Kathmandu, June 24

After more than a decade, male students in the country will also have the opportunity to become nurse.

Nepal Nursing Council paved the path for male students to pursue career in nursing after it reviewed its decision taken some 12 years ago to enrol only female students for nursing programme.

Following the decision taken during Nepal Nursing Council’s meeting held on June 19, the council issued a notice making it mandatory for all nursing institutions across the country to allocate 15 per cent seats for male students in nursing programme.

NNC officials said that the seats allocated for male students can be filled by female candidates if there is no male candidate.

Nepal Nursing Association stated that the decision to allow male students to pursue nursing course was taken identifying the need to include males in the field of nursing. “While women raise voice for gender equality in all kind of professions, it is not fair to allow only females in nursing field,” NNA president Tara Pokharel said.

“With the rise in global awareness and demands for male nurses in foreign countries, we hope that male students will join nursing course this year,” Niraula said.

Around 100 male nurses had acquired nursing license from NNC on completion of the course  at the time when male students were allowed to study nursing. Of them, only 10 to 12 male nurses are still in the profession while majority of them joined public health sector or went to foreign countries as male nurses.

There are above 81,000 licence holder nurses in the country. Each year, around 7,000 nurses are produced through various colleges and technical institutes under CTEVT.