The Beginning: Choosing Nursing and Facing Reality

My name is Omar El Idrissi, and I am a state-certified nurse specialized in anesthesia and intensive care. In 2020, I graduated from one of the most demanding and specialized nursing programs in Morocco, a path that was not only challenging but also eye-opening.

From the very start, I realized that nursing in Morocco comes with significant struggles—challenges that extend beyond the daily responsibilities of patient care. The working conditions, lack of career growth, and inadequate financial compensation painted a difficult reality for many of us who dedicated years of study and hard work to this field.

I had always been passionate about technology and informatics, and as I progressed in my career, I saw the potential for combining healthcare with digital transformation. This realization pushed me to explore new opportunities beyond nursing, leading me to shift towards medical informatics and digital healthcare solutions.

Why I Chose to Change My Career Path

Despite the invaluable knowledge and experience I gained in nursing, I couldn’t ignore the fact that the profession in Morocco was facing a crisis. The issues weren’t just personal; they were systemic and deeply rooted in the way the healthcare sector operates.

🔹 Poor Working Conditions: Moroccan nurses, especially those in the public sector, are often overworked due to staff shortages. A single nurse might be responsible for dozens of patients, leading to burnout, exhaustion, and compromised patient care.

🔹 Lack of Financial Recognition: Unlike in many other countries, nurses in Morocco are underpaid, even those working in high-risk specialties like anesthesia and intensive care.

🔹 Limited Training & Professional Development: There are few opportunities for specialization and career advancement, making it difficult for nurses to evolve in their profession.

🔹 The Crisis of Private-Sector Nurses: One of the biggest problems in Moroccan nursing is the gap in training and competence between state-certified nurses and privately trained nurses.

The Issue of Privately Trained Nurses in Morocco

In Morocco, there are two main categories of nurses:
1️⃣ State-Certified Nurses (MFI – Masseur-kinésithérapeute infirmier) who have completed rigorous, government-approved training programs in public institutions.
2️⃣ Privately Trained Nurses who graduate from private nursing schools, many of which lack strict standards and adequate clinical training.

The massive influx of undertrained nurses from private institutions has led to a serious problem in Moroccan healthcare. Many private-sector nurses enter the workforce with minimal hands-on experience, often lacking critical skills in patient care, emergency response, and specialized nursing fields.

This imbalance has:

• Lowered the overall quality of healthcare in hospitals and clinics.
• Created tensions between well-trained, state-certified nurses and undertrained private nurses.
• Forced hospitals to compensate for the lack of skills through on-the-job training, further burdening experienced nurses.

State-certified nurses, who have gone through years of rigorous training, find themselves frustrated by the lack of recognition and the unfair competition posed by underqualified nurses entering the profession with fewer credentials but the same job titles.

What Moroccan Nurses Are Fighting For

The nursing community in Morocco is actively demanding change, with state-certified nurses leading the charge for reforms that will improve the profession as a whole. The key demands include:

✔️ Recognition of the MFI diploma and its rightful place in the healthcare hierarchy to differentiate it from lower-level private training.
✔️ Better financial compensation for the hard work and risks involved in nursing.
✔️ More training opportunities and career progression paths to allow nurses to specialize and develop their skills.
✔️ Stricter regulations on private nursing schools to ensure that only well-trained professionals enter the field.
✔️ Improved working conditions with reduced patient loads and better staffing policies.

Government Response & Protests

Over the years, Moroccan nurses have fought for better wages, improved working conditions, and proper recognition. The government has responded with empty promises and delayed implementations. While agreements have been signed with unions, little action has been taken to address the real concerns of nurses.

Protests have been met with strict government measures, including security interventions to disperse peaceful demonstrations. In some cases, nurses have faced legal and professional risks simply for demanding their rights.

Despite this, the fight for better nursing conditions in Morocco continues, with many professionals either pushing for reforms or seeking opportunities abroad—just like I did.

Final Thoughts: The Road to a Better Future

The nursing profession in Morocco deserves respect, recognition, and reform. Without these changes, the quality of healthcare will continue to decline, and more skilled professionals will seek opportunities abroad, further deepening the crisis.

For me, choosing medical informatics was a personal decision to bridge healthcare and technology, but I remain deeply connected to the struggles of Moroccan nurses. Their fight for better conditions, fair pay, and proper recognition is a battle for the future of Moroccan healthcare itself.

🚀 To all my fellow nurses in Morocco—your work is invaluable, and your voice matters. The fight for better healthcare starts with demanding the respect and conditions you rightfully deserve.