Is There a Nursing Shortage in India? A Closure Look at Rising Demand

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), India is on track to have the world's second-largest shortage of nurses after Bangladesh, since many more of these health workers may have relocated abroad or retired. Nurses are the most significant asset of any healthcare facility. Every year, thousands of students enrolled in nursing studies at India's numerous nursing institutes. Usha Martin University, one of India's most prestigious paramedical universities, offers a variety of nursing courses at various levels to develop a workforce capable of dealing with the country's acute nursing shortage. The university is currently offering three outstanding nursing programs including ANM, GNM, and B.SC Nursing. However, there is a worldwide nurse shortage. Nurses in India are receiving attractive job offers, particularly from Gulf countries. Fresh graduates are unavailable because colleges have been closed, exams have been canceled, or results have been postponed due to the pandemic. To deal with the significant surge in patients, there is currently a critical lack of senior nursing personnel.

Although the Usha Martin University offers three nursing programs, the B. Sc Nursing programme is the most popular among students interested in pursuing a career in clinical nursing. This wonderful curriculum aims to impart in-depth knowledge of detailed nursing and the basics of the profession. Since the program is all about taking care of patients, its syllabus is quite comprehensive and prepares students for a rewarding career in the medical and healthcare sector. The program intends to produce competent nursing professionals equipped with generalist nursing practices while focusing on mastering the field’s numerous competencies.

Despite the nursing shortage in India, thousands of migrant Indian nurses are fighting the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East, along with other areas. The medical migration that has occurred in recent years is the primary reason for this shortage of Indian nurses. After the Philippines, India is the second-largest country from which nurses migrate, and we have nurses working all over the world, particularly in the Gulf, the OECD, and several Asian countries. As globalization advances and the need for nurses grows, so do migration figures also expand. According to data from the Union Health Ministry, India has only 1.7 nurses per 1000 people, which is less than the WHO’s suggested figure, which is a minimum of 3. Even though India has 2.34 million registered nurses and midwives, the Indian Nursing Council (INC) reports that they only have 1.94 million nurses. Therefore, to overcome this severe dearth of nursing staff, there is a great demand for qualified professionals.

In India, thousands of nurses retire every year, and new nurses are needed to replace them, and that doesn't include those who have scorched out as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Though nurses in India have greater salaries and benefits in the government medical sector than in the private healthcare industry. Nurses in the private sector are migrating abroad because of the pay disparity between the private and public sectors. Other causes for nurses to migrate from India include the desire for a better-paying profession, financial security, a higher standard of living, a safer working environment, job security, individual freedom, and the avoidance of early marriage. Countries with a higher population of older people, medical tourism, and Gulf countries where women are discouraged from becoming nurses due to cultural barriers are all factors that contribute to this migration. More than 6.4 lakh Indian nurses work overseas now, the majority of them are financially secure; a few have even taken their families with them, while the others are supporting their relatives in their home states.

Read More: Career Options and Future Prospects after B.SC Nursing Course

6 Reasons for the Nursing Shortage in India:

• Retiring Nurses
• Covid-19 effect
• Scarcity of Nursing Educators
• Many Nurses Leaving the Field
• Growing Population
• Migration of Nurses

1. Retiring Nurses

The retirement of nurses is one of the key causes of the nursing shortage in India. Every year, thousands of practicing nurses retire, and new nurses are needed to replace them. However, because of the epidemic, colleges have closed, exams have been cancelled, and results have been delayed, which has led to the crisis of fresh nursing graduates.

2. The COVID-19 Effect

Although it is likely too early to determine the long-term effects of COVID-19 on nursing employment, there is evidence that it hasn't benefited. Nurses are struggling to cope with the stress of caring for patients during the epidemic, with one workforce survey performed in the early months of the outbreak revealed that a huge number of nurses quit their jobs during the early days of the pandemic.

3. A Scarcity of Nursing Educators

In India, there is a clear connection between nursing education and nursing shortages. According to a study, there is a shortage of academically qualified professors teaching at nursing colleges. The main source of concern is the shortage of highly trained academics is a widespread lack of key equipment, facilities, and the funding that is required to hire the new faculty members is the main matter of concern is the nursing shortage in India.

4. Many Nurses Leaving the Field

Because there is a severe scarcity of new nurses, current nursing staff are in high demand. To cope up with the shortage, many nurses are working in lengthy shifts with a large number of patients. This causes increased stress and decreased job satisfaction, which may cause nurses to leave the field. When there aren't enough nurses, present nurses feel a lot of stress and strain and finally opt to find new career options that are more flexible and feasible.

5. Growing Population

As the country's largest generation continues to age, more old-aged nurses are retiring, and new nurses are simply not replacing them soon enough. Similarly, as the population of the country ages, more individuals will require care, and there are now insufficient nurses to satisfy those demands.

6. Migration of Nurses

The medical migration that has occurred in recent years is one of the primary reasons for the shortage of Indian nurses. After the Philippines, India is the second-largest country from which nurses migrate, and we have nurses working all over the world, particularly in the Gulf, the OECD, and several Asian countries.

This article portrays India's serious shortage of nurses to help you comprehend the country's expanding demand for nurses. If a career as a nurse is on your mind, just go for it. You can make a substantial contribution to closing this gap. So, if you want to pursue a productive career in clinical nursing, enroll in one of the three nursing programs offered at Usha Martin University.