Nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing health services in rural India. These are the people who devote their lives to caring for mothers and children;and generally meeting everyday essential health needs. They are often, the first and only point of care in their communities. That’s why the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

1. Nurses: a voice to lead – nursing
the world to health
Mr. Naveen Pareek
Ph.D Scholar
Associate Professor
Ramsnehi College OF nursing , Bhilwara

2. • The World Health Organization (WHO) has
designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and
Midwife”, in honor of the 200th birth anniversary
of Florence nightingale The year 2020 is
significant for WHO in the context of nursing and
midwifery strengthening for Universal Health
Coverage. WHO is leading the development of the
first-ever State of the World’s Nursing report
which will be launched in 2020, prior to the
73rd World Health Assembly.

3. Reasons Why 2020 Is the Year of the Nurse
• It’s the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
• It’s the release of the first State of the World’s
Nursing Report.
• It’s the culmination of the Nursing Now campaign.
• Nurses make up a majority of the worldwide
healthcare force.
• Nurses are a huge part of the health care worker
shortfall.
• Supporting nurses boosts economic growth and
gender equality.

4. History of nursing in India:-
• 17th century, formalized nursing was not traced.
Every village had a dai/traditional birth attendant to
take care of maternal and child health needs of the
people.
• Military nursing was the earliest type of modern
nursing introduced by the Portuguese in the 17th
century.
• 1664, East India Company started a hospital for
soldiers at Fort St. Geroge, Madras.
• 1708, the first hospital in Calcutta in Fort William.

5.  East India Company started a hospital for soldiers at
Fort St. Geroge, Madras.
1838 Calcutta medical college hospital and London
mission hospital at Neyyoor
1843 Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy (J.J) group in Mumbai
1853 Thomasan hospital at Agra
1855 Holy Family Hospital,
1860 Delhi Civil hospital Amritsar
1881 CMC, Ludhiana, Punjab
1892Miraj medical school and hospital,
1895 Maharashtra Bowring hospital in Bangalore

6. • St. Stevens Hospital at Delhi was the first one to begin
training Indian women as nurses in 1867.
Nursing Education:-
 St. Stevens Hospital at Delhi was the first one to begin training
Indian women as nurses in 1867.
 1871, the government General Hospital at Madras was started with
the first school of nursing for midwives with four students.
 In 1907-1910, in North India, United Board of Examiners for
mission hospitals was set up which formulated training standards
and rules.
 The first school of Health visitors was started in 1918 by Lady
Reading Health School.
 The first four-year Basic B.Sc. program was established in 1946 at
RAK College of Nursing in Delhi and CMC College of Nursing in
Vellore.
 1960, M.Sc. was established in RAK College of Nursing, Delhi.

7. in 1890 Bombay Presidency Nursing Association was the
first state nursing association established.
In 1908, the Trained Nurses Association was formed to
uphold the dignity and honor of nursing profession.
in 1926 The first state registration council at Madras
Nursing Council was constituted
in 1935 Bombay Nursing Council was constituted.
1949, Indian Nursing Council (INC) was established to
maintain a uniform standard of training for nurses,
midwives and health visitors and regulate the standards
of nursing in India.
INC act was passed in 1947 that was amended in 1950 and
1957. General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) syllabus was
revised in 1951, 1965, and 1986, ANM in 1974 and B.Sc. in
1981.

8. Challenges faced by the nurses:-
• Shortage of staff
• Lack of recognition
• Lack of autonomy
• Perception of society
• Ethical issues
• Lack of professional growth opportunities
• Low remuneration
• Lack of respect

9. • Long working hours
• Multitasking
• Increased exposure to infections

10. What can we done:-
• Positive practice environment
• Evidence based practice
• Time to time assessment of curriculum
• Strict rules and regulation for accreditation for
nursing institute.
• Follow up from nurses.