BEIJING - China will bring its nurse population to 2.86 million by 2015, meaning there will be 2.07 nurses for every 1,000 people, according to a blueprint on nursing issued Friday by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

By the end of 2010, China has registered 2.05 million nurses and there were 1.52 nurses for every 1,000 Chinese.

Even by 2015, the ratio of registered nurses for 1,000 people in China is five times fewer than countries in the European Union and the United States by current standards.

By 2015, the ratio of licensed doctors to nurses will climb from 1:1 to 1:1.2, according to the blueprint.

China also plans to provide more training for head nurses in large hospitals and make nursing services accessible to households and communities, according to the blueprint.

The five-year nursing development plan said the government will further standardize its nurse management system and deepen health care reform in public hospitals over the next few years.

The total number of registered nurses reached 2.05 million in 2010, marking a 52 percent jump from 2005, according to the blueprint.