Chandigarh health department decides to change nomenclature for nurses

Staff nurses and nursing sisters will now be called nursing officers and senior nursing officers.

The UT health department has decided to change the nomenclature for staff nurses and nursing sisters to nursing officers and senior nursing officers.

President of the nurses association said their hard work had finally paid off. (HT FILE)

The new protocol will be applicable to the employees working under the UT health department at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, and allied hospitals. Meanwhile, the administration is also considering implementing the same for nurses working under the department of medical education and research at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.

UT health secretary Arun Gupta said that the decision had no financial implications. “The decision is in favour of employees (nurses) under the health department and we will examine the medical education department of GMCH-32 separately as per Punjab government provisions and our recruitment rules.”

Shobhna Pathania, nursing sister at GMSH-16, said they were happy with the decision and that the administration had given them the reward for dedication shown during the pandemic. “I am happy and want to extend gratitude to the seniors in the health department for their sincere efforts,” she said.

Parminderjit Kaur Thind, president of the nurses association, said, “I am extremely grateful to the officials including Dr Dewan for recognising our efforts and giving us the respect we deserve. I feel our hard work has finally paid off.”