International student returns to GCU from Oman for Masters degree

An international student has spoken of his decision to return to GCU after his Undergraduate degree experience led to him creating positive change in his home country.
Taher Al-Housni travelled back to Scotland in September 2024 to study MSc Nursing: Advancing Professional Practice having already completed his Undergraduate in Professional Studies in Nursing between 2019 and 2021 at GCU.
His three years in Glasgow led to him becoming Clinical Nurse Educator at Suhar Hospital back in his home country of Oman. The knowledge Taher gained from his Undergraduate degree allowed him to analyse and adapt theater services within the hospital, providing opportunities for staff, as well as a safer environment for patients.
We sat down with Taher to hear more about how he initially came to study in Scotland and how GCU has benefitted him in both a personal and professional capacity.
BSc (Hons) Professional Studies in Nursing (2019 – 2021)
“I was already working for many years in Oman before coming to study my Undergraduate at GCU. I was the Charge Nurse for the Orthopaedic Theater at Suhar Hospital.
“I had previously completed a Diploma in Oman and wanted to come to Glasgow to improve my theoretical knowledge with the BSc (Hons) Professional Studies in Nursing.”
Challenges
“It was a difficult decision to move to Scotland. I remember during the first Trimester thinking that I had put myself in a very troublesome situation because I found the academic writing and assessments very challenging. I soon realised that I simply had to go forward and improve. My first assignment didn’t go very well and there was a lot of feedback about how to improve and I just thought to myself that I never wanted to be in that situation again – I knew I had to do better and improve my academic skills. I eventually graduated with a First Class Honours, so all of the hard work was worth it.”
Opportunity
“My dissertation for my Undergraduate focused on simulation training. I chose this topic because I wanted to implement change within our Orthopaedic Theater. Simulation training allows staff to train and have an environment where they can both practice and make mistakes. My Undergraduate allowed me to learn the principles of simulation training and implement these, as well as assessing the effectiveness. This has undoubtedly made the hospital a safer place, so I have a lot to thank GCU for.
“I found there was very strong academic support at GCU, which definitely helped me. I met Tom McAlear who was very supportive and the things I liked most here throughout my Undergraduate was self-directed learning and work-based learning. I chose topics that would allow me to implement change back in Oman. The first topic was standardisation of instruments in the operating theatre, and I actually wrote a literature review on it, which helped me take this knowledge back to my role.”
Creating change back in Oman
“After graduating from my Undergraduate in July 2021, I became a Clinical Nurse Educator within the Operating Theater back in Oman. I have since collaborated with the nursing administration team to assess learning needs and help staff members develop. This would not have been possible without the knowledge gained from my degree.
“One of the things I wanted to do in Oman was to specialise teams in our five different operating theater. We have about 80 people working across these theater but they were not specialised in specific areas. This presented a lot of challenges because staff members did not have enough knowledge in certain areas which can lead to mistakes being made and communication issues between surgeons and nurses.
“I proposed to the hospital that we make specialised teams for each room. This all came from knowledge I learned here at GCU; not only in the planning but also the approach I took when proposing this idea and how I spoke to the administration about the changes. My experience at GCU wasn’t just about building my skills as a nurse, it was also about developing soft skills, like communication and critical thinking, which allow me to work better with my colleagues.
“Resistance is a normal thing when you suggest changes being made, but I felt prepared for this. If something then went wrong it would be viewed as a failure but a big thing I focused on was viewing this instead as a challenge which is all part of the process.
“It worked out that efficiency in the operating theater was improved and the communication and teamwork between surgeons and nurses was much better. The most important thing is that nurses in the operating theater were more confident with the different instruments they use.”
MSc Nursing: Advancing Professional Practice (2024)
“A big part of my decision to return was the knowledge I learned throughout my first degree at GCU. I just felt this was the best place to come because of the academic support and facilities available. I felt like I belonged to the University and it meant that I was coming back to familiar surroundings.
“The reason I decided to do my Masters was to continue my development. I want to be prepared for that next step in my career. There isn’t currently an opportunity waiting for me, but when it comes I will be ready.
“Glasgow has been a great place for me to develop myself. I love the city, but it’s still very cold! The people are the friendliest I’ve ever met – I’ve never felt unsafe at any point.”
Studying at GCU
“I would definitely encourage other students to study at GCU. The reason to come to GCU is the opportunity to develop your academic skills. The second thing is that the staff here are very supportive, I must specifically mention Tom McAlear who has been amazing. The facilities are excellent here - it is just a very nice place to study.
“I will hopefully graduate in September this year. I have to go back to Oman because I am here on study-leave and I owe so much to Suhar Hospital. I would not rule out returning to Scotland in future because there are many opportunities here.”
Find out more about the MSc Nursing: Advancing Professional Practice course here
By Ross Clark
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter