A Caring Path
SKILLED IMMIGRANT Burnaby Hospital's Somoud Noubani has been practising in Canada since 2014. The experienced nurse brings a wealth of knowledge from her years working in hospitals in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Growing up amidst the gently rolling hills and sun-washed neighbourhoods of Amman, Jordan, Somoud Noubani was certain she'd have a career as a lawyer. "At school and with friends I was often fighting for myself with words and arguing for my beliefs and my rights as a girl – as a woman," she recalls.
As a child of refugees, she knew something about the ceaseless struggle for justice and a sense of place and belonging. But as it turned out, her pursuit of these goals happened not through law, but nursing and not in Jordan, but Canada.
Noubani attributes her decision to pursue nursing to her mother, who told her harrowing stories of the family's 1948 flight from their ancestral home in Jenin, Palestine, and sorrowful journey through a parched and politically unforgiving landscape. These stories were the backdrop of Noubani's early years, and a near-constant reminder of how the decisions of politicians in far-away places can easily uproot the lives of so many.
"What I remember most about these stories were the moments when my mother would stop to help someone, an elder who could no longer walk or someone who needed their wound bandaged. She herself was just a child but she still had the presence of mind to help others."
It was these gestures of care that impressed themselves upon the young Noubani. "I started to seriously think that a career in a caring profession might make all the difference to someone in need."
Noubani graduated from nursing school in 1995 and took a job at a military hospital in the south of Jordan, working in intensive care and the OR. She loved the work and felt privileged to be able to help others. But after a number of years she looked to broaden her horizons and began working in a hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "It was here, as manager of a diverse, international staff in the OR, that I was able to strengthen my nursing theory and practice and develop valuable leadership skills," says Noubani. She also met her husband, a Syrian of Palestinian origin—marrying him in 2008.
The couple immigrated to Canada in 2011. It was a decision triggered by a number of factors, including the rapidly deteriorating political situation in Syria and the fact that her husband did not have permanent status in the UAE. "We had no choice, we had to leave while there was still a window of opportunity," remembers Noubani. "And that feeling of stepping into the unknown – we didn't know what to expect".
"We had no choice, we had to leave while there was still a window of opportunity."
Noubani had been accepted into Canada as a skilled immigrant with a wealth of nursing experience. But she, like other internationally educated nurses, had to go through a number of bureaucratic processes before obtaining a licence to practise in British Columbia.
"Every day without being able to nurse seemed like an eternity," she says, recalling the bills to be paid and children to be fed. After working a succession of short-term service industry jobs and successfully completing her English language requirements, Noubani obtained her licence in October 2014 and began working at Burnaby General Hospital the following December.
"I was very, very excited to finally begin my nursing career in Canada," Noubani recalls. "I was confident in my skills and open-hearted with my colleagues and co-workers." But despite this openness, she says the first few months of work were some of the most difficult experiences of her life—due in large part to bullying and ill-treatment from co-workers.
At the time Noubani had no idea of her rights as a worker or union member. She hoped the abuse would be short-lived and focused instead on surviving her new job while avoiding those co-workers and ignoring their hurtful comments. "I just thought that if I kept my head down and just concentrated on doing my job then things would improve," she says. But Noubani found that the negative experiences had begun to seep into life outside work – and the generalized anxiety she felt at work was beginning to reshape who she was at home and in her community.
One day, Noubani decided to approach a sympathetic colleague for advice. "I wasn't sure what to do or what she would say but I knew that I needed help," she says. The co-worker invited Noubani to speak with a BCNU representative about the issues she was facing. The meeting was the beginning of a crucial journey of self-discovery and an understanding of the union and her rights as a union member. "It was the first time I felt that things were going to be okay."
The support she received from her steward led Noubani to immerse herself in the work of the union, and in 2017 she became a steward herself, drawing on her personal experience to advocate for the rights of others while equipping members to speak up for themselves. "After all the help the union had given me, I wanted to give something back," she explains, "and also let our members know that they have rights and should stand up for these whenever they can."
Noubani believes all nurses need a welcoming workplace to thrive – one that honours the richness of who they are, their past and their histories, and the skills and knowledge they carry with them from the many places they once called home. "I am so grateful for the opportunities I have enjoyed as a nurse," she says. "Doing this work has allowed me to continue to advocate for the health and well-being of others and somehow continue in the footsteps of the journey my mom began so many years ago." •
UPDATE (October 2019)