IV. Different factors affecting the status of women in relation to nursing profession in India and Nepal

Socio cultural factors:
One of the study found that many women do not read which was found to be the biggest problem in educating in serious nursing staff. (Murata, 2001) So first of all underestimating the status of women has created lot of problems as well as the profession of nursing, which is generally done by female in this part of the world. There were only female nurses before 1987 and male were recruited till 1992 in Nepal for 15 years. More male nurses in the profession were perceived as increased status of nursing. Later, domination, refuse to give physical care, perceived themselves as mini doctors, less caring than female nurses were observed from the male nurses . Along with these factors, the issue of admitting male nurses only if seats are raised from 10% to 50%, made the decision to stop admitting them. (Ogilvie, 1998, Pg 4)

For economic consequences some girl children of families remain school for several years as their labor for food production or caring for younger children is less available as a family supply. So when the family can not afford and female children are also not getting equal opportunity of secondary education; then it is impossible for them to join nursing. To study nursing, one must pass SLC examination and if somebody passes, it implies that her family is not poor. On the other side fee in nursing is cheaper compared to other post secondary education, but scholarship is still not provided.  (Ogilvie, L. 1998)

On the other hand, the social evils such as dowry, child marriage, prostitution, rape etc are affecting the girl children and adolescents and so are the obstacles for the nurses too. Social stigma towards nursing and their role does not let the profession to upgrade. Society views the work of nurse as polluting activities like urination, defecation, menstruation, birth and death etc. Different factors like the responsibility of family work, being malnourished and prone to gynecological diseases, and not being empowered have motivated women to improve their status (Bang, R. & Bang, A. 1989). When female nurse finish her job, she still has to do household work as well, so it has brought lots of stress, frustration and burden.

Undoubtedly, some of the same socioeconomic conditions that are decreasing access to the health care system also decrease access to educational preparation for health care professions such as nursing. The numbers in nursing have changed relatively little despite social changes and the entrance of women, into traditionally male dominated fields. The justification for the need of the men in nursing is both different from and similar to that for lacking as a group together.

Environmental factors :
In face of high unemployment in nursing, the students’ morale is low. (Ogilvie, L.1998) I have experienced psychological abuse in a situation where I was told not to talk with doctors or answer them when I knew the answer. There is the possibility of two things, either I was a female or I was the nurse. Thus team work has to be improved together to establish the profession better.

There is still a low education level of women and are very few seats available in each school of nursing in Nepal. So along with that there is less salary and less facilities in the working area. In one study, interview show that the frustration was seen among nurses with the dependent function and lack of autonomy. Some faculty members told that nurses were an under utilized resource whose talents were being inhibited by dominating physicians and strict social norms that is limiting the acceptable roles of women. (Ogilvie, 2009) (Issues of nursing education today, PDF pg 2) due to social perception, there is also not well response from the family members of the patients in the hospital.

On the other side, there is not much record of availability of CPD programs for nurses. Along with that government has neither separated more budgets to improve the education of women nor for the nursing profession. There is good number of migration in different developed countries from the developing countries like Nepal, Bangladesh. Health workers like doctors, nurses are migrating day by day from the countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan because of many issues around their respective countries; issues are like of financial condition, and so on (Adkoli, 2006).

Attitude towards women are reflected in violence in the form of assault or abuse (verbally, physically) is more than 50% in UK, USA, Australia and about 50% in Canada for nurses. Few studies in the area of violence including sexual harassment have been conducted in developing countries. So women have to be independent in each and every part of the world.