Introduction: Nursing courses applicants is a big number worldwide, probably because healthcare is one of the sectors in the whole wild world which will never face recession as people will fall sick and they will beyond doubt take the healthcare support to get well again. It is also because the principal need for any human being is health and it is also necessary for proper function of human body.
To seek good health or to maintain health in the face of any ailment, human beings rely on healthcare professionals this creates a need to produce more health care professionals to fulfill the need. Perhaps Doctors, Nurses, Specialists, Therapists, Counselors all work in a team to provide best psychological and physical health care to the sick person.
Why nursing is so apt profession?
Nursing is one of such noble jobs where you earn while you serve the sick. it appears that nursing is also one of the oldest professions since the time healers and doctors came into existence. A doctor requires a nurse to take care of the patient’s drugs & medicines, keep check on vital stats, and assist them in surgery and treatment. In case of emergency an er.nurse (emergency nurse) is the first point of referral for the critical patient before any doctor even reaches the patient.
In this article we will discuss about various nursing courses available in India to be pursued by students as per their choice. We will also try and give all the details like eligibility criteria, future scope and learn about available opportunities in India and as well as in abroad.
The study curriculum in nursing course is all in all a technical subject based study where a student learns about various kinds of body sickness, psychological diseases, science based approach to care for patients for a variety of diseases observed. With that been said, the nurse also administer medicine and drugs, help doctors in surgeries, and even care for patients at home if the patient is unable to attend the hospital in case of a long term terminal illness.
Perhaps there is huge gap, for they need qualified nursing professionals to join the health care industry. India has now become a major hub for state of the art treatment facilities, as many people from across the world come for their treatment. The scope for nursing professionals is not limited just to India but other developed nations also demand qualified nurses.
Challenges face in the job.
The job also brings challenge to the professional itself as they deal with lot of sickness and misery among their patients and sometimes witness sad endings. The nursing professional has to face brutal duty hours where doing abrupt shifts wear them off. The profession is now going beyond stereotypes where males are also taking interest in the job as compared to only female becoming nurses in the past.
The kind of job security nursing profession provides is beyond compare to any other job, there will be no shortage for jobs for a nurse as long as there are human beings in the world.
What is INC (Indian Nursing Council)?
The INC (Indian Nursing Council) is the authoritative body that regulates the nursing colleges in India. Affiliation and recognition of a Nursing school from the INC is a mandate so please check with the college before you take admission in it.
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Complete details about the Nursing Courses offered for aspirants.
One can find plethora of nursing institute and colleges from private to government based setups, these colleges provide all sorts of programs for students as per their requirement. In fact there are formats such as certificate programs, Diploma programs and Degree programs available through these formats. Otherwise, the course could be divided simply into UG (Undergraduate program) and PG (Post Graduate) courses. As far as job profile is concerned post graduate courses has higher value and gets good pay packages.
Below we will discuss the eligibility criteria for various programs available in India
- B.Sc. Nursing (Basic): Students with 10+2 science stream with (Biology, Physics, Chemistry & English) as main subjects are eligible for this course. Colleges also ask for aggregate pass percentage which is somewhere around 55% and above. The age of the student should at least be 17 years.
- GNM (General Nursing & Midwifery): The eligibility criteria for GNM course is 12th Pass certificate from a recognized board from science or arts stream. Generally 50% aggregate marks are required at 12th standard; it also may vary from institute to institute. Minimum age requirement is 17 years. Qualified ANM are equally eligible for the GNM course.
- ANM (Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery): The first requirement is to have 12th pass certificate from arts or science stream from a recognized board. Some institutes might ask for minimum aggregate marks. Age eligibility is around minimum 17 years.
- B.Sc. Nursing (Post Basic): The post basic course has two requirements first is 12th pass certificate (science or arts) from a recognized board and second is to have a GNM program completion certificate. The candidate seeking admission in B.Sc. Nursing (Post Basic) should also be registered with State Nurse Registration council.
- M.Sc. Nursing: The eligibility requirement is completion of any one program from B.Sc. Nursing/B.Sc. Nursing (post basic)/ Post certificate B.Sc. from a reputed college with 55% aggregate marks. In addition, 1 year work experience along with registration from State Nurse Registration Council.
- M.Phil Nursing: The major eligibility is to have a pass certificate for M.Sc. in Nursing (any specialty) from INC recognized college with a minimum of 60% pass aggregate marks.
- PG/Post Basic Diploma Nursing: Students who have completed B.Sc. Nursing/Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing/GNM from any institute which is affiliated by the Indian Nursing Council with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks
How much time duration does each Nursing Course take?
- B. Sc. in Nursing (Basic): Duration of the course is 4 years (Bachelor’s Degree course)
- B. Sc. in Nursing (Post Basic)– Duration of the course is 2 years (Bachelor’s Degree course)
- GNM (Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery): Duration of the course is 3.5 years.
- ANM (Diploma in Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery): Duration of the course is 2 years.
- Sc. in Nursing– Duration of the course if 2 years (Post Graduate Degree program)
- in Nursing– Duration is for 1 year (advanced program)
- PhD in Nursing– Duration is from 3 to 6 years (depending upon university)
What are other complementary programs with Nursing Courses available in India?
Nevertheless with Undergraduate and Post Graduate programs one could compliment their academic studies with other PG diploma and certificate courses usually done to develop specialty in diverse areas which are as follows.
- Neuro-Science Nursing
- Critical Care Nursing
- Emergency Nursing
- Palliative care nursing
- Cardio-Thoracic Nursing
- Neonatal Nursing
- Operation Room Nursing
- Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Nursing
- Nursing Administration
- Emergency nursing
- Cancer care nursing
What are the future prospects after completion of Nursing Courses?
Consequently completing any one of the nursing courses will certainly assure you job in the government and private hospitals. All these courses are definitely job oriented but you have to also get yourself registered with state nurse registration council.
For those of you who have completed a higher degree B.Sc nursing and above have chances working in abroad countries like Canada, USA, and Gulf Countries they most demand for qualified nursing professionals. To work abroad you have to pass their nursing exam as well, after which they will provide you with a license to practice as a nurse.
The above mentioned countries provide better perks and facilities to their nursing staff and also the profession is better respected there.
Who are the Nursing Courses potential employers?
In India major job providers are government health centers, National Rural Health Mission, Primary health centers, Community health centers, Private hospitals, Nursing homes, Palliative care units, Diagnostic laboratories, Rehabilitation clinics and Therapy centers.
Salary and pay packages depend upon your employer. A government job is considered more secure over a private job. Likewise, the more experienced you become chances of better salary increases. The ceiling of higher pay package is very low, therefore so at some point of time earning of a nurse becomes static.
Checkout our article on best paramedical courses available in India.
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