Benefits

Nursing is a professional, systematic, noble and an important career. You probably might have come across people using these adjectives to describe a doctor's profession, not nursing. People often tend to think that it is those who do not get into medical colleges who settle for becoming nurses. In reality, nursing as a profession, is a highly important and noble one. As a profession, the skill sets and personality profile of the two are not the same. While it is the doctors' task to diagnose the illness, it is the nurses who aid the patients on the road to recovery.

In a hospital, right from the general ward to the operation theatre, nursing is the most important component of patient care. When we think of nurses, we recollect recording temperature, administering medicine and dressing wounds as activities they perform. This, however, is only one aspect and not the total picture.

So what does the job of a nurse involve?

Nursing covers a range of jobs differing in responsibilities depending on the qualification and work environment. There are many specialized fields in the nursing profession. Hospital Nurses, Industrial Nurses, Psychiatric Nurses, Operation Theatre nurses, School Nurses, Midwives etc are a few of the specializations. A nurse can work in a variety of settings, ranging from government hospitals, rural clinics, industrial premises to private nursing homes.

Nurses in hospitals and nursing homes constitute a large group of the nurses' community.

The work requires close contact with patients suffering from various illnesses, materials, which have to be handled with care, administering a variety of drugs in the right dosages, observation of a patients's progress etc.

Nurses working in schools or industrial houses are engaged in routine check ups, detect symptoms at the early stages and render preventive services and first aid.

Nurses also work with physically and mentally challenged people. The tasks require patience, constant interaction with the patients, understanding them and helping them cope with their conditions. The nurses work in coordination with psychiatrics and doctors to help the patients recover.

What does it take to become a nurse?

Nursing as a profession requires patience, dedication, concern for the sick and service orientation. Nurses require extensive knowledge of their domain and shoulder a great responsibility. The work can be stressful and exhausting particularly due to the long and odd hours of work.

How does one qualify to become a nurse?

A large number of institutions in India today offer diploma, graduate and postgraduate courses in Nursing, as well as Midwifery courses. The basic eligibility is a 10+ 2 with Biology, Physics and Chemistry to pursue a B.Sc course in nursing and the General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course. To specialize, you can either do a Master's degree or a Post Diploma course in the area of your choice like Operation Theatre nursing, Neurosurgery, Nephrology etc.

Foretelling the future

Though nursing has by and large, been associated with women, things are beginning to change. As the profession is growing, men are beginning to find a foothold.

A gaze into the crystal ball would tell us that with the advancement in medical science, there has been a constant improvement in the nursing education standards. Gradually as the number as well as the standards of hospitals, nursing homes, private clinics, sanatoriums etc. are getting upgraded, professionally trained and qualified nurses are very much in demand, creating ample of scope in this profession.

Cut out to be a nurse?

Identify where your skills and interests lie. If you have an interest for medicine, have good powers of observation, like looking after the sick and suffering, are patient and responsible, nursing could be the career for you.

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