BACKBONE WITHOUT A SPOTLIGHT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON PAKISTAN’S MOST OVERLOOKED HEALTHCARE HEROES
Main Article Content
Keywords
Emergency nursing, Pakistan, qualitative study, professional recognition, nurse retention, healthcare workforce, mentorship, burnout
Abstract
Background
Emergency department (ED) nurses in Pakistan play a critical role in acute care delivery but often remain underrecognized. Despite being the frontline workforce in life-threatening situations, they encounter systemic barriers, including limited professional development and workplace appreciation.
Methods
This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach using semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Thirty registered nurses (18 female, 12 male) from urban EDs in Pakistan, each with a minimum of three years of post-graduation experience, were selected via purposive sampling.
Results
All participants demonstrated a strong understanding of their clinical roles, but only 66.7% reported feeling appreciated in their work environment. Major challenges included long working hours (33.3%), low salaries (40.0%), and lack of mentorship (26.7%). Nurses recommended structured mentorship programs, improved compensation, and formal recognition systems. Comparative insights showed that nurses in Pakistan face more significant institutional and systemic challenges than their counterparts in high-income countries.
Conclusions
While ED nurses in Pakistan exhibit strong professional identity and commitment, they remain under-supported in terms of mentorship, remuneration, and institutional recognition. Addressing these deficits through policy, infrastructure, and educational reforms is vital to retain a resilient emergency nursing workforce and improve care outcomes.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Dr. Taarif Hussain- MD
Family & Emergency Medicine Department, Chair Emergency Services, IMC Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Dr. Shahnila Ali-MPH
M.B.B.S, MPH, Public Health Professional, Primary & Urgent Health Care, Lahore, Pakistan
Dr. Hasan Javed
Clinical Instructor, Emergency Medicine Department, IMC Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan