How To Be A Certified And Professional Nurse In India?

Nursing is one of the noblest professions. At the same time, it promises a rewarding career with growth opportunities and  a fairly decent salary. Nurses who have the required qualification and skill-sets get employment abroad as well.

Registered nurses can work in a variety of fields – large hospitals, nursing homes, rural health centres, prisons and other related facilities. They work under the supervision of a nurse practitioner or a physician, but they directly provide care to the patients. Nurses monitor the patient’s medical situation, functioning of the vitals, administer medicines, assist the patient in his/her needs and act as a link between the doctor & the patient.

A Step-by-step Guide to Becoming a Certified and Professional Nurse in India

The first step towards fulfilling your dreams of becoming a registered nurse in India is to enrol for a specialized program in nursing from a reputed college bsc nursing college. Many colleges in India offer such programs. Some prominent ones are - AIIMS, People’s University Bhopal, Armed Forces Medical College Pune, Madras Medical College, etc.

These institutions offer four years’ Bachelor of Science in nursing or B. Sc. in Nursing. To join a B. Sc. Nursing college, you need to clear your 10+2 examination with 45% to 50% marks (the minimum marks’ requirement will vary from college to college) with subjects Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

You can also decide to join a two years’ Post-Basic B. Sc. (Nursing) to develop your faculties in specific areas like neonatal nursing, paediatric nursing, cardio-thoracic nursing, emergency & disaster nursing, etc.

Once you join the B. Sc. in Nursing program, the next four years will be very rigorous for you. The course is a wholesome mixture of classroom teaching & practical training sessions – both during and after the completion of the theory classes. Apart from basic nursing, you will also receive lessons in midwifery and first-aid techniques. Nursing requires a lot of real-time medicine administration as well, so these also form a very critical part of your curriculum. 

Do You Need to Register Yourself as a Nurse?

All the approved nursing programs in India follow the rules set down by the Indian Nursing Council and the respective State Nursing Councils. Once you complete your B. Sc. in nursing program, you must register yourself with your respective State Nursing Registration Council. 

You must remember that unless you register yourself, you will not get the proper certification. And without this certification, you won’t be able to find employment as a professional nurse in any hospital or healthcare facility.

Career Options for a Registered Nurse

India, at present, is facing a shortage of trained nurses. So, you will get lots of opportunities with government hospitals, private hospitals and clinics, nursing homes, health centres, rehabilitation centres, etc. If you want to make a career abroad, then you can also find job opportunities-in the Gulf countries, Australia, New Zealand, etc-where Indian nurses are in high demand.