Fifty chareidi men will IY”H in October begin their training to become the nation’s first male chareidi nurses. Health Ministry officials have established a course in Bnei Brak in conjunction with the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Academic College and upon completion of the course; they will be employed in hospitals nationwide. Ministry officials explain there are chareidi female nurses found in the system, especially in Sanz Laniado Hospital, Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital. Officials feel that adding men to the chareidi staff will be a significantly welcome reality for frum male patients.
Organizers of the program report the course has already been approved by the Council of Higher Education as well as rabbonim. Officials stress that this will be a regular nursing course without any shortcuts, including the level of English and mathematics required of all nurses certified in Israel. Those required to improve those skills are taking courses in other schools towards reaching a level that will permit them to enter the program in October 2013.
The rate of nurses to patients in Israel is 4.8/1,000 as opposed to an average of 9/1,000 among OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, hence the critical need for additional nurses in the national health system.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Great career and a huge need for male nurses. Kol Hakavod to bring in a parnassah b’kavod.
This is a really positive development and its good to see that these bochurim are seeking the training needed to enter the health care field. It will provide them with a good parnassah and ease the nursing shortage throughout the public health care system in . However,I doubt very much that a sick patient, even a Chareidi patient would care about the gender of the nurse tending to their feeding, administering medications or even changing the bedpans. The article says they will be held to the same high standards as any other nursing candidates and that should be all that matters.
Very exciting & good news. Hopefully these guys will help pave the way for future ones. One of the biggest Kiddush Hashems is when a frum person provides excellent, compassionate healthcare to someone in need.
#2 I’m assuming that this course will be interest more married men than bochurim. The pre-courses of Math, Science, English are somethings difficult to absorb if the person is not accustom to those subjects.