Dr. Ghadah Mubarak Abdullah

With more than 23 years of nursing experience—beginning in 1999 as a registered nurse in adult critical care and advancing to the current role as Nurse Consultant and Director of Nursing at King Abdulaziz University Hospital which is a Canadian-accredited and CBAHI-accredited hospital—I have built a leadership career grounded in excellence, accountability, and innovation. I also serve as the Scientific Chairman of the Postgraduate Cardiac Nursing Diploma at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) and President of the Alpha Gamma Mu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International.

In my role as Director of Nursing, I lead over 1,300 nurses across 32 departments, including specialized units and centers recognized nationally and internationally. My leadership focuses on strategic planning, robust governance structures, performance optimization, and alignment with organizational and academic priorities.

Committed to advancing nursing practice and supporting Saudi Vision 2030, I prioritize strengthening nursing infrastructure, expanding workforce specialization, and promoting patient-centered, equitable, and high-quality care through teamwork, empowerment, and continuous professional development.irness.

Nurse Consultant

PhD, RN, BSN, MSc (Adv Prac), LeaderCert, DipHospMngt

Fellowship of Nursing and Midwifery from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FFNMRCSI)

At International Level

• December 2021- to present: Member of Sigma Theta Tau International, Phi Gamma Chapter (Virtual)
• 2008 - 2015: Member, Nursing Best Practice Research Unit, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.

At national level:

• 2025- to present: Member, Scientific Committee for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases at the Ministry of Hospital.
• 2017 - to present: Member, Saudi Nursing Scientific Council, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• 2007 - 2020: Member, Executive Committee of the Saudi Nurse Society, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

At Local level:

• 2020 - to present: The Hospital Executive Committee.
• 2020 - to present: The Hospital Medical Board Committee.
• 2016 - to present: The Hospital Mortality and Morbidity Committee.

• Scientific Chairman for the Postgraduate Cardiac Nursing Diploma, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, 01/01/17, Present
• Director for Life Support Training Center, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia, 09/09/18, Present
• President of the Alpha Gamma Mu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia, 12/10/2023, Present

• National Patient Safety Award, 12/01/18, Minister of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Best Staff Nurse, 03/01/16, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Financial Support for Poster Presentation, 06/01/14, Faculty of Health Sciences
• Financial Support for Poster Presentation, 06/01/13, Faculty of Health Sciences
• Entrance Scholarship for PhD in Nursing, 08/01/08, Government of Saudi Arabia
• Best Staff Nurse, 03/01/05, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Entrance Scholarship for MSc, 01/01/01, Government of Saudi Arabia
• Second Honor Medal, 09/01/98, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

• The Sigma 48th Biennial Convention, Indiana, USA, 11/01/25
• Clinical Nursing Leadership & Management Course, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 05/01/24
• Leading Change, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 04/01/24
• Effective Communication for Engaging others in Organizations, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 05/01/23
• Strengths Based Approach to Personal Leadership Development, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 05/01/23
• 42nd International symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Brussels, Belgium, 03/01/23
• Yale Women's Leadership Program, Connecticut, USA, 06/01/22
• Knowledge Utilization Colloquium 2019, Quebec, Canada, 06/01/19
• SHA29 Annual Conference & 4th SACIS Forum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 03/01/19
• 48TH Critical Care Congress, San Diego, USA, 02/01/19
• Emirates Society of Emergency Medicine Conference, Dubai, UAE, 12/01/18
• Saudi Heart Association Forum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 03/01/18
• Item-Writing workshop, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 03/01/18
• TOT on the Go workshop, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 01/01/18
• One45 training workshop, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 01/01/18
• KU 17 Knowledge Utilisation Colloquium, Melbourne, Australia, 11/01/17
• European Society of Cardiology Congress, Barcelona, Spain, 08/01/17
• Accreditation Canada: Leading Improvement with Patient Safety, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 03/01/17
• Wharton Nursing Leaders Program, Philadelphia, USA, 12/01/16
• Invited to Submit to a Potential Predatory Journal, Ottawa, Canada, 06/01/15
• Systematic Review Roundtable, Ottawa, Canada, 05/01/14
• KT-Face-to-Face, Ottawa, Canada, 05/01/14
• NBPRC Annual General Meeting, Toronto, Canada, 03/01/14
• BPSO Knowledge Exchange Symposium, Toronto, Canada, 03/01/14
• An Introduction to the Canadian Cochrane Centre, Ottawa, Canada, 02/01/14
• Web Strategies for Knowledge Translation, Ottawa, Canada, 02/01/14
• Patient Decision Aids: Effectiveness, Certifying, Implementing, Scaling up, Ottawa, Canada, 02/01/14
• The Healthcare Knowledge Integrity Framework, Ottawa, Canada, 01/01/14
• Development and Evaluation of an Osteoporosis KT Tool in Primary Care, Ottawa, Canada, 01/01/14
• Designing Effective Knowledge Translation Interventions, Ottawa, Canada, 12/01/13
• A System Review of Published Methods for Designing KT Interventions, Ottawa, Canada, 12/01/13
• Why Should PBRNs and their Members Pay attention to Theories Underlying Behavioral Change?, Ottawa, Canada, 12/01/13
• NVivo 10 Program Training, Toronto, Canada, 10/01/13
• NBPRC Networking Meeting, Toronto, Canada, 03/01/13
• The annual Best Practice Spotlight Organizations symposium, Toronto, Canada, 03/01/13
• Mentorship for Nurses, Hamilton, Canada, 09/01/12
• NVivo 9 Program Training, Ottawa, Canada, 05/01/12
• Participating in a Two-Week Policy Placement with the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, 03/01/12
• 4th Best Practice Spotlight Organization Knowledge Exchange Summit, Toronto, Canada, 01/01/12
• Knowledge Translation Research Symposium, Toronto, Canada, 01/01/12
• Nursing Best Practice Research Unit Joint Management Meeting, Ottawa, Canada, 11/01/11
• Champion workshop 2011, Ottawa, Canada, 06/01/11
• Knowledge Utilization Colloquium 2011, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 06/01/11
• 5th Annual Spotlight Knowledge Exchange Symposium, Toronto, Canada, 03/01/11
• Knowledge, the power of nursing: Celebrating best practice guidelines and clinical leadership, Toronto, Canada, 10/01/10
• Nursing Best Practice Guidelines: Knowledge Booster Stream, Alliston, Canada, 06/01/09
• NVivo Program Training, Toronto, Canada, 12/01/09

