PATTERN OF NURSING EDUCATION IN INDIA

INTRODUCTION
Florence Nightingale is credited with founding modern nursing and creating the first educational system for nurses.

Florence Nightingale stressed that nursing was not a domestic, charitable service but a respected occupation requiring advanced education. She opened a School of Nursing at St. Thomas Hospital, London, in 1860 and established basic principles for the school.

NURSING EDUCATION IN INDIA

Nursing Council Act came to existence in 1948 to constitute a council of nurses who would safe guard the quality of nursing education in the country. The mandate was to establish and maintain uniform standards of nursing education. Today, Indian nursing council is a statutory body that regulates nursing education in the country through prescription, inspection, examination, certification and maintaining its stands for a uniform syllabus at each level of nursing education.

 There are seven levels of nursing education in India today, Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery (ANM) or Multi Purpose Health Worker- Female (MPHW-F) General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) Basic Bachelor of Nursing (B.Sc. Nursing) Post Basic Bachelor of Nursing (P.B.B.Sc. Nursing) Masters in Nursing (M.Sc. Nursing) Masters of Philosophy in Nursing (M.Phil) Doctorate in Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D)

LEVELS OF NURSING EDUCATION IN INDIA

Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery (ANM) or Multi Purpose Health Worker- Female (MPHW-F) The ANM training was for 2 years and mainly covered maternal and child care and family welfare. the Indian Nursing Council revised the ANMs syllabus in 1977 and reduced the duration to 18 months. The focus of training is on community health nursing. The employment opportunities are that can work as multipurpose health workers. The minimum qualification for teaching is B.Sc. (N)

 To provide clinical experience in fundamentals of nursing, medical surgical nursing and maternal and child health nursing, institutions should have with general hospital with a minimum of 160 beds covering all the general conditions. OBJECTIVES 1. Perform basic health care activities in community and institutional setting, 2. Plan and carry out nutrition and health education activities in the home, clinic and community. 3. Provide immunization services, family health care and family planning services. 4. Participate in prevention and control of communicable disease, promote environmental sanitation.

INC NORMS FOR ANM

A school for training of the ANMs should be located in a community health centre (PHC annex) or a rural Hospital having minimum bed strength of 30 and maximum 50 and serving an area with community health programmes. The school should also be affiliated to a district hospital or a secondary care hospital in order to provide experiences of secondary level health care and an extensive gynae-obstetrical care.

 An organization having a hospital with 150 beds with minimum 30-50 obstetrics and gynecology beds, and 100 delivery cases monthly can also open ANM School. They should also have an affiliation of PHC/CHC for the Community Health Nursing field experience. Existing ANM schools attached to District hospitals should have PHC annex (accommodation facility for 20-30 students) for community health field experience.

GENERAL NURSING AND MIDWIFERY (GNM)

In 1918, Diploma Nursing Programme has been started in Lady School of Nursing. The International Council of Nurses believes that a basic in nursing should prepare nurses for first level positions in nursing both in the hospital and community. It gives importance for restoring and maintaining health, and in preventing disease and also helps to develop a deep pride in the nursing profession among students to enable further professional growth.

 The general nursing and midwifery course is conducted in 477 centers in the country. The syllabus has undergone many revisions according to the change in the health plans and policies of the Government and changing trends and advancements in general education, nursing health sciences and medical technology. The latest revision of syllabus by INC in 2004 has increased the duration of the course from three year to three and half year. The basic entrance has become intermediate or class 12 instead of earlier class 10. Both science and arts students are eligible. The focus of general nursing education is the care of sick in the hospital. Schools of nursing are generally attached to teaching hospitals. Three Board examinations are conducted, one at the end of each year. On passing the candidates are registered as registered nurse and mid wife by the respective state nursing councils.

ELIGIBILITY
Age for the entrance shall be 17 years to 35 years, provided they meet the minimum educational requirement i.e. 12 years of schooling. Minimum education all students should pass 12 classes or its equivalent, preferably with science subjects. Admission of students shall be once a year. Students should be medically fit. The selection committee should comprise tutors, nurse administrators, and educationalist/psychologist. The principal of the school shall be the chairperson

 Bed occupancy of the hospital should be minimum 75%. The size of the hospital/nursing home for affiliation should not be less than 50 beds. Affiliation of psychiatric hospital should be of minimum 30-50 beds. The nursing staffing norms in the affiliated hospital should be as per the INC norms. Affiliated hospitals should be in the radius of 1530 kms 1:3 student patient ratio to be maintained.