Clinical Competence and Patient Safety Course for UAE Healthcare Professionals

What you will learn

• Explain the difference between competence, performance and capability, and how each relates to patient safety and to the definition of medical error in Federal Decree-Law No. (4) of 2016, Art. 6.
• Identify your licensing authority and the federal and emirate-level laws and standards that set your competence and safety duties.
• Determine whether a task falls within your licensed scope and clinical privileges, and apply the emergency exception correctly.
• Decide, at the limit of your competence, whether to seek advice, refer, decline or work under supervision, and delegate safely in line with DHA Code Standard 10.
• State the CPD requirement that applies to your profession and authority, and plan learning targeted at gaps shown by external data.
• Apply the PQR and authority rules on discontinuity in practice, licence inactivity, health and age.
• Classify errors using human factors principles and use SBAR, structured handover, read-back and graded assertiveness to reduce risk.
• Recognise deterioration and possible sepsis, escalate effectively and provide documented safety-netting and safe discharge.
• Apply standard and transmission-based infection prevention precautions and meet communicable disease notification duties under Federal Law No. (14) of 2014.
• Report incidents and sentinel events within DOH and DHA timeframes, take part in root cause analysis and open disclosure, and show insight and verifiable remediation if a concern arises.

Syllabus

11 sections, about 3 learning hours, 20-question final assessment

1. 1Competence, patient safety and the UAE legal framework3 lessons

   • What clinical competence and patient safety mean
   • The legal duties that underpin competence
   • Codes, standards and who regulates you
2. 2Scope of practice, clinical privileges and supervision3 lessons

   • Your licence, your title and your scope
   • Clinical privileges and new procedures
   • Supervision, delegation and knowing your limits
3. 3Maintaining competence across a career: CPD, gaps in practice and fitness3 lessons

   • How competence erodes, and why self-assessment fails
   • CPD requirements: what each authority actually requires
   • Gaps in practice, health and age
4. 4Human factors and safe systems of work3 lessons

   • Why competent professionals still make errors
   • Cognitive bias, fatigue, interruptions and workload
   • Communication, handover and speaking up
5. 5Recognising and responding to deterioration and sepsis3 lessons

   • Recognising the deteriorating patient
   • Sepsis: recognise early, act quickly
   • Escalation, safety-netting and safe discharge
6. 6Infection prevention and control3 lessons

   • The legal and regulatory basis for infection prevention
   • Standard precautions in everyday practice
   • Transmission-based precautions, outbreaks and antimicrobial stewardship
7. 7Incident reporting, sentinel events and learning from harm3 lessons

   • Reporting incidents: DOH and DHA requirements
   • Root cause analysis, open disclosure and supporting staff
   • When a safety event becomes a complaint or investigation
8. 8Insight, remediation and a personal competence plan2 lessons

   • What committees and licensing authorities look for
   • Building your personal competence and safety plan
9. 9Conclusion and key points1 lesson

   • Conclusion and key points
10. 10References and further reading1 lesson

    • References and further reading
11. 11Your reflective account1 lesson

    • Your reflective account

Course facts

CPD value

Approximately 3 learning hours (self-directed CPD, including knowledge checks, reflection and assessment)

Audience

Licensed healthcare professionals in the UAE (physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals) licensed by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCC/DHCR, in government and private settings

Standards covered

Federal Decree-Law No. (4) of 2016 on Medical Liability (Arts 3–6, 9, 17–26, 34, 38) and Cabinet Resolution No. (40) of 2019 (Arts 2, 5); Federal Law No. (5) of 2019 (Arts 17, 24, 28–29) and Cabinet Resolution No. (67) of 2020 (Arts 6, 7.2); Federal Law No. (6) of 2023 (Arts 8, 13–14) and Cabinet Resolution No. (176) of 2025 (Arts 5, 10, 11); Federal Law No. (14) of 2014 on Communicable Diseases and Cabinet Resolution No. (33) of 2016; PQR 3rd version (2025); Ministerial Resolution No. (14) of 2021 (Patient's Charter); Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. (49) of 2024; DHA Standards for Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2025), Fitness to Practice Policy (2025), Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals v1.2 (2025) and ST-53 Sentinel Events Standard; DOH Incident Reporting and Management Standard V2 (2024), CPD Standard (2024) and Standard on Reporting Medication Errors; Abu Dhabi Law No. (10) of 2018

Format

Self-paced, gated lessons with knowledge checks, UAE case studies and reflection

Assessment

20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)

Outcome

Certificate of completion and a written reflection for your professional development portfolio

Alignment

Supports reflection on DHA Code of Ethics Standards 2, 7, 9 and 10 and the DHA Fitness to Practice Policy; DOH incident reporting and CPD standards; MOHAP and federal duties under FDL 4/2016, FL 5/2019 and FL 6/2023; and the patient's right to care from competent staff under MR 14/2021. Not approved or accredited by any of these bodies

Price

AED 449

Who this course is for

Physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals licensed by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR, in government and private settings.

Written for professionals licensed by any UAE authority: MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR. Where the rules differ, the course explains the difference.