{"id":35695,"date":"2015-11-25T12:01:59","date_gmt":"2015-11-25T11:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?p=35695"},"modified":"2015-11-25T12:01:59","modified_gmt":"2015-11-25T11:01:59","slug":"meena-p-a-lack-of-resources-for-community-health-nursing-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2015\/11\/25\/meena-p-a-lack-of-resources-for-community-health-nursing-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Meena P: A lack of resources for community health nursing in India"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"meena_p\"<\/a>With a\u00a0shortage of doctors, it is the nurses and other allied health professionals who run the show in many of the primary healthcare settings in India. Nurses make up a major proportion of the health workforce. In this context we need more and more nurses who are capable of addressing the diverse healthcare needs of society. There is\u00a0a shift from hospital based curative care to community based preventive and rehabilitative care, and a greater focus on giving people control over their health. Therefore, we need nurses who are equipped with specialized knowledge and skills in public health to work in community healthcare settings.<\/p>\n

But the reality shows a different picture. Currently in India, diplomas, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctorate level courses are offered in nursing. There are also various specialities and sub specialities in nursing at a Masters level. Many nursing educational institutions even the reputed ones in India are contemplating stopping their Masters programmes in community health nursing since there are no takers. If this trend continues, there is a possibility that community health nursing will become extinct in the near future. With my experience as a community health nurse educator, I think that the following factors have led to a staggering situation:<\/p>\n