Indian nursing council record shows India has around 33.41 lakh registered nurses. Of which 23,40,501 are nurses & midwives and 10,00,805 nurse are associates. The same data, 9,43, 951 are ANM, and 56,854 lady health visitors. It estimates that 1.96 nurses are available per 1,000 population, which clears the stress and overwork on nursing staff.
There are many factors, including professional issues and the work environment. In addition, they face policies, patient-care demands, and family-related issues that cause stress. They hardly get seven to eight hours of sleep per day and eating time. Lack of authority and shortage of supporting staff, exhausting their work life more. As per the theme of international nurse day 2022, it’s high time to invest in nursing and respect their rights.
Let’s start with understanding their responsibilities.
We carry out quality health care services while helping doctors, therapies, and physicians. In addition, the nursing staff provides physical, emotional, and psychological care to patients, developing patients’ treatment and care plans. Several nursing practices are:
Besides, they offer other generic services like cardiac nursing, orthopedic nursing, oncology nursing, palliative care, etc.
How to make nursing life better?
Nursing has always been as challenging as rewarding, and right now is an incredibly stressful time to be a healthcare worker. While you’re focused on caring for your patients, you also need to care for yourself. Several parts of the nursing field need improvement to make nursing life better. Let’s discuss a few of them.
Resolve Salary Difficulty
We have seen the nursing and health staff tremendously suffer through the pandemic. The health team faces extreme workload, attacks, virus exposure, and getting underpaid. A better nursing staff work in a better work environment, with less burnout and satisfactory outcomes. Unfortunately, as of now, the salary growth rate is too low for nursing staff.
Increase practice scope-
To transform the health system, we need to build a solid, qualified nursing workforce and invest in the community’s future.
Organizations and governments may include nursing education with medical, standard entrance exams. Also, the Indian nursing act needs revision too. The field needs to reduce income disparity, work-life balance, and grooming.
Work on nursing work shortage-
According to an ICN report, the nursing shortage is critical for public health. We need to work on the promotion of case studies to make people see the difference nurses are making. It encourages newcomers to be a part of the profession. Hospitals and health care should follow strategies to solve the nursing shortage, including:
Schedule work flexibility-
Nursing staff often juggle because of their busy work life. It makes their work life imbalanced, and they lose educational opportunities. Allowing flexibility, they may balance better without facing stressful and emotional damage.
Promote professional opportunities-
Help them get higher education to feel satisfied and stay with the organization for long. Also, it may help them achieve better career opportunities.
Listen to their voice-
Like supervisors and managers, give nurses time and opportunities to share ideas and concerns. Then, make sure the organization work on the valid points.
Conclusion
On this occasion of international nurse day, when we are celebrating the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, we should not forget the current working staff. Instead, we should keep in mind that there is no health without health workers.
At Asian, we support a safe working environment and rights.
Content Reviewed by – Asian Hospital Medical Editors