Gender Equality is a MYTH in Nursing in India.

luckybanna, BSN, RN

As we celebrate the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020, the nursing profession is soaring to new heights. However, India being the second-largest country in the world in terms of population has failed to protect the rights of nurses, especially male nurses.

Recent Changes

India holds the largest medical sector of the world which means the world's most nurses are in India. Also, India is the biggest supplier of nurses to various countries around the globe. But, nursing as a profession is deprived of development as discrimination on the various basis is very common. Recently, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the premier medical institute of the nation, held its fourth meeting of the Central Institute Body (CIB) on July 27, 2019, under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, in which no nursing representative from any Nursing Council or Nursing Body was called in; it released its final minutes on October 28, 2019. CIB.jpeg.2d187f7b4716f3e7e76f8ec1d0203670.jpeg CIB1.jpeg.379c81d27e42c8406111a8413a6eb844.jpeg

Beginning of the End for Male Nurses

This meeting decided many things that will be implemented in the healthcare sector along with point number 16. This point discriminates against male nurses of the country as it allows only 20% male nurses in the healthcare sector. As 80 out of 100 nurses will be females, males who have studied nursing or currently pursuing nursing will have no future as a nurse.

Two units of AIIMS, Nagpur and Patna recently released recruitment notice for nurses based on CIB recommendations. The former has reserved 80% posts for female nurses whereas the latter is one step ahead and will allow only 10% of the posts to be filled by male nurses. This is the beginning of the end for males in the nursing profession.

The Past

This discrimination is not new to male nurses. In the beginning, males joining the nursing profession were considered taboo across the world. But, this narrative changed over time everywhere except India. Military Nursing Services (MNS) will still not consider taking any male nurses. There is not a single male nurse in MNS.

Corporate and private sectors also keep away from recruiting male nurses. And recently this gender-based reservation in the government sectors has completely demolished the dream of millions of males who have studied nursing or aspire to be a nurse in the future.

Where Does the Problem Reside?

I might not be correct but this is the major issue behind this discrimination: The Administration. The Administration, which also takes nurses, doesn't want nurses to be the face of the healthcare system in India. Every hospital, Healthcare institute or regulatory body has only doctors as the administrators in India.

Nursing administrations, bodies or councils have limited themselves to making duty rosters, conducting semester exams or providing nursing licenses. Nobody talks about the up-gradation of nurses. The bitter truth is that nurses in India do not have any specialization in the healthcare system. If anyone pursues Masters in any nursing field, he or she will not get any special post or department. For example, It doesn't matter you hold a Master's degree in Pediatric Nursing, you won't be called a Pediatric Nurse and won't even get to work in the pediatric department.

Moreover, you don't get a senior post or a nursing administrative post on the basis of your education. It all gets decided by your work experience and special reservation in the promotion you get as per Indian constitution which is directly linked to your cast of birth. You can be a nurse administrator whether or not you hold a diploma or degree in nursing administration and it doesn't even require to hold a BSN degree.

Dominating the Nurses

Weaker nursing administration leaves an opportunity for others to dominate the nurses. A few years ago, Central government brought a bill that allows BSN nurses to complete a 2 years course which enables them to practice medicine at community health centres and allows them to diagnose, prescribe and treat the patients. Doctors opposed it nationwide and got it cancelled using their political approach.

Similar circumstances have happened this time where without consulting any nursing body, a discriminatory decision about nursing recruitment policies has been made. The clear reason behind this decision is the threat to the dominating nature of doctors in the healthcare system by male nurses. I'm sorry to say it, but female nurses of India have been fearful of administration since the beginning and never try to leave their comfort zone. It is 2020 and we still don't have a definitive cadre structure for nurses; we can't even think of becoming CRNA in India. An increasing number of male nurses in recent years promised hope of improvisation but it is also being demolished.

End Notes

Our only hope is the legal action against this gender-based discrimination. if this decision is not reverted, millions of male nurses will be left in the lurch. Without jobs, they will fail to pay back education loans and will struggle to survive. The future of nursing in India is dark and full of terrors.