· Bakhsh, L. S., AlHazmi, A., BaMohammed, A., Binishaq, E., Abdullah, G., Bajal, R., Al Ramamneh, I. (2023). Emotional, Perceived Stressors, and Coping Strategies Among Nursing Staff in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cureus, 15(11):e48284.

· Alomar, S., Bandah, S., Noman, G., Kadi, M., Abulnaja, G., & Abdullah, G. (2023). The Impact of Nursing Education on Emergency Bedside External Ventricular Drain Insertion for Patients with Acute Hydrocephalus. Cureus, Jan 27;15(1).

· Abdullah, G., Higuchi, K., Ploeg, J., & Stacey, D. (2018). Mentoring as a Knowledge Translation Intervention for Implementing Nursing Practice Guidelines: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship. Feb 20;15(1).

·  Higuchi, K.S., Edwards, N., Carr, T., Marck, P., & Abdullah, G.(2015). Development and Evaluation of a Workshop to Support Evidence-based Practice Change in Long Term Care. Journal of Nurses in Professional Development, 31(1), 28-34.

· Abdullah, G., Rossy, D., Ploeg, J., Davies, B., Higuchi, K., Sikora, L., & Stacey, D. (2014). Measuring the Effectiveness of Mentoring as a Knowledge Translation Intervention for Implementing Empirical Evidence: A Systematic Review. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing Journal, 11(5), 284-300.

· Abdullah G, Stacey D. (2014). Role of oncology nurses in integrated knowledge translation. Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal, 24(2), 63-64. Le role des infirmieres en oncologie dans l’application des connaissances integree. 65-66.

· Alhashemi, J.A., Alotaibi, Q.A., Abdullah, G.M., & Shalabi, S. (2008). Effects of levosimendan in acute heart failure and cardiogenic and septic shock. Journal of Critical Care. 23(3), 450.

· Alhashemi, J.A., Alotaibi, Q.A., Abdullah, G.M., Algethamy, H., & Shalabi,, S. (2006). Dexmedetomidine sedation for percutaneous tracheostomy in the intensive care unit, Critical Care Medicine. 34(12), A149.

· Critical Care Nursing

· Mentoring

· Clinical Practice Guidelines, Knowledge Translation

· Process and Outcome Evaluation

· Systematic Review

· Qualitative Research

· Quantitative Research

· Leadership and Management

Co-participated with Dr. Mohammed Elsheikh, Vice President of Alhakeema for Nursing International Training & Healthcare Quality Consultants the development of ‘Nursing Leadership Management & Empowerment in Healthcare Organizations Program’.

• Dr. Amro M. Al-Hibshi, Previous King Abdulaziz University Hospital Director, Vice Dean Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80215, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 21589, +966 505 646 946, amalhibshi@kau.edu.sa
• Professor Mustafa M. Bodrick, Consultant Advisor, Health Academy, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS), +966 11 290 4542, +966 59 54 399 40, m.bodrick@scfhs.org, mustafabodrick@gmail.com