shine like mirrors and yet newer hospitals are tatty, we dont like it but be warned the mater dei will eventually look as tatty as st lukes soon
M.BEZZINA
Aug 20th 2010, 18:39
U biex tattira iktar nurses l incentivi u l kundizzjonijiet iridu jitiebu iktar halli dawk li ghandek ma jitilqulekx u dawk li ghadhom qedin jithajru jidhlu....idahalhom iktar malajr!!Il bqija l art se nibqaw!!Il pagi hawn malta ghal dan it tip ta xol ghadhom lura wisq!!Meta tqis li kahhal, bennej, nies fuq l informatika ghandhom iktar paga minn nurse!!
D Vella
Aug 20th 2010, 17:26
Dear Frank Portelli, The writer of the letter you reproduce doesn't even know how to write in English,so only goodness know's what kind of english the underling nurses she employs speak. In any case a nurse in Malta surely has to speak Maltese to be of help to her patients,not of all whom speak English.Enough mistakes are made in hospitals ,and lives are at stake,without adding the risk of misunderstandings.
Frank Portelli 2BFRANK
Aug 20th 2010, 15:45
I have just received this(unsolicited)email whch I reproduce below - as it might be of interest .to those recruiting nurses
From: medical@optima-recruit.cz
Sent: 20 August 2010 15:17
Dear Sir
Let me express our high interest in cooperation with you - Mater Dei Hospital.
We are a recruitment agency and have over 10 years experience in the medical sector all around Europe and Middle East.
We have many qualified candidates in our database from all around the Europe and new candidates are still coming and registering with us.
Many of them have shown their interest to work in Malta
Our agency Optima recruitment Europe has 5 branches in different countries and I am writing you from the one settled in Prague – Czech republic.
Kindest regards,
Lenka Klusova
Medical Consultant
Optima Recruitment Europe
V Jame 1
Dum u Novaku
110 00 Prague 1
Phone: 00420 224 162 700
Mobile: 00420 739 571 561
Email: medical@optima-recruit.cz
Dr Frank Portelli
Anthony Zerafa
Aug 21st 2010, 09:17
Frank Portelli 2BFRANK we need Maltese nurses not foreign ones with unknown qualifications or qualifications one can easily buy over the internet.