Is Nursing as a Profession right career for me?
Nursing as a Profession -Nursing job is very purposeful for the service of humanity. If you are passionate, have a strong will and a passion to serve the sick and have the ability to work long hours in stressful situations, then this is the right career for you. The ability to assimilate new technologies and handle different situations are the two main demands of this business.
How much will Nursing cost?
The cost of nursing education depends on the institution. Government and government aided colleges provide education at a lower rate than private institutions. Private institutes charge an annual fee of 40,000 to 1,80,000 for B.Sc Nursing course. The fees for GNM course are – between 45,000 to 1,40,000.
Scholarship
Many institutes provide scholarships to the deserving students on the basis of merit. The scholarship and its duration vary from institution to institution.
Employment Opportunities in Nursing
Nurses are never unemployed. They easily get jobs in government or private hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, old age homes, health homes, various other industries and defense services. There are many opportunities for them in Indian Red Cross Society, Indian Nursing Council, State Nursing Councils and other nursing institutes. Even after the ANM course, they get a job as a primary health worker in the first aid centers spread all over the country.
Nurses can do administrative work in addition to teaching work in medical colleges and nursing schools. Entrepreneurs can start their own nursing bureau and work on their own terms.
Apart from the immense opportunities available in the country itself, nurses can also go abroad in search of better opportunities for which they have to obtain the International Nursing Certificate and fulfill certain conditions of stay in the country concerned.
Monthly salaries in Nursing
Initially, you can get a monthly salary of 7 to 17 thousand rupees in this field. Nurses get 18 to 37 thousand rupees on mid-level posts. More experienced nurses can also get Rs 48 to 72 thousand as monthly salary. Nurses employed in the US, Canada, England and Middle-East countries get paid even more.
Demand and Supply in Nursing Sector
Due to the increasing demand for better health services with the rapidly growing population, there has been a never ending demand for nurses in the country. However, the supply is very less compared to this increasing demand.
According to a recent study, the number of registered nurses in the Nursing Council across the country is 10.3 lakh but in reality only 4 lakh nurses are employed. Most of these nurses are either retired or married. Some of these nurses have gone abroad. Therefore, there is a huge gap between demand and supply in this sector.
Market Watch and International Exposure in Nursing
Due to the increasing awareness about health, the employment opportunities in this field are more than ever. Today more hospitals and nursing homes are being established. The government is also trying to promote the nursing sector on its behalf. The government has recently planned to set up 130 ANM schools and the same number of GNM schools. Apart from this, there is also a plan to strengthen the Nursing Council and Nursing Cell of the states. These plans also include setting up new nursing colleges across the country.
The government has even allowed hospitals to run MSc courses without conducting graduate courses. The minimum qualifications for admission to nursing colleges have also been relaxed so that now married women can also get admission in it.
There is a great demand for highly educated nurses in abroad. India has become the largest supplier of nurses to many countries. Experienced Indian nurses have started moving abroad in the desire of good money and better living. This is also a major reason for the decrease in the number of nurses in the country.
Nursing as a Profession-Positive/Negative Aspects
Postive
- It is a safe profession.
- There is no dearth of opportunities in this field whether in the country or abroad.
- You can be satisfied to see the patients recovering.
Negative - Generally nurses work in shifts and night duty is a very simple thing.
- Stressful situations have a bad effect on the mind and health.
- The works done by these goddesses of mercy are often lost in the darkness of oblivion.
- After married and family life, this task becomes very difficult.
Introduction of Nursing
There is no need to say anything about Nursing. We all know how noble and holy this work is. Although it has been going on for ages, it got its fame as a nursing profession from the works of the great English nurse Florence Nightingale. This goddess of mercy is considered the father of modern nursing profession.
Nursing is the care of all types of physical and mental patients. The nurse has to take care of the patients continuously and give the medicines given by the doctor as per the prescribed time. They also help medical doctors and specialists to organize equipment in the operation theater and laboratory, etc. The nurses also help those patients who cannot lead a normal life due to some reason and they help the patients to return to their normal life again in case of any prolonged illness.
Nurse is not only about taking care of sick people. Other available opportunities for nurses are: teaching, administrative research jobs. The most interesting fact of this field is that it is mostly women, although now men have also started showing interest in this profession.
Step by Step Process to became Nurse
People aspiring to become a nurse can start from different levels. You can start with Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) course. The duration of this diploma course is one and a half year and the minimum qualification is- 10th pass. Apart from this, you can also do General Nurse Midwifery (GNM) course, which is of three and a half years and the minimum qualification for this is – 12th pass in physical, chemical and biology with 40 percent marks.
Apart from ANM and GNM, one can also graduate in nursing from various nursing schools and colleges spread across the country. The minimum qualification for this is – 12th pass in English, Physical, Chemical and Biology with 45% marks and at least 17 years of age.
Women in the age group of 17 to 24 years are selected for the B.Sc (Nursing) course conducted by the Indian Defense Services. Here also the minimum qualification is 12th with 45% marks in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English subjects. The candidate also has to pass a written test. He should also be physically fit. The selected people have to do a five-year contract for the defense services.
To get a job in any medical institute, only GNM or B.Sc is enough. There are different organizations registering nurses in each state. After getting education, you can register yourself in the Nursing Council of your state. Registration helps you in getting the job.
In addition to the basic course in Nursing, you can also specialize in the following areas by taking a Post-Basic Specialty (One-Year Diploma) course:
- cardiac thoracic nursing
- critical-care nursing
- Emergency and disaster nursing
- New Born Baby Care (Neo-Natal Nursing)
- Neuro Nursing
- Nursing Education & Administration
- Oncology Nursing
- operation room nursing
- Disabled Medical Nursing
- midwifery practitioner
- Psychiatric Nursing
Students who want to pursue higher education can also do MSc, MPhil and PhD
Nursing as a Profession – Role and Designation
The first job of a nurse is to provide medical services to the needy people and take care of them. Nevertheless his works can be divided into the following parts:
General Nurse: Nurses of this category work in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical institutions. Their job is to take care of patients, assist the doctor and perform administrative tasks.
Mid-wife: These nurses take care of pregnant women and assist doctors during childbirth.
Health Worker : Their job is to provide health services in rural areas.
Apart from these, they can also be classified on the basis of specialization such as Orthopedic Nursing, Oncology Nursing, Cardio Thoracic Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing and Critical-Care Nursing etc.
Tips for getting Employment in Nursing Profession
- Must do degree or diploma from a reputed institute.
- Gaining expertise in any field will prove beneficial for you.
- The most important condition for getting employment is to register yourself in the Nursing Council of any state.
- Since nurses always have to interact with patients and other medical staff, their communication skills should be of a high standard.
