The Indian Nursing Council has announced that the Nurse Registration and Tracking System (NRTS) has been highlighted in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) State of the World’s Nursing (SOWN) 2025 Report. The SOWN 2025 report offers an analysis of the global nursing workforce, featuring new indicators on crucial areas like education capacity, advanced nursing practice, and remuneration. The report emphasizes that a Unique Nurse Identifier (UNI) system can assist in health workforce planning and management by tracking nurse licensure, specialization, and deployment.
Based on its approach of using valid data and unique identifiers, the WHO has identified India’s NRTS as a live register for nurses. The NRTS is specifically mentioned in Chapter 7, “Services Delivery,” on page 69, in box 7.2, under the section on Unique Nursing Identity Systems.
The report notes that a UNI system allows for real-time monitoring of available staff, enabling authorities to quickly reassign resources during public health emergencies. As of today, 13 lakh nurses are registered under the NRTS.
In light of this international recognition, all nurses and State Nursing and Midwifery Councils (SNRCs) are advised to proactively adopt the NRTS to help create and maintain a live nursing workforce in India. Further details about the NRTS are available on the INC website.