A new nursing simulation unit has been inaugurated on Monday by Health Minister Chris Fearne, which will train nurses to work in Maltese hospitals.

Fearne said that the simulation within this private institution, IDEA Academy in Mosta, is meant to complement the already-existing institutions which currently offer the only other nursing courses on the island, the University of Malta and MCAST.

He added that the government’s primary aim was to ensure that all Maltese nurses found satisfactory employment upon graduation.

However, despite this laudable goal, last year it was reported that Maltese nurses still sought, and will likely continue to seek, employment abroad or will simply choose to change careers.

As such, Fearne said that it remains necessary for the functioning of the modern system to expand our services in order to attract foreign nationals, both from within the EU and elsewhere.

The simulator comes equipped with the tools and technologies required for hospital settings, as well as mannequins for the nurses to train with. With these new tools, foreign nurses would be able to “top up” their skills in order to acclimate to their new surroundings.