Dr. Seemin Rubab

The annual International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on 12 May to honour  Florence Nightingale on her birthday. Florence Nightingale is widely regarded to be the founder of modern nursing. This day is celebrated to remember all of the valuable contributions nurses make to society. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is celebrating this day since 1965. Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses’ Day Kit. The kit contains educational and public information materials.  The theme of current year’s celebration is – Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Chronic Care.
Nursing, is indeed one of the noblest professions in the world. It is the art of caring for sick people with the science of health care. It is a vital component of any form of medical care. The largest group of workers in the health sector is in the nursing occupation.  Nursing forms an integral part in a hospital from the general ward to the operating theater. This is one of the few domains of work that is dominated by women.  Only two male nurses got this year’s National Florence Nightingale Nursing awards. It is interesting to note that two top women physicists Madam Curie and Lise Meitner volunteered to serve as nurses during first world-war. Madam Curie organized more than 200 mobile X-ray units and with her daughter operated one herself.  Another brilliant physicist Lise Meitner served as X-ray nurse with the Austrian Army.
Nursing duties are manifold and cover a wide range of functions and responsibilities that depends with the level of qualification and the working environment. At the initial level, nurses are required for the bedside care of patients, while at senior level they are required to manage special group of people like psychiatric, pediatric, intensive care patients etc. which require specialised skills. They are also involved in dispensing medication, keeping records of the patients progress, setting up and operating medical equipment, administration and several other routine chores. This field is both mentally and physically demanding and nurses are often exposed to health risks from infectious diseases.

Education:
A large number of institutes in India offer diploma, graduate and postgraduate courses in nursing as well as midwifery. B.Sc. Nursing course provide basic knowledge about nursing, first-aid and midwifery. They are trained in all the theoretical as well as practical aspects of nursing.  Eligibility is 10+2 with Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Duration of training is 3 to 4 years. One can go for  M.Sc. Nursing after  B.Sc. Nursing. Educators can go for doctorate in nursing. The other courses include    Post Basic B.Sc. (N), General Nursing & Midwifery (GNM)and Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery. GNM could be done after plus two while ANM training can be undertaken after tenth. GNM programme is to prepare general nurses who function as members of the health team, to hold first-level positions in both the hospitals and other such places. ANM course provide training as to how to take care of health related needs of the people living in rural areas especially children, mothers and old persons. Various Specialization includes hospital Nursing, Public Health Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Military Nursing, Industrial Nursing, Occupational Health Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing , Pediatric Nursing. Few Institutes offer Post basic diploma in Cardio-Thoracic Nursing, Post basic diploma in Operation Room Nursing, Post basic diploma in Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Nursing, Post basic diploma in emergency and disaster nursing, Post basic diploma in Oncology, Post basic diploma in Critical care nursing etc.

Job Prospects:
Nursing career holds the greatest employment potential in the world. It is one of the hottest disciplines with job prospects and ever increasing, never diminishing demand. Nurses may be employed in Hospitals, Nursing homes, Clinics and Heath Departments, Orphanages and old age homes, Military Schools, Industrial houses and factories, Railways and public sector medical departments and Training Institutes as educators. New avenues have opened in Telenursing.

Popular Nursing Institutes in India
There are around 850 schools and 170 colleges of nursing in India. Admission seekers should ensure that the institute is approved by Indian Nursing Council (INC).  Admissions to the following institutes are on the basis of an All – India admission test.
All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
Jamia Hamdard College of Nursing, New Delhi
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing, New Delhi
College of Nursing, Ludhiana
College of Nursing, JIPMER, Chandigarh
Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
College of Nursing, SMS Medical College, Jaipur

Nursing Institutes of Jammu & Kashmir
Acharya Shri Chander Institute of Nursing, Jammu (offers GNM)
IGES Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jammu (offers GNM)
Bee Enn nursing Institute, Jammu (offers GNM)
School of Nursing, Rattan Rani Hospital, Srinagar (offers ANM)
College of Nursing, SKIMS,  Srinagar [offers B.Sc.(N) and PB B.Sc(N)]
Bibi Halima College of Nursing and Medical Technology, Srinagar [offers B.Sc .(N) and PB B.Sc.(N)]
School of health sciences, IGNOU also imparts nursing education. Till date M.Sc. Nursing course is not offered in the State. Moreover there are no INC registered supervisors for research in nursing in the state.

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