Influencing, Informing and Improving Practice in Qatar

September 12, 2023
Michelle conducting training in Qatar

I was excited to deliver CPI’s Safety Intervention™ Foundation Training in Qatar this month. ICSST are a training provider in DOHA and they offer CPI training to doctors, nurses, auxiliary staff, and security personnel at the main hospitals in Qatar.

Exploring Qatar

After arriving in Qatar on Friday evening, I spent the weekend exploring and orientating myself to the interesting and colourful capital, Doha. The cars were white, the streets hot and dusty and the shopping malls were extensive and shiny.

The newness of the city gave the feel of a movie set with its ostentatious and expensive shopping malls and a vast metropolis city centre.

On Saturday, I ventured to The Museum of Islamic Art, housed in a spectacularly regal, white building in beautifully manicured grounds. It took me on a historical journey through India, Persia, Northern Africa, and the Gulf states. Displayed was breathtaking art, antiquities, and religious text. The views from the concourse were breathtaking and a must see.

That evening, I visited The Villagio shopping mall. It boasted a gondolier canal running through its centre, an ice rink, theme park and shops that housed every designer label you could imagine.

On Sunday evening I went on a city tour. I visited the newly constructed tourist areas, along with the established sites and scenery. The beach, the fish market, and the cultural village, all juxtaposed with the high-rise office buildings in the business district.

Training to Influence, Inform and Improve Practice

I began work Monday morning with excitement and anticipation. My driver Bashir, from Bombay, greeted me with a warm and friendly smile, which remained at his disposition throughout the three days he ferried me to and from the training room within the ICSST building.

Here four diligent, professional, and warm natured participants welcomed and oriented me to their facility.
Their Egyptian chef fed me delicious hot meals every lunch time and his broad smile and sunny nature lead to us reflect on the power of the integrated experience.

Two of the participants explained how they had come from Bangladesh to work in Qatar in recent years, whilst another had travelled from Uganda.

My fourth participant hailed from Nepal and had been in Qatar many years and had previously trained as a MAPA (now Safety Intervention) instructor. All had some experience of the CPI training.

"What a pleasure and a privilege to have trained these four CIs at ISSCT in Qatar. Despite the heat of 40+ degrees, their focus, effort, and willingness to learn was outstanding."

We spent time reflecting, laughing, understanding, and learning from one another. However, as CIs in Qatar their training experience was not without its challenges; racism, politics and speaking English as a second language.

A hierarchical culture gave us pause for thought, their solution focused attitude and determination to deliver the Safety Intervention programme in a way that could influence, inform, and ‘improve’ professional practice at the hospitals was nothing short of inspiring.

Their personal and professional values shone through.

"Whilst using the scenarios in the curriculum, the CI’s added relatable and relevant workplace examples in their teach backs, demonstrating their determination to ensure their learners would remain engaged and take the new concepts out into their working practice."


By the end of day three I was full of pride and admiration on a job well done by all four of them. I reflected that night on what an important and meaningful job we all have working for CPI. I am grateful to have had such an opportunity!