ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the reader with a detailed history of nurse education in Nepal and the healthcare labour market economy, from the establishment of the profession, in the mid-1950s, till today. Given women’s changing position in society and a phenomenal change in social perceptions of nursing, the demand for nurse education places is growing, with a concomitant rapid expansion in the country’s education capacity since the 1990s. The private sector has been a key player in the provision of nurse education, and the state has not been able to effectively control and regulate its exponential growth. A major question has arisen as to the quality of nurse education in the private sector, particularly in a resource-constrained environment. The reality is that, due to global labour demands, more nurses are educated every year and more nurses are leaving Nepal for foreign posts.
