NEW DELHI: Nursing is often perceived as a “female profession,” leading to male nurses experiencing occupational segregation and stigma.
But despite the need for increasing their strength, male nurses earn more than their female counterparts.
“Although women constitute a larger share of the global nursing workforce, on average, men earn more than women, with a pay gap of 24 percentage points, which needs attention,” said the study, which was published in the BMJ.
Focusing on the need to increase the nursing workforce, which faces an estimated 5.8 million global shortages, the study noted that with ageing populations, the rising burden of chronic diseases, and growing health inequalities, demand for nurses is expected to continue rising.
“Empowering nurses is not just about tackling workforce shortages, it is also about unleashing the full potential of a profession that is central to realising universal health coverage for all,” it said.
According to Dr. Preeti Kumar, the lead author of the study and VP, Health Systems, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), nursing has traditionally been associated with women, dating back to the times of Florence Nightingale.
“Male nurses face occupational segregation when they are channelled into or away from certain specialities based on gender assumptions. They also face stigma, which includes social and professional challenges rooted in the belief that nursing is a women’s profession,” she told TNIE.
India aims to have a total of 2.74 million nurses by 2030
In India, male nurses are concentrated more in certain specialities, such as emergency departments and ICUs, with limited access or discouragement in other areas, including obstetrics and paediatrics, due to patient comfort and gender appropriateness, she said.
The need of the hour to meet nursing shortages is to promote gender diversity and inclusivity.
By 2030, India is projected to have a total of 2.74 million nurses and midwives, but only 1.4 million are likely to be actively working in the health system.
India’s nurse-to-population ratio is 1:670, which is below the WHO’s recommendation of 1:300.
“Gender equality in nursing is vital for a robust and inclusive health workforce; currently, 85% of the world’s nurses are women, varying from 91% in the Western Pacific region to 66% in the African region,” it said.
“Effective strategies to increase male participation include public awareness campaigns that promote nursing as gender neutral, balanced recruitment strategies that dispel myths, quotas for men in nursing education, and financial assistance,” it added.
Quoting the 2025 report on the state of the world’s nursing from the World Health Organisation and the International Council of Nurses (ICN), which represents the profession worldwide, most low and middle-income countries are unlikely to meet their goals to achieve universal health coverage and better healthcare outcomes by 2030.
“Action is urgently needed to fill workforce gaps, improve pay and working conditions, minimise the harms of nurse migration, encourage gender balance and reduce the gender pay gap in the profession, and ensure nurses benefit fully from digital innovation,” it added.
The study highlighted that the migration of nursing professionals to high-income countries is a global challenge. Approximately 13% of nurses work in a country different from the one in which they were born or trained. The US and UK together receive more than 15,000 foreign nurses annually, many from the Philippines and India.
Dr Kumar said there is a need to attract, recruit, and retain nurses through an integrated strategy that combines financial incentives, professional development, safe working conditions, and meaningful and clear career progression pathways.
“This includes competitive pay, better nurse-population ratios, improving curriculum content, creation of pathways for continuous upskilling in areas such as health care for the ageing population, climate change, etc.”
To strengthen the nursing workforce in India, 157 new nursing colleges have been approved. They are expected to add approximately 15,700 nursing graduates per year to the workforce, which was roughly 3 million in December 2024.
“Persistent challenges include urban concentration leading to rural shortages and weak recruitment and retention. Globally, prevalent stressors such as workplace violence, burnout, and mental health challenges are often linked to low staffing levels, lack of financial incentives, and low interest in nursing as a career,” it further said.
The study concluded that as digital innovation transforms healthcare, it is essential to ensure that these advances complement human-centred care, which remains at the heart of nursing.
“Equipping nurses with digital competencies requires integration of digital health training into nursing curricula as well as ongoing in-service training. Digital tools, including AI-driven mental health support and peer networks, can mitigate burnout and support nurses’ wellbeing.”