The Nursing Profession in Oman: An Overview

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the history of nursing in the Sultanate of Oman, focusing in particular on the past 50 years. The information cited in the paper is retrieved from the official documents of the Directorate General of Nursing Affairs at the Ministry of Health of Oman, unless otherwise cited. Modern nursing in Oman began in the early 1900s, with the arrival of the American Missionary Association. The key events for the development of nursing in Oman occurred in 1970, when the Ministry of Health was established, and in 1979, when the Directorate of Nursing emerged as an independent department within the Ministry office. It is hoped that this article will be used by Omani and other researchers to further explore the evolution of nursing as a profession in Oman.