Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), part of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), is the first healthcare facility in the Middle East to receive the ‘Pathway to Excellence’ accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association.

The ‘Pathway to Excellence’ accreditation is a global credential that highlights Sheikh Khalifa Medical City’s commitment to empowering and valuing nurses for the fundamental work they do in elevating patient care. The accolade reinforces SKMC as one of the best places for nurses to work and underlines its commitment to fostering a healthy and positive workplace culture.

“Nurses are an integral part of any healthcare organization and at the heart of all patient care,” said Dr. Safa Azaat Al Mustafa, Acting CEO at SKMC. “We are extremely proud to be the first healthcare facility in UAE and the Middle East to receive this prestigious accreditation, which is a testament to our world-class nursing team’s hard work, devotion, and passion.”

“At SKMC, we take pride in the fact that our nurses are valued, respected and heard, as well as leading change and impacting operations at SKMC”. Dr. Al Mustafa continued, “When nurses are engaged, job satisfaction increases resulting in a better patient experience and excellent superior outcomes which, ultimately, results in the best care for our patients,” added Dr. Al Mustafa.

As an ‘ANCC Pathway to Excellence’ organization, SKMC leads the UAE’s efforts in enhancing the quality of care, patient and nursing safety. It also affirms SKMC’s role in delivering the highest standards of nursing care, in line with global best practice.

Aysha Al Mahri, Group Chief Nursing Officer at SEHA, added, “The ‘ANCC Pathway to Excellence®’ accreditation strongly reinforces our commitment to raising the standards of nursing care within the country. SKMC is a leading example of how SEHA is paving the way in elevating the role of nurses within the region’s healthcare industry and attracting the brightest nursing talent.”

In order to secure this accolade, SKMC successfully passed a thorough and rigorous review process of all its practices, policies and initiatives specific to nursing. Multiple nursing staff and leaders worked diligently for three years to develop all required documents with supporting evidence and submitted to the American Nursing Credentialing Center. A survey was then conducted by the ANCC to verify all information and compare the results with the feedback of the nurses. The six pillars of this review were quality, professional development, safety, leadership, shared decision-making and wellbeing.

“At SEHA, nurses are the foundation of our network, play a crucial role in patient experience and represent the largest portion of our workforce. As often shown in our patient experience surveys, it is the care and compassion from nurses which often leaves a lasting impression on our patients. We are incredibly proud that our nurses’ commitment to excellent patient care is being recognized through this accreditation,” Aysha Al Mahri concluded.

SKMC is a flagship tertiary hospital in the UAE and the largest teaching medical center in Abu Dhabi, employing 1312 nurses.