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When she started her nurse training back in the 1990s, Ofrah Muflahi (pictured above right) was the only person who identified as Arab in her cohort. 蜜桃直播淎lthough I was passionate about becoming a registered nurse, in some ways I felt like I never really fitted in. It was tough,蜜桃直播� she recalls. 

While the idea to set up a nursing association for her Arab nursing and midwifery colleagues had always been there, it crystalised after she did a presentation during Black History Month. 

蜜桃直播淎 nurse contacted me to say how great it was to see a fellow Arab nurse, but then asked where she could link with others and find that sense of belonging,蜜桃直播� says Ofrah, who蜜桃直播檚 the RCN Professional Lead for Nursing Support Workers. 蜜桃直播淚 had nowhere for her to go.蜜桃直播� 

Working with her cousin, Afrah Muflihi 蜜桃直播� who is Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead Midwife for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust 蜜桃直播� the pair have now founded the , which began recruiting members in April 2023. 

A long history

While there蜜桃直播檚 a perception that Arabs are relatively new migrants to the UK, that蜜桃直播檚 simply not true, says Ofrah. 

蜜桃直播淲e蜜桃直播檝e been here since the 1800s,蜜桃直播� she says. 蜜桃直播淚蜜桃直播檝e been nursing for around 30 years and while there蜜桃直播檚 been momentum around internationally educated nurses, recruitment targeted at different ethnic groups and more focus on diversity, I蜜桃直播檝e yet to meet the first Arab chief nurse in the UK.蜜桃直播� 

Meanwhile the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) didn蜜桃直播檛 start recording Arab ethnicity until its report of 2021-22, she says. 

蜜桃直播淔or all these years, I蜜桃直播檝e been ticking 蜜桃直播榦ther蜜桃直播�,蜜桃直播� says Ofrah. 蜜桃直播淵et when Arab health care professionals talk to us, it蜜桃直播檚 apparent they have a real connection with their identity and culture. It蜜桃直播檚 what makes you who you are.蜜桃直播� 

Now BANMA蜜桃直播檚 overarching objective is to amplify the voice of Arab nursing and midwifery professionals. 

蜜桃直播淚t蜜桃直播檚 to make us more visible,蜜桃直播� says Ofrah. Advocacy is a key issue. 蜜桃直播淲e want to encourage people from Arab communities into careers in nursing and midwifery,蜜桃直播� she says. 

They also want to try to tackle health inequalities. 蜜桃直播淔or example, some women are missing out on cervical screening and mammograms.蜜桃直播�  

I蜜桃直播檓 proud to be both from the Black Country, but also a Yemeni woman

A second aim is to help internationally educated nurses and midwives from Arab countries to settle here.

蜜桃直播淚 was born and brought up in the UK and I蜜桃直播檓 proud to be both from the Black Country, but also a Yemeni woman,蜜桃直播� says Ofrah. 

蜜桃直播淚 understand how UK culture and systems work. But for those who are coming to work here from other countries, it蜜桃直播檚 all unfamiliar and hard for them to navigate. Some can be highly qualified, skilled and experienced but when they come to the UK they have to start from scratch. They need our help to progress.蜜桃直播�    

Plugging the gap in support

RCN member Huda Ahmed joined BANMA earlier this year. 

蜜桃直播淎s Arab nurses who are new to the UK, it蜜桃直播檚 a good opportunity for us to find others who have similar backgrounds, understanding our needs and giving us the proper advice about any issues we might face,蜜桃直播� she says. 

Huda moved to the UK in 2019 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), although she is originally Egyptian. She蜜桃直播檚 currently working as a registered nurse with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. 

蜜桃直播淐oming to the UK gave me the chance to gain more experience, enhancing my nursing career,蜜桃直播� says Huda, who has been nursing since 1999.

She蜜桃直播檚 already asked BANMA for advice. 

蜜桃直播淚t was a situation I didn蜜桃直播檛 know how to deal with,蜜桃直播� she says. 蜜桃直播淢any of us have trained outside the UK so we don蜜桃直播檛 have the experience of how some things work here.

蜜桃直播淭he association has a broad understanding of where we蜜桃直播檝e come from and the differences between where we蜜桃直播檝e trained and here. It蜜桃直播檚 plugging a gap in the support we need.蜜桃直播�  

Having to start again

Fellow RCN member Fatima Alali arrived in the UK in 2021 from Dubai, where she had always lived. 

蜜桃直播淢oving here was quite scary, but I蜜桃直播檇 heard a lot of good things about the NHS, so I decided to do it,蜜桃直播� she says. 

She qualified as a nurse in 2009, moving up the career ladder, eventually becoming a nurse manager. 

蜜桃直播淚n the UK, I蜜桃直播檝e had to start all over again,蜜桃直播� says Fatima. Her first post was in West Yorkshire, but she moved to Birmingham to be closer to family, working as a staff nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. 

She joined BANMA as soon as she could, especially appreciating the support of the fortnightly virtual chats, which are open to all.

When you speak your own language you feel understood

蜜桃直播淎 lot of nurses move to different jobs, but this is the first time I蜜桃直播檝e been away from where I蜜桃直播檝e spent all my life,蜜桃直播� she says. 

蜜桃直播淔or me, BANMA has given me that familiarity, with people understanding where I come from, my background and culture. They can relate to what I say. When I first joined, I hadn蜜桃直播檛 spoken Arabic for a long time 蜜桃直播� when you speak your own language you feel understood.蜜桃直播� 

Ofrah adds: 蜜桃直播淏ANMA helps in closing the cultural differences as international educated nurses and midwives, bringing nursing and midwifery staff together across UK. While it蜜桃直播檚 a new association, we already feel how much it蜜桃直播檚 making a difference.蜜桃直播