Several individuals must have interacted with a professional nurse over their lifetime. Nevertheless, the nursing profession is commonly misunderstood. Nursing is a prestigious career. Nursing is not a glamorous profession. In this article, we are going to discuss the introduction to nursing and its various types & scopes associated with it.
The nursing profession assumes responsibility for the ongoing care of the ill, injured, crippled, and dying. The nursing profession is also responsible for promoting the health of patients, families, and communities in clinical and community settings. Nurses are involved with healthcare, administration, and patient care.
Nursing is one of the most diverse and possibly most esteemed medical professions. The demand for nursing remains high, and it will expand further in the future. The need for a higher number of superbly educated healthcare workers is required by medical advancements in services, increased patient expectations, and the redesign of healthcare systems.
Florence Nightingale was the originator of modern nursing. She worked on the organization and curriculum of nursing, so establishing it as an honorable and esteemed profession.
Nursing is generally regarded as a field suited to women. In actuality, men nurses can also be successful in this field. In the approaching years, there will be an increased demand for male nurses.
Types of Nursing in India
In India, nursing programmes are accessible in Degree, Diploma, and Certification formats. In India, numerous types of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral nursing programmes are offered. As we go through the introduction to nursing article, we understand that majority of courses admit students on the basis of an entrance examination. In India, the two basic types, of course, are undergraduate and graduate. From the PG courses, it is possible to specialize in medical fields.
There are three types of nursing courses available to students, and their durations vary.
1) ANM (Auxiliary Nursing and Midwife) – This is a 2-year nursing degree leading to a diploma qualification.
2) GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) — This is a 3-year nursing diploma programme.
3) B.Sc. Nursing. It has 2 parts.
- B.Sc. Nursing (Basic) – This is a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing certification.
- B.Sc. Nursing (Post Basic) It is a 2-year bachelor’s degree programme that follows the GNM programme.
Postgraduate Nursing courses
- M.Sc. In nursing, it is a 2-year postgraduate degree programme and universities administer the exams.
- Phil. In nursing, there is a one-year advanced full-time programme and a two-year part-time programme.
Ph.D. In Nursing – This is an advanced research programme in nursing; it lasts between three and five years, and universities administer the exams.
In the Master of Nursing project, there are a variety of specializations, including Medical Surgical Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Psychiatry, and others. Choose the specialty based on your interest, the course’s scope, and its demand.
The Indian Nursing Council (INC), State Nursing Councils, and the Nursing Examination Board administers these programmes. After completing these courses, students must register as nurses with both the Indian Nursing Council and the State Nursing Council. Students in the GNM and ANM programmes must register with the Nurse’s Examination Board. If you do not register, you are not guaranteed employment as a nurse in hospitals or Academic institutions.
Scope of Nursing
In the past, professional nurses had limited-service options because nursing was primarily focused on the clinical sector and bedside care. However, there are currently many opportunities for nurses. Many factors have contributed to the diversification of current carrier prospects.
Some of the choices available are:
- Staff Nurse: Nurses Cares for an individual patient or a group of patients. She reports directly to the ward supervisor.
- Nursing Supervisor or Ward Sister: A Nurse is accountable to the nursing superintendent for the administration of nursing care within a ward or unit.
- Nursing Service Administrators: At the state level, the Deputy Director of Nursing/Joint Director of Nursing in the state Health directorate. India’s Nursing Advisor has the most prestigious position of authority at the national level.
- Nursing Superintendent: The Nurse is accountable to the medical superintendent for the safe and effective administration of hospital nursing services.
- Deputy Nursing Superintendent: Accountable to the Nursing Superintendent and assists with the hospital’s nursing organization.
- Industrial Nurse: Workplace nurses provide emergency treatment, care through illness, and health education about industrial dangers and accident prevention.
- Nursing Service Administrators: In the state level, the Deputy Director of Nursing/Joint Director of Nursing at the state Department of Health. The highest level of authority on a national scale is held by the Nursing Advisor to the Government of India.
- Department Supervisor: A Nurse is accountable to the nursing superintendent and assistant nursing superintendent for the nursing care of multiple wards or units. Ex: Surgical department, Out-patient department.
- Community Health Nurse (CHN): Services primarily centered on Reproductive and Child Health Program, Health Education, and Hygiene.
- Director of Nursing: The Nurse is responsible for both nursing services education and for a teaching hospital’s nursing services.
- Military Nurse: Military Nursing administrations became a part of the Indian Army, transforming medical caretakers into commissioned officers with ranks ranging from lieutenant to major general.
- Teacher of Nursing: The duty of the nursing instructor is to instruct, educate, and direct the students’ learning. There are numerous opportunities available in nursing education, including clinical tutors, senior tutors, associate professors, and professors.
- Nursing Education Administrative Position: Registrar is an administrative job in Nursing Education at the state level.
- Nursing administration abroad: There is a vast scope of functioning as a professional nurse abroad with appealing remuneration and promising chances, which has led to a substantial increase in nursing administration abroad.
Nurses’ Roles and Responsibilities
While physicians have competence in a certain field, nurses can coordinate care for all facets of a patient’s health. For instance, a patient with chest pain may have access to a cardiologist, nephrologist, and internal drug specialist.
Each of these specialists would exclusively diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication for their respective field. The nurse, however, is the care provider responsible for the patient’s total care, ensuring that medications do not interact and that the patient is comfortable, understands, and prepared for the surgery.
As they are constantly examining and evaluating patients, attendants must be well-educated, adaptable, and adept at critical thinking. The nurse is responsible for coordinating with physicians to ensure that their patients have sufficient resources to recover.
Specifically, nurses perform the following duties in a normal hospital day:
- Perform bodily examinations
- Consider healthcare history
- Analyze the physical and emotional demands of the patients and their caretakers by listening to them and their attendants.
- Consult the patients and their attendants.
- Facilitate care coordination with other healthcare experts and professionals.
- Keep up on developments in healthcare alternatives, medications, and treatment methods.
- Draw blood and conduct other testing.
- Checking a patient’s vital signs on a regular basis.
