Abstract
Nursing staff play a critical role in healthcare delivery, disease prevention, and public health promotion; however, in Kazakhstan, they continue to face structural challenges such as low wages, high workloads, limited professional autonomy, and unequal access to professional development. Despite recent reforms and the introduction of new educational programs and professional standards, a substantial gap remains between national practices and international labor standards, particularly those outlined in ILO Convention No. 149 and Recommendation No. 157. This study examined the working conditions, labor relations, and professional development of nurses in Kazakhstan in relation to international standards and proposes evidence-based policy recommendations for improvement. A multidisciplinary mixed-methods approach was used, including an online survey of 3,142 nurses, semi-structured interviews with 15 experts, and three focus group discussions, with quantitative data analyzed using IBM SPSS 25 and qualitative data interpreted thematically. The findings revealed regional and institutional disparities in wages and job satisfaction, persistent staffing shortages, and limited access to continuing professional education, while more than 85% of respondents supported the ratification of ILO Convention No. 149. Overall, the results highlight the urgent need for systemic reforms, and the study proposes a policy framework focused on legal modernization, continuous professional development, monitoring of psychosocial well-being, strengthening trade unions, and nursing leadership development to promote decent work and sustainable workforce development in the healthcare system.