Advertisements are being made to attract trained nurses from other countries, including very faraway ones.

Now research shows that nurses unfamiliar with the training, or with the language of the country where they work, are more prone to make mistakes. I wonder who would fancy being the victim of nursing mistakes while receiving hospital treatment.

But we can avoid such mistakes by training immigrants who already live in Malta, and have the capability to learn. A young person from an African country, for example, can train in nursing in Malta, learning about our system. They can also be expected to learn the Maltese language during their training.

Passing in a nursing course, or any other professional course for that matter, should never be a walkover.

The course should not only teach, but also ensure that no qualification or warrant is given unless the students clearly prove themselves to be sufficiently skilled, ethical and conversant with the required language. And that independently of whether they are Maltese, European, African or Far Eastern. 

Well-trained and well-screened nurses, familiar with our systems and culture, will be the ambassadors of their brand.