Backbone of Healthcare: Why nurses deserve more recognition, pay
Source: Chronicle News Service / Ngangom Suraj

Imphal, January 13 2025: Whether in bustling hospitals, outpatient clinics, or community health centres, nurses play a crucial role in the healthcare sector, often exposed to contagious diseases and high-stress environments.

Nurses constitute over 40 per cent of workforce in the healthcare sector with 80 per cent being female.

Nurses are, in fact, the backbone of the healthcare system, often the first to respond in times of crisis, offering compassion and expertise in the most challenging environments.

Yet, despite their pivotal role, many nurses remain underpaid and underappreciated, facing long shifts, burnout, and exposure to contagious diseases without the recognition and compensation they rightfully deserve.

Backbone of Healthcare: Why nurses deserve more recognition, pay

This under appreciation of nurses is a growing concern in the healthcare industry, especially as the demand for healthcare professionals continues to rise.

While most nurses are traditionally associated with roles in hospitals and clinics, the BSc nursing degree opens the door to a variety of other career paths.

Graduates can pursue diverse opportunities in areas like public health, education, research, and healthcare administration.

These alternative career options not only provide new opportunities for nurses but also offer potential for higher salaries and improved worklife balance.

In recent years, nurses have been pushed to the limit, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic placing an overwhelming strain on the healthcare system.

These healthcare professionals have endured physically and emotionally taxing work, all the while grappling with understaffing and inadequate resources.

Interacting with the staff nurses or "clinical assistants", as they would like to be addressed, of Wangkhei Eye Hospital, it was found that they have been paid quite substantially, as compared to most nurses in private-run institutions in the state, and are offered opportunities to further hone their skills.

They also expressed satisfaction in their respective working environments.

However, echoing a concern, clinical assistant Laishram Avinash, elaborated that though the role of nurses in the healthcare sector is immense, they are often under looked owing to low salaries and lack of more job opportunities, especially in a small state like Manipur where the number of fresh graduates far exceeds vacancy availability.

She further explained that, whether in hospitals or clinics, nurses act as a communication bridge between doctors and patients, adding, they also provide both psychological and physiological support to the patients.

Nursing surgical-in-charge Rajkumari Niyarani said that due to absence of job opportunities and security, fresh nursing graduates, in hundreds, migrate to other states and even abroad every year in search of better opportunities, consequently overburdening tasks of the remaining nurses in the state, resulting in emotional and mental health strains.

She also expressed concern that due to stressful work environment many nurses quit their jobs which is also a reason for increase in unemployment issue.

Clinical in-charge Mais-nam Shonila highlighted that there is a misconception that nursing is a career for individual who are considered to be less academically inclined.

As a result, parents and guardians view nursing as a last resort for those children who are not successful in other fields of study.

On the other hand, in recent years, there has been rapid increase in the number of nursing institutions some of which prioritise quantity over quality.

This had led to a decrease in the standard of nursing education.

These problems contribute to undervaluing of the profession, Shonila added.

Emphasising the need to continue learning for all the nurses to further increase their skills and also to gain the respect they deserve clinical assistant Debika Sarangthem reiterated that nurses working in Manipur, in particular, should continue to participate in skill development programmes, conferences, training courses and other academic enhancement short term courses.

Debika continued that working nurses should try to keep in touch with mentors while also taking good health care for themselves, which they often forget, while caring for others.

Pointing out the need for the society and the job providers to recognise the dedication of nurses, clinical assistant Sagolsem Pintu suggested that nurses, especially those working in private establishments where they experience over burden, should be motivated from time to time by the employers by recognising, presenting awards so as to create a positive vibe in the working environment.

While expressing disappointment over the concept that nursing students are only associated with health care sector, Pintu also highlighted that after one completes his/ her studies in BSc Nursing, the person can chose a wide range of profession including teaching and research; nurse educator, administrator and supervisor; paediatric, psychiatric and industrial nurses, etc.

It is worth mentioning that in our society, due to lower salaries, female nurses are often forced to give up their jobs especially after marriage.

At the same time finding an alternate job with higher payment is not an easy task considering the high unemployment rate in the state.

This points to the pressing need for the society as a whole and the employers in particular, to recognise the dedication of these health care professionals (nurses) by not only with applause but with fair wages, better benefits, and the respect they deserve.