Kathmandu: International Nurses Day is being celebrated around the world today, marking the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. In Nepal too, various programs are being organized to commemorate the day. On this occasion, The DMN News caught up with Sukla Khanal, registrar of the Nepal Nursing Council, to ask five questions about nursing issues in Nepal.
The nurse-to-patient ratio in Nepal is much lower than the World Health Organization’s standard. How has this hampered the health system?
Ensuring an adequate nurse-to-patient ratio is essential for providing quality healthcare services. It is true that Nepal has failed to maintain the nurse-to-patient ratio. But I must say it is not true that nurses get irritated at work due to workload.
One significant issue is the influx of visitors accompanying patients. While nurses’ primary responsibility is caring for patients, the additional burden of explaining procedures and addressing the concerns of numerous visitors can undoubtedly strain their resources and impact patient care. In Nepal, a nurse has to satisfy at least 8-10 visitors of a patient.
Nepali nurses have been leaving to foreign countries in search of better opportunities. How do you see that?
People of all professions are leaving the country. People look for opportunities and those who get the chance will certainly travel abroad. However, I believe that working abroad is more challenging than working in Nepal. I don’t think nurses are only leaving because of a lack of job opportunities here. They are seeking better prospects abroad.
The shortage of nurses is affecting medical care across Nepal. Still, why is the government not hiring more nurses to improve the healthcare system?
I think the Ministry of Health and Population is working on it.
Have there been any challenges for Nepal Nursing Council?
When I was appointed as registrar, I thought there would be no cheating in the licensing examination. But we found that there is massive cheating in the examination, and question papers were leaked through social media like Viber. The case is still pending in court.
Anything you would like to suggest to Nepali nurses?
I would like to suggest them to work in Nepal though there are challenges in Nepal. It is not easy to work abroad too. But in the global society, we cannot stop them from seeking opportunities elsewhere.
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