Do We Need Nurse Practitioner in India?

Abstract

The lifestyle of people has undergone a drastic change with the advancement of science and technology. It has resulted into increase in the prevalence of non communicable diseases. These diseases require home and community based long term care.  To mange these problems at community level there is shortage of physicians and nurses are available only in hospitals for taking care of indoor hospitalised patients. Though they are trained to work in hospital as well as in community. Registered nurses were posted in community first time under Ayushman Bharat as Midlevel health care providers at Health and Wellness Centre.  The primary health care services had been the  responsibility of ANMs.  Initially this has been done because of shortage of nurses but at present there are enough number of nurses trained from Government and private nursing institutes every year. These nurses are not absorbed in hospitals and very few positions are created in community. Hence, they are forced to migrate either in other countries or to work in private  sectors at very low wages.  They can be retained in the country if task shifting is done and enough positions are created in community. This has been successfully practiced in developed countries by introducing non physician practitioners mainly nurses. Some initiatives are already started in this direction by Government of India but much efforts are needed in this direction to create nurse practitioners to reduce the burden of physician and provide comprehensive care to population at their doorstep.