3 Rajasthan nurses with PhDs cannot use ‘Dr’ before their names

Jaipur: Three nurses who have recently completed their PhD have been denied permission to use ‘Dr’ title with their names by the Rajasthan medical and health department.

The nurses posted in the health department had sent a proposal to it to allow them to use ‘Dr’ with their names after completing their PhD.

Suresh Nawal, director (non-gazetted) medical and health department, issued a letter on February 9 stating that three nurses have sent proposal to the directorate seeking permission to use ‘Dr’ title ahead of their names but the permission to use the title has not been granted by the administrative department.  

“The department has denied permission to nurses, who have done PhD, to use ‘Dr’ title. We will go to higher authorities in the government. Those with PhD want to use the ‘Dr’ title in their name. For this, changes in documents are required and to follow that procedure, permission of the government is necessary which has been denied,” Shekhawat said.     

“Allowing those with PhD to use ‘Dr’ title will only encourage the nurses to go for research and higher studies, which will benefit the patients,” he added.     

While the reason or ground to not allow the nurses to use the title is not mentioned in the letter, an official of the health department said that granting permission for this will create confusion among the people, who will not be able to differentiate a medical doctor or PhD holder nurse.  

As per a media report in TOI, Jogendra Sharma, principal of govt college of nursing in Jaipur, said,” Nurses are using ‘Dr’ as a title after completing PhD in nursing, but in govt sector, it is not easy. It is like changing the entire name for which a process is followed, and it is changed only through gazette norms.