The agony of people suffering in medical facilities in rural areas led me to follow a career path that would aid humanity,” says Shami Biswas, a student of BSc, nursing, at Ma Sarada College of Nursing in Calcutta. In today’s dog-eat-dog world, where the purpose of any educational course is to obtain a high-flying job, nursing provides a refreshing alternative to those who want to make a career in serving mankind.

“Nursing colleges are coming up all over India because the prospects in this profession are better than ever,” explains Mahasweta Bose, principal of the West Bengal Government College of Nursing at SSKM Hospital in Calcutta. “There was a time when people could not think of nursing as a formal academic discipline, but today we are developing specialised courses to cater to specific medical cases,” says Bose.

Entry into nursing courses is now fairly competitive as well. In West Bengal one has to appear for the Joint Entrance Examination to qualify for a four-year BSc (Honours) in nursing. It is thus a prerequisite to have science with biology at the Plus Two level. “The Joint Entrance arrangement has been introduced from the 2006-2007 session and will ensure that nursing candidates are well qualified,” says Bose. The West Bengal Government College of Nursing now has 30 seats for the BSc (Honours) nursing course.

“Today, there is a much better understanding of the role of nurses. It is now a discipline in its own right,” avers Sujata Sengupta, vice principal of the Ma Sarada College of Nursing.

The range of nursing courses vary from diploma courses to doctoral programmes. The Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery (ANM) Programme is of 18 months’ duration and requires a Class X qualification for entry. ANM diploma holders generally enter community work and head off to rural areas. “Nurses with an ANM qualification can be involved in manning sub-centres and primary health centres,” says Bharati Chatterjee, principal of Ma Sarada Nursing College.

A popular course is the General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course that is of three and a half years’ duration. A higher secondary qualification is needed to enrol for this course. Candidates with a GNM qualification can enter institutional nursing and clinical fields and can also get additional training for 10 months to enter community work and obtain better paid positions.

At present, 26 government institutions and nine private institutions teach GNM courses in West Bengal. All nursing courses in India are accredited by the Indian Nursing Council and the West Bengal Council of Nurses accredits courses in the state.

In a profession that has traditionally been dominated by women, men are making their mark too. Says Doli Biswas, associate professor of nursing at the BM Birla College of Nursing in Calcutta, “Male nurses can be of assistance in operation theatres and in ambulance recovery services.” The Manipal Institute for Higher Education, Karnataka, admits male candidates.

Indian nurses are also in great demand overseas. Those interested in going abroad have to clear the Commission on Graduate of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) exams to be able to work as nurses in the US. Candidates also need to have English language skills and appear for the IELTS (International English Language Testing Services) exam before making a move abroad. Says Protima Ghosh, senior medical officer at Globe Med Resources, an organisation that sends Indian nurses abroad, “This year almost 200 nurses from India have gone to work in 100 hospitals in the US.” The UK and Ireland, the Gulf countries also hire Indian nurses.

Some institutes also offer specialised nursing courses. B.M. Birla College of Nursing offers a one-year diploma course in cardio-vascular thoracic nursing and the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Calcutta, offers a diploma in community health nursing.

The boom in the pharmaceutical industry has also given rise to new employment opportunities for nurses. “Nurses are now being hired to act as advisors to many major pharmaceutical companies,” says Shampa Gupta, programme coordinator at Asian Heart Foundation College of Nursing in Calcutta.

Those interested in research or higher studies can enroll for an MSc in nursing, and can go on to do an MPhil or even a PhD. In West Bengal, a PhD in nursing can be done under the aegis of the West Bengal University of Nursing. For an MSc, one must have a BSc in nursing plus two years of work experience. For postgraduate candidates, teaching and research is a good career option.

Today, salaries in nursing are rising. “A graduate just out of college can receive anything from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 a month,” says Chatterjee of Ma Sarada College of Nursing. For individuals in research and teaching, salaries can be much higher, ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. And salaries abroad in hospitals can go up to Rs 1,00,000 a month in Indian currency.

However, for many students, more than the money, it’s the pleasure of helping people that matters. Pradipta Saha, a BSc student at the West Bengal Government College of Nursing, says that she always wanted to be a nurse since she considered it to be a noble profession. Standing in front of a statue of Florence Nightingale, she says, “It is not the money but the service that counts in this profession.”

Some Nursing Institutions

West Bengal Government College of Nursing, SSKM Hospital campus, Ph: 22236242, 22239692
Course: BSc (Honours) in nursing
B.M. Birla College of Nursing, Ph: 24567777, 24569740
Course: BSc, MSc and diploma in cardio-vascular thoracic nursing
Calcutta Medical College of Nursing, Ph: 22414901, 22414902
Course: BSc (Honours) in nursing
Asia Heart Foundation College of Nursing, Ph: 24363000, 24364000
Course: BSc (Honours) in nursing
Ma Sarada College of Nursing, Ramkrishna Mission Seva Pratisthan, Ph:24753636
Course: BSc (Honours) in nursing
West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Ph: 23342028/23215389
Course: PhD in nursing