About Nursing Courses

Nursing is considered one of the most responsible jobs within the health sector as it deals with the practice of providing care for the sick and infirm.

In simple terms, nursing is a discipline focusing on preventing illness, caring for and bringing back to health the disabled and sick & maintaining and promoting good health in society.

Nurses are also knowledgeable about the uses of drugs & medicine, surgical procedures and may even assist Doctors directly in the above-mentioned tasks.

It Is more of a female-oriented job as very less males opt for it.

This article is aimed at listing down the nursing courses after class 12th.

INC (Indian Nursing Council) is the authority/statutory body that regulates and takes care of nursing education in India. Whichever nursing school you choose, make sure that it has been recognized by the INC.

Let's take a look at the courses

Nursing courses are available in Degree, Diploma, and Certification formats in India. UG (Undergraduate) and PG (Post Graduate) courses are the two main types available. By opting for the PG courses, one may specialize in disciplines within the medical profession.

Well, known nursing courses available in India are:

• B.Sc. in Nursing (Basic)– 4 years long Bachelor’s Degree course
• B.Sc. in Nursing (Post Basic)– 2 years long Bachelor’s Degree course (3 years long in distance education mode)
• GNM (Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery)– 3.5 years long program
• ANM (Diploma in Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery)– 2 years long program
• M.Sc. in Nursing– 2 years long PG Degree program
• M.Phil. in Nursing– 1-year long advanced program (2 years in part-time format)
• Ph.D. in Nursing– 3 to 5 years long advanced program

Other than the above-mentioned standard UG (Degree and Diploma) and PG programs, there exist numerous other PG Diploma and certificate courses too. Such PG Diploma and Certificate courses help one take on different specialized fields. Some well-known areas of specialization are-

• Neonatal Nursing
• Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Nursing
• Operation Room Nursing
• Critical Care Nursing
• Emergency Nursing
• Neuroscience Nursing
• Nursing Administration
• Cardio-Thoracic Nursing

When it comes to such Post Graduate Diploma/Post Basic Diploma nursing courses, the duration is 1 year.

B.Sc. Nursing (Basic)

10+2 Science stream passed with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English from a recognized board. Minimum aggregate marks required may vary from one institute to another (generally around 50% marks). The candidate must be at least 17 years of age.
View More: B.Sc. Nursing

GNM Course

10+2 passed in Science or Arts from a recognized board. Minimum aggregate marks required may vary from one institute to another (generally around 50% marks). The candidate must be at least 17 years of age. ANM qualification holders are also eligible to pursue this course. Note: In the case of many institutes, the eligibility criteria is much more relaxed. There exist many colleges that allow 10+2 passed students from any stream (Science/Commerce/Arts) to pursue this course.
View More: Diploma in GNM

ANM Course

10+2 passed in Science or Arts from a recognized board. Minimum aggregate marks required may vary from one institute to another (generally around 50% marks). The candidate must be at least 17 years of age.
View More: ANM vs GNM vs BSc Nursing 

B.Sc. Nursing (Post Basic)

must be 10+ 2 passed from Science or Arts and must also have completed the GNM program. The candidate must be a registered nurse with the State Nurses Registration Council.

M.Sc. Nursing

must have completed B.Sc. Nursing/Post Certificate B.Sc./Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing from an institute recognized by the INC with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks. The candidate should have 1-year of working experience after completing the B.Sc. program and should also be a registered nurse with the State Nurse Registration Council.
View More: M.Sc Nursing

M.Phil. Nursing

must have passed M.Sc. in Nursing (with any specialization) from an institute recognized by the INC with a minimum of 60% aggregate marks.

PG/Post Basic Diploma Nursing

must have completed B.Sc. Nursing/Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing/GNM from an institute recognized by the INC with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks.

Career Prospects and Job opportunities

Skilled and qualified nurses are in huge demand across the World! Specializing in lucrative disciplines will further boost one’s chance of landing a high-paying job.

After completing any of the above-mentioned nursing courses, one may register with State Nurse Registration Council and become a ‘Registered Nurse’ or ‘Registered Midwife’. After that, one may work as a nurse at Government hospitals, private hospitals, primary health centers, community health centers, rehabilitation clinics, and private clinics.

The scope associated with working abroad is excellent when it comes to nursing! The USA, UK, Gulf Countries, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand are good destinations for Indian nurses. The salary package and facilities available abroad is much better than in the case of India.

Common Job Profiles available in front of Registered Nurses are

• Chief Nursing Officer
• Assistant Nursing Officer
• Critical Care Nurse
• Paediatric Surgery Nurse
• Nurse Manager/Supervisor
• Rehabilitation Specialist
• Instructor/Teacher

Well, known recruiters include-

• Government Hospitals
• Private Hospitals
• Primary Health Centres
• Community Health Centres
• NGOs
• Rehabilitation Clinics
• Training Colleges/Institutes

Hope this article helps you choose the best for yourself!