B.Sc. NURSING
The nursing profession is recognized as one of the noblest professions, which requires specific skills and dedication in regularly dealing with different types of patients. Patience is an essential skill or quality that every nurse should possess. Beyond this, a nurse must be completely dedicated to working with the doctors, patients, and other hospital administration. Besides, having excellent communication skills and extreme compassionate behavior is key to being a successful nurse. One of the important abilities of a nurse is to communicate both in medical jargon and layman’s terms as per the need of the situation. This aspect becomes essential when dealing with people of different ages and ethnicities. Managing records of patients and maintaining confidentiality is also the prime responsibility of a nurse. Therefore, the nurse is also required to possess strong organizational and management skills.
HOW TO PURSUE BACHELORS IN NURSING?
A Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, popularly known as B.Sc. (Hons) Nursing, is a four-year professional course. Several entrance exams are conducted across different colleges/institutions/universities such as NEET, INI CET, etc. Clearing one of which may grant admission into the course. The number of seats for pursuing B.Sc. Nursing varies from institution to institution. Recently, new guidelines have been introduced in the procedure for admissions into B.Sc. Nursing and in this regard, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued a Public Notice1 on 6 August 2021 regarding criteria of admissions into B.Sc. Nursing Course as conveyed by the Indian Nursing Council (INC) vide its Letter No. 22-10/NEET/2018-2019-INC/13550 dated 17 March 2021 which are as follows.
Eligibility criteria
a) The minimum age for admission shall be 17 years as of 31 December of the year in which admission is sought.
b) Minimum Education:
i. A candidate should have passed in the subjects of PCB (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) and English individually and must have obtained a minimum of 45% marks taken together in PCB at the qualifying examination (class 12);
ii. Candidates are also eligible from State Open School recognized by the State Government and National Institute of Open School (NIOS) by the Central Government having science subjects and English only.
iii. For a candidate belonging to SC/ST or Other Backward Classes (OBC), the marks obtained in PCB taken together in the qualifying examination will be 40% instead of 45% as stated above. English is a compulsory subject in class 12 for being eligible for admission to B.Sc. (Nursing).
c) Reservation Policy: For Divyangjan candidates: 3% Disability reservation to be considered with a disability of locomotor to the tune of 40% to 50% of the lower extremity and other eligibility criteria regarding age and qualification be the same prescribed for each Nursing program.
Moreover, the B.Sc. (Post Basics) Nursing course can also be pursued by the General Nursing & Midwifery (GNM) diploma holders, which offers them advancement in their nursing career.
SCOPE & OPPORTUNITIES
B.Sc. Nursing in India has a vast scope considering the drastic development in medical science, which requires quality care of patients and evidence-based practices. The health sector remains a constant need for the population, and the effectiveness of treatment also depends on quality nursing care. The Indian B.Sc. Nursing degree has a global recognition that is widely accepted worldwide as it teaches about nursing science and adds an essence of compassionate and behavioral methods.
RECOGNITION
After completing B.Sc, nursing course, the nurses must register themselves with the State Nursing Council as ‘Registered Nurse’ and ‘Registered Midwifery’ to further practice the occupation.
EXPOSURE & EXPERIENCE
As the course of B.Sc, nursing teaches the art of nursing the sick and the wounded. Its curriculum includes subjects like
- physiology,
- anatomy,
- biochemistry,
- nutrition,
- psychology, etc.
All related to the human body. Therefore, this profession offers optimal exposure to learn thoroughly about the human body. B.Sc Nursing is health-centric and provides vast opportunities to learn about the people and society, focusing on attaining, maintaining, and regaining optimal health. Its diverse field of work also gives ample experience in handling critical situations and making correct decisions.
The four-year undergraduate course in Nursing has been planned to completely train and qualify the students to deal with various aspects with paramount professionalism and care. Some of the aims of B.Sc in Nursing:
- B. Sc in Nursing will train and produce nurses with the skill to analytically think and be clear while also being compassionate, disciplined, and confident in reacting to the dynamic needs of the industry, the healthcare delivery system as well as society.
- The programme will train the students to take up decisions on their own in different nursing situations, all within the scope of the field. It will also train them to protect the rights of the patients and groups included.
- The programme will further train the students to take up research initiatives in Nursing as well as apply an evidence-based form of practice.
- Duration: 4 years
- Exam type: Semester
- Minimum qualification required: 10 + 2 (Science Stream)
CAREER
B.Sc. Nursing degree opens up a world of various career options. Starting with the foundation level as a Staff Nurse, one can work closely with the patients and gain ample experience. Similarly, a Public Health Nurse gets the opportunity to serve the community at large. Further, there are several opportunities to pursue a career as a Nursing Officer, which fosters administrative, leadership, and management qualities. One can also hone their teaching abilities by working as a Clinical Instructor. B.Sc. Nursing also unveils opportunities to pursue a career in the field of Research as an Investigator. One may opt for higher education too after B.Sc. Nursing and pursue advanced courses such as M.Sc (Nursing) to rise the ladder of their career as Lecturers, Professors, etc., in academics and Nursing Superintendents in clinics.
Further, there are various offers in the Government, Public, and Private sectors with attractive salary packages in the clinical and academic fields. Some of the worth mentioning sectors are as follows :
1. Clinics and Heath Departments
2. Defense Services
3. Hospitals
4. Industrial Houses and Factories
5. Nursing Science Schools
6. Railways and Public Sector Medical Departments
7. Training Institutes
SPECIALIZATIONS
One can opt for specialized training after B.Sc. Nursing too. M.Sc. Nursing has many specialized areas of study such as Community Health, Medical-Surgical, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Psychiatrists, etc.
RESEARCH & STUDIES
Research studies focusing on improving Nursing Care Delivery and Patient Outcome, Quality Improvement in Nursing and Nursing Education are the focus of Research. Faculty and students are engaged in research activities in these areas. B. Sc. Nursing students undertake group projects in the third year guided by faculty members. Many hospitals and healthcare facilities will only allow Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) educated RNs to fill certain roles, including:
Infection Control
Quality Control
Case Management
Healthcare Informatics
Assistant Nurse Manager
Charge Nurse
Nurse Educator
Clinical Development Specialist / Training & Development Specialist