Sohail Taj
ISLAMABAD, Mar 05 (APP):The nursing profession is considered as the backbone of the healthcare system due to its essential role in the functioning of hospitals and provision of patient care.
However, despite the important role of nurses, many people still view them as assistants to doctors, and their job descriptions are often overlooked or misunderstood.
In developing countries like ours, nursing faces a unique set of challenges that make it more difficult to provide quality care and attract people to the profession. One of the biggest challenges the profession faces is the shortage of trained professionals in the field as according to the World Health Organization (WHO), low, and middle-income countries will face a global shortage of 10 million health workers, including nurses, midwives, and doctors by 2030.
In Pakistan, the shortage of nurses is particularly acute, with a ratio of 1.5 nurses per 1,000 population, which is lower than the WHO’s minimum recommendation of 2.5 nurses per 1,000 population. Moreover, in many healthcare settings nurses often find themselves taking on additional responsibilities to ensure that patients receive the care they need.
This shortage has a significant impact on the quality of healthcare thus making the nurses to overwork and compromise on patient care. “We have a lot of patients to take care of, and not enough staff to handle them all. It’s a challenge to provide quality care when we’re stretched so thin,” said Ujala Javed, a registered nurse Pakistan Nursing Council.
The nurses are also often asked to perform tasks that are outside of their scope of practice, such as performing procedures that require a physician’s expertise or making decisions that are typically reserved for doctors. These situations can arise due to a lack of resources or staffing, and they can put both the patient’s safety and the nurse’s license at risk.
According to Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination there were 127,050 registered nursing professionals which include 88,055 nurses, 16,449 lady health visitors, 16,057 midwives, 5,791 community midwives and 698 certified nursing assistants till 2022.
But efforts are being made to address the challenges being faced by the profession in the country. In this regard, Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) is making all possible efforts to improve the quality of nursing education in the country besides promoting it as a viable career option.
The PNC is also involved in providing various diploma and degree programs for aspiring nurses, midwives, and nursing auxiliaries which includes a Diploma Program, Midwifery Diploma, Community Midwife (CMW) Four-Year Degree Program and Post RN Program to address the shortage of health care staff in the country.
The efforts of PNC also include increasing the number of nursing schools and colleges, providing scholarships and financial assistance to nursing students, as well as raising awareness about the importance and value of the nursing profession in the healthcare sector.
Ujala Javed, a nurse registered with Pakistan Nursing Council, said “Nurses are often perceived as the assistants of doctors, which is a misleading portrayal of their profession.”
Nnurses are highly educated professionals who complete rigorous training and licensing requirements to be able to practice and they had the required experience and knowledge that is essential to patient care, and their contributions should be acknowledged and respected, she said.
The healthcare industry is facing a severe shortage of nurses, and as a result, many hospitals are resorting to hiring untrained nurses to fill the gap.
Untrained nurses lack the necessary knowledge and expertise to provide quality patient care, and they may not even be aware of their limitations, said Ujala adding that they may be asked to perform tasks that are outside of their scope of practice, which can put both the patient’s safety at risk.
She said that untrained professionals may lack the necessary communication and interpersonal skills to effectively interact with patients and their families. “Patient care requires not only technical knowledge but also empathy and compassion, which untrained nurses may not possess”, she maintained.
Khadija Muzzafar said that the shortage of nurses in Pakistan is not a new issue, and it has been exacerbated by a lack of funding and resources for nursing education programs. She said that the situation is further complicated by the low salaries and poor working conditions that deter qualified nurses from entering or remaining in the profession.
In order to address the challenges being faced by the nursing profession in the country is to promote positive portrayals of nurses in media. “The media has a significant influence on public perception, and negative portrayals of nursing can contribute to gender bias and perpetuate stereotypes” she added.
The nurses note that hospitals must prioritize patient safety by ensuring that only qualified and trained nurses are hired to provide patient care. This could be achieved by implementing strict hiring criteria and training for nurses to maintain and improve their skills.
