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Pinay nurse in UAE inspired by conversation with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince

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Jessa Dawn Ubag, who hails from Dumaguete City, Philippines is a 31-year-old a staff nurse at the Infectious Disease Unit of Rashid Hospital in Dubai. She had a conversation with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed in the third episode of the Sheikh’s virtual "majlis". 
Jessa Dawn Ubag says she considered her video conference with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a 'recognition of the Filipino community in the UAE, along with all frontlines' and it has inspired her to become "a better instrument of hope."
"We believe that we are an instrument of hope to give spiritual, mental and emotional support to our patients in time of despair. That’s why when Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince personally appreciated me, I felt he was recognizing all nurses for spreading hope," Ubag told the ENA.
"His words have inspired me and my fellow nurses to spread more hope to patients and community at large. We, nurses felt that we are somewhat heroes in our own small way. It has inspired me to be a better nurse and a better instrument of hope," she added.
"The idea of tolerance and accepting people of all nationalities from across the globe have created a social environment that resonates well with our professional values of compassion, empathy and caring to others," Ubag said.
"I got this opportunity despite being a foreigner. I am a Filipina and I felt it was a recognition to the Filipino community in the UAE along with all frontliners," she added.
She said the job of a nurse assigned to the infectious disease unit is risky but she and other nurses in her department support each other. They also assure their patients, "You are not alone; we are with you."
"When critically-ill patients get well and go home with a smile, expressing their heartfelt thanks, we realize the importance of our human touch in our job," Ubag said.
Ubag has been working at Rashid Hospital for 6 years. She moved to Dubai in 2014 after working in the Philippines for 3 years. Her older sister is a nurse in the United Kingdom.
Ubag, who is single, said her only dream is to start her own family, according to the ENA report.
According to the Filipino Nurses’ Association in the Emirates (FNAE), there are approximately over 20,000 Filipino nurses in the UAE working in the government and private sector, including homecare companies.
The group said the number of OFW nurses in the UAE represents approximately 60% of the overall total.
UAE hosts people from over 200 countries. There are around 750,000 documented OFWs in the UAE. 
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