Sustainability in Healthcare: What are We Trying to Sustain? Insights From UAE
Nabeel Al‐Yateem, Medya Khalid, Sara Walid, Heba Hussain, Muna Osman, Fatma Refaat, Muhammad Arsyad Subu, Amina Almarzooqi, Syed Azizur Rahman, Jacquline Maria Dias, Rami Masa'deh, Ahmad Rajeh Saifan, Sumaiya ShahidABSTRACT
Sustainability as a concept is seen by nurses working in the UAE healthcare facilities mostly as tangible actions such as waste segregation, energy saving, and water conservation, without taking into consideration the wider aspects such as people aspect of sustainability. Based on an educational exercise carried out among nurses, together with the literature, this editorial argues that sustainability must go beyond these practices to take into consideration nurses’ well‐being, retention and training of new human resources, knowledge transfer, and the sustainability of care, especially considering the international nursing workforce in the UAE. The editorial encourages healthcare organizations and leaders to measure sustainability not only in terms of environmental considerations, but also in terms of staff training, professional development, retention, and continuity of care.