Nursing is a vocation within the healthcare sector. It is the backbone of a healthcare facility as it understands what the patient wants in order to feel safe and comfortable. It provides autonomous care to the sick, disabled, and dying individuals.
Nursing is a profession in the healthcare sector focused on providing care to individuals of a community. It is aimed at restoring optimal health and quality of life for patients.
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Definition of Nursing
According to the ANA, Nursing is defined as the protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of injury and illness, alleviating suffering through diagnosis and treatment of the health condition, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities and the population.
Nursing encompasses promoting health, preventing illness and providing holistic care comprising the physical, emotional, psychological, and social needs of patients. It is one of the strongest pillars the medical sector stands on.
Learners called NURSES on course completion, provide medical and nursing care to patients and also handle patient records.
Nurses serve as a link between doctors and patients.
Types of Nurses in a Hospital
- Registered nurses
- Operating room nurses
- Cardiothoracic nurses
- Radiology nurses
- Critical care nurses
- Oncology nurses
- Rehabilitation nurses
- Geriatric nurses
- Neonatal nurses
Download Nursing Course List in PDF
Courses in Nursing
- Certificate Course in Nursing Care Assistant – usually a 6-month certification course available at an undergraduate level.
- Diploma Course in Nursing – usually 1 or 2 years in duration, available at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
- General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) – trains learners in taking care of people who have been sick or injured.
- Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery (ANM) – trains learners in taking care of people especially the new mothers.
- Degree Courses in Nursing – usually 2 to 4 years in duration, available at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing or B.Sc Nursing – provides deep theoretical and practical knowledge of this profession.
- Master of Science in Nursing or M.Sc Nursing – a BSc degree or equivalent is required.
Eligibility For Nursing Courses
- 40% to 50% aggregate in class 12 from a recognized board/university
- Candidates must be a minimum of 17 years of age at the time of application.
- For GNM, English is a compulsory subject in class 12.
- M.Sc Nursing requires a Bachelor’s degree and 1-year relevant experience.
- NEET exam is required for admission to various colleges.
Nursing Courses Duration
- Diploma in Nursing is of 1-year duration with 6 months of internship.
- GNM is 3.5 years in duration with a 6-month internship.
- ANM is 2 years in duration and has a 6-month internship.
- B.Sc Nursing is of 4 years duration.
| Course Name | Course Level | Duration | Eligibility |
| Certificate Course | Certificate | 6 months | Class 10 |
| GNM | Diploma | 3.5 years | Class 12 with an aggregate of 40%, with English and preferably Science |
| ANM | Diploma | 2 years | Class 12 pass with English as one of the subjects |
| B.Sc Nursing | Bachelor’s Degree (Graduate) | 4 years | Class 12 with Science and an aggregate of 55% marks |
| M.Sc Nursing | Master’s Degree (Postgraduate) | 2 years | Bachelor’s degree with 55 % aggregate marks |
In addition to these courses, after the completion of B.Sc Nursing, one can also opt for a Post Basic Diploma of 1-year duration.
This can help in career progression by training you in role-specific responsibilities.
The different types of roles a nurse plays in a healthcare facility are given below.
Fee Structure For Nursing Courses
- Certificate course – INR 10,000 to INR 1,00,000
- ANM – INR 10,000 to INR 60,000
- GNM – INR 20,000 to INR 1,50,000
- Diploma – INR 20,000 to INR 90,000
Curriculum For Nursing Courses
The curriculum involves a basic knowledge of the following subjects:
- Anatomy
- Pathology
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Microbiology
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Nutrition
- Child health nursing
- Basics of computer science
Top Nursing Colleges
Here are the top colleges of India which offer courses in Nursing.
| Name of College | Name of City |
| AIIMS | New Delhi |
| CMC | Vellore |
| PGIMER | Chandigarh |
Salary After Nursing
The salary will depend on more than one factor. Qualification and experience are a couple of factors that influence the salary of a nurse.
It is on average around INR 12,500 to INR 25,000 per month for the ones who have cleared diploma courses like ANM and GNM.
Whereas the bachelor’s or master’s degree holders can earn from INR 25,000 to INR 65,000 per month.
Skills required to be Sucessful In Nursing
The nursing career is for all those who have the zeal to work hard with lots of patience and have the interest to serve mankind. In addition, a nurse should don some or all of the skills discussed below.
- Stamina and mental strength – to work for unprecedented or long hours in not so pleasant conditions; should be prepared to perform physically tiring jobs too.
- Autonomy – authority and ability to assess and perform nursing actions.
- Observational and communication skills – must assess the health status minutely and should be able to communicate effectively.
- Compassion – should be empathetic when taking care of patients.
- Organizational skills – should ensure that each patient is given the appropriate care at the appropriate time
- Integrity – to act with integrity and dignity and be accountable and responsible for what they consider is the right thing to do.
- Management skills – to effectively and efficiently manage resources to attain the goal of improved health of the masses.
Job Description for Nursing
- Ensuring the instruments are sterilized
- Prepping up the dressing tray for first aid for wounds
- Performing the initial assessment of a patient’s condition
- Cleaning up wounds and dressing them
- Assisting the doctors, like preparing injections or preparing and administering enemas
- Administering medications to admitted patients
- Recording progress and vital signs like temperature, pulse rate and blood pressure
Where can you work after completing your Nursing Course?
There are numerous work avenues where the services of a Nurse are indispensable.
- Hospitals – government and private
- Nursing homes
- Clinics and dispensaries
- Schools/offices/factories
- Maternity homes
- Old age homes
- Caregiving NGOs
- Orphanages
- Centres caring for patients with disabilities
- Home care
- Research centres
- Laboratories
Read Also: Best Paramedical Courses | Admission, Career, Salary After 12th
Job Profiles in Nursing
The job profiles you can apply for being a Nurse are:
- Nurse/Staff nurse
- Nurse educator/ Teacher of nursing
- Nurse supervisor
- Home care nurse
- Professor
- Counsellor
Scope of Nursing
Nurses play an essential role in society by working as the frontiers in health promotion. They keep educating the public and patients on the prevention of injury and illness.
Nurses work tirelessly to provide consistent care to the patients for their safety and wellbeing.
At the same time, they participate in the rehabilitation of patients too. Nurses combine the work of art and science into one.
The nursing profession is expanding to now include them as researchers and even health educators.
The pandemic has brought to fore the paramount role of nurses in the healthcare sector.
Skilled and registered nurses earn handsome salaries and more significantly, affect the lives of people comprehensively.
Hence, nursing is a dignified profession playing a pivotal role in the healthcare sector.
FAQs For Nursing Courses
A nurse is a caregiver for patients and works to prevent illness and treat health conditions.
No, you cannot pursue nursing after class 10. You need to clear class 12 with science to qualify to join the nursing course.
The minimum age of admission is 17 years on or before 31 December of the year in which admission is sought.
Applicants need to qualify for their 12th class with a minimum aggregate of 40-50% marks from a recognized board/university.
A 4-year undergraduate course that provides deep theoretical and practical knowledge of this profession. NEET exam is required to be cleared for admission to this course.
A registered nurse can earn an average salary of INR 3,00,000 PA.
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