Report on Status on Nurses in Nepal

Abstract

Background: Around the Globe the problems and challenges of nurses are found to be identical. The shortage of nurses is not only in quantity but also in quality. In South-East Asian Regions nursing is found to be full of problems and shortages including insufficient skills in respect to quality health care services which is a result of unmet health care facilities, high workload, unsafe workplaces and lack of professional advancement opportunities etc. Hence this study concentrates on the overall status of nurses in Nepal. Methods: The study was a descriptive study. Key informant interviews were conducted for the purpose of primary data collection whereas available records and reports were reviewed for secondary data collection. Results: A specific nursing policy has not been formulated by the Government of Nepal till date. In government sectors there are many vacant posts left without care, whereas in some private institutions few nurses are placed with work overloads. Most of the nurses have started leaving the country in search of better jobs abroad and further study. Though the nursing demands is high globally, majority of Nepali nurses are just working as a caretaker in domestic settings not being recognized as nurse practitioner because they do not fit with the standards of other countries due to minimal standard and mix task oriented curriculum. Conclusions: New areas are to be explored to recruit the nurses. Moreover, the problems encountered that need to be addresses are unemployment, insecurity, workloads, professional disempowerment, globalization, privatization, low pay, exploitation in job setting, lack of attractive policies, lack of government monitoring, insufficient in-service education and brain drain. Keywords: Nepal; nursing; status of nurses; quality of care.