Changing role of nursing care under emerging zoonotic diseases

An article from an Indian nursing journal considering the need for changes to nursing education to cover the prevalence of zoonotic infections in communities. With public health and preventative measures (screening, immunisation programmes etc) forming part of our nursing curriculum, an understanding of how changes to biodiversity (deforestation, disruption to ecosystems) can expose our populations to zoonotic infections could benefit nursing students worldwide.

This article attempts to discuss the role of nurses under emerging zoonotic disease infections. It begins by looking at the launch of the new Government of India's initiative Ayushman Bharat that visualises conversion of all subcentres into health and wellness centres, it argues that the role of nursing professionals in primary health care will be undergoing a large paradigm shift. Nurses are approximately two-third of the population of health workforce in India. Nurses' scope of work has widened with additional roles and responsibilities due to shift in the pattern of diseases. The emergence of zoonotic infectious diseases (diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans) has further enlarged their responsibilities. The article highlights the main areas, which need attention are the development of the nursing workforce, selection and recruitment, placement as per specialization, and preservice and in-service training related to zoonotic surveillance.