A statistical analysis of Indian National Florence Nightingale Nurses Awards, 1973-2023

Abstract

This study is an attempt to analyses 614 National Florence Nightingale Nurses Awards for the period of 1973-2023. It analyses year-and gender-wise number of awardees or awards including posthumous and off-service awards. This study has also been able to find number of recipients or awards according to state, category and affiliation. The result shows that the number of awards has gradually increased from the beginning and mostly given from 2008 to 2021. It has declined in the years 2022 and 2023 to less than half of the previous years. It has peaked during the quinquennium 2018-2022. The largest number of awards has conferred to 554 female nursing professionals, whereas 41 to male; 4 to death and 15 to retired personnel. A state-wise rank list highlights Delhi as the highest award (i.e., 54 awards) winner state in India and nursing personnel of Delhi still retain excellency in patient care services. In case of award distribution according to category, out of 439 awards, nurse and sister group (including ANM, GNM, other nurses, sisters, etc.) has received the highest awards (i.e., 342), followed by nursing administrators (70 awards), and nursing educators & researchers (27 awards). As per affiliation, during last 12 years, nursing professionals of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital & PGIMER, New Delhi have won the largest number of awards i.e., 8; the second is Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Jammu & Kashmir having 7 awards, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Karnataka, is ranked third position receiving 6 awards.