Nursing Education in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries: Context and Trends

Abstract

In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated there is a need for an additional four (The World Bank Group) million health workers to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Sousa and Flores 2013). Nurses comprise the largest proportion of health professionals worldwide. Therefore, the quality and quantity of nurses are critical in ensuring the availability and accessibility of safe and effective healthcare. As countries struggle with the crisis on human resources in healthcare, nurses have potential to mitigate the impact of the health workforce shortage (Ng'ang'a and Bryne 2012). Education and training of health professionals, including nurses, is paramount to effectively addressing the shortage in human resources in healthcare (Sousa and Flores 2013). This chapter discusses the current issues related to nursing education in low-and lowermiddle-income countries. Background information on low-income countries