Challenges Faced by Nursing Professionals Practicing in Rural Areas of India

Abstract

Healthcare is the fastest growing sector in India with an extensive health infrastructure to provide medical care to huge (72%) rural population, but it lacks the skilled manpower to match the demand. In spite of producing substantial number of nursing manpower, the country faces a shortage of nurses particularly in rural areas. The ratio of doctor to nurse is 1:1.5 as against the ideal ratio of 1:3. The present paper focuses on the challenges faced by the nursing professionals serving in rural areas. The information for this paper has been derived from literature review, policy/program documents, national data and personal experiences of authors. The nurses serving in the rural areas face challenges like poor working conditions/quality of life in rural areas, limited opportunities for professional advancement, lack of incentives/recognition, safety/security issues, lack of motivation, over workload, weak support/supervision by the superiors, mismatch in skill and task and political instability. Institutional delays in recruitment and lack of transparency in transfers and promotions act as hindrances for deployment and retention of health work force in rural areas. To address these issues, there should be a comprehensive Human Resource Policy to take into account both professional and personal concerns of healthcare professionals.

Keywords: nursing professionals, healthcare, rural areas, challenges, Human Resource Policy