The development of nurse-led bowel dysfunction clinics in Saudi Arabia: against all odds

Around the world, nurse-led clinics are commonly introduced within health-care settings to reduce waiting times, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce health-care costs. The importance of improving or maintaining a high standard of patient-centred care must not be forgotten. The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Saudi Arabia has yet to call on nurses to provide nurse-led clinics to meet national health-care requirements. Furthermore, advanced nursing practice is yet to be defined, legislated or regulated. Despite this, patient needs are driving the advancement of nursing practice, including the development of nurse-led clinics. This article will describe the development of a nurse-led bowel dysfunction clinic in a tertiary referral centre in Saudi Arabia and will discuss the benefits.