In News:

The World Health Organization’s upcoming “State of the World’s Nursing 2025” report raises an urgent alarm over the deepening global nursing shortage. It projects that by 2030, 70% of the global shortfall will be concentrated in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean regions, underscoring the need for immediate and strategic workforce interventions.

Nursing in India: Current Status and Challenges

India is grappling with a critical shortage of nursing professionals, falling short of global standards in several key areas:

• Nurse-to-Population Ratio:India currently has approximately 30 nurses per 10,000 people, which is below the WHO-recommended threshold of 44.5 health workers per 10,000.
• Nursing Education:While the country has significantly increased the number of nursing graduates, quality concerns, infrastructure limitations, and faculty shortages persist across institutions.
• Migration Trends:India remains one of the leading exporters of trained nurses, especially to countries like the UK, Gulf nations, and Australia, contributing to a domestic workforce drain.
• Workforce Retention:Persistent issues such as low wages, limited opportunities for career advancement, and unsafe or stressful working environments contribute to high attrition rates.

Key Issues in India's Nursing Sector

• Inadequate Workforce Availability:India does not meet the WHO’s benchmark for health worker density, with rural areas facing the most severe shortages.
• Urban-Rural Imbalance:A large concentration of nurses in urban private hospitals severely restricts healthcare access in Primary and Community Health Centres (PHCs and CHCs) in rural regions.
• Poor Working Conditions:Nurses frequently endure long working hours, delayed salaries, insufficient mental health support, and unsafe work environments, which discourage long-term retention.
• Lack of Leadership Representation:The absence of Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) at both state and national levels weakens the profession’s influence in health policy and governance.
• Limited Public Investment:Constraints in fiscal capacity and inadequate infrastructure hinder both the training and employment of nursing professionals.
• International Migration Without Compensation:The high rate of nurse outmigration is not matched by equitable bilateral agreements, leaving India's healthcare system vulnerable and under-resourced.

Strategic Recommendations:

• Expand Training Infrastructure:Increase the number of nursing colleges with a focus on faculty recruitment and clinical infrastructure, in line with the National Education Policy’s emphasis on vocational education.
• Strengthen Leadership and Governance:Establish Chief Nursing Officers at state and national levels, and bolster the role of nursing councils to advocate for reforms and oversee standards.
• Enhance Retention Strategies:Improve remuneration, ensure workplace safety, offer mental health support, and create clear career progression pathways to retain talent.
• Promote Rural Deployment:Introduce bonded scholarships, financial incentives, and housing support to encourage nursing professionals to serve in underserved rural regions.
• Leverage Technology and AI:Incorporate blended learning models, train nurses in electronic health record systems, and integrate AI-driven modules into nursing curricula for future-ready skills.
• Foster Fair International Cooperation:Develop bilateral agreements (e.g., India–UK healthcare MoUs) that ensure reciprocal benefits and support domestic capacity-building when nurses migrate abroad.