Nurses and nursing assistants form the biggest group of workers in the health sector. They are mostly required in the hospitals and the health centers right from general ward to operation theatre which are being helped by them. Therefore, with the growth of the health industry, the demand for nurses is also increasing making a career in nursing very attractive. Nursing includes mostly a wide range of responsibilities and functions. At the initial levels, the nurses take general care of patients. At the senior levels, they usually require specialized skills for managing pediatric, psychiatric and intensive care patients. The nurses are also engaged in dispensing medication, setting up and operating medical equipment, keeping records of patient’s progress and administration.

Scope in a nursing career in India and abroad

With increasing health consciousness in India, the quality of health services has improved. Skilled and specialized nurses are in high demand by health organizations. The nurses have excellent employment opportunities in government or private hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, orphanages, old age homes, military services, industries and schools. 

The majority of the nurses in India do go abroad. Most of the nurses working throughout the world are from the Indian state of Kerala. The skilled nurses usually can get employment in specialized fields like Surgical, Medical, ICU, Telemetry and ER.

B.Sc Nursing:
This is a 3 to 4 years course and the course provides basic knowledge about nursing, first-aid and midwifery. The students are trained in all the theoretical as well as practical aspects of nursing. The eligibility for this particular course is 10+2 with Biology, Physics and Chemistry.

M.Sc Nursing:
Eligibility for such kind of post-graduate course is B.Sc. Nursing. The course is of 2 years duration.

General Nursing & Midwifery (GNM):
GNM program is basically to prepare general nurses who function as members of the health team who would hold the first-level positions in both the hospitals and other such places. The course is for 3.5 years after 10+2 with Biology, Physics and Chemistry.

Auxiliary Nurse Midwife/ Health Worker (ANM):
The ANM Course basically gives training for the aspirants on how to take care of the health concerning problems in rural areas especially children, mothers and old aged people. The ANM course is for 18 months duration and the eligibility for admission is 10th standard.

Placement prospects for qualified nurses: All qualified nurses are required to get themselves registered. After the successful completion of training, every nurse should register her name with the State’s Nurses Council to be eligible for employment. The following are the career prospects for qualified nurses. They can work as:

• Hospital Nurses: Hospital nurses form the largest group of nurses all over the Hospitality industry in the country. Hospital nurses are usually assigned to any special area of work such as surgery, maternity, intensive care, pediatrics, obstetrics, rehabilitative, etc.
• Psychiatric Nurses: This option basically involves working with mentally challenged persons and this particularly requires special dedication towards work and patience. Such nurses generally work with coordination of the psychiatrists, doctors and other specialists.
• Pediatric Nurses: The work is associated with taking care of sick children and babies. These nurses should have love and affection towards children to excel in their field of work.
• Orthopedic Nurses: This requires mainly the knowledge of physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
• Industrial Nurses/ Occupational Health Nurses: They would be working under the direction of the industrial physicians and assist in taking preventive safety measures. They should provide emergency care at the time of accidents taking place inside the industrial premises.
• Educators: This field combines both nursing with the teaching of students of nursing and administration of educational programs.
  
  Nursing as a field of work is both mentally and physically demanding and nurses are been often exposed to health risks from infectious diseases. As such this profession holds the demands for long hours of work and duties that incorporate both skill and understanding of patient’s needs. Those who come forward to take up nursing as a career have to be patient, courageous, have a service mentality and at the same time should be ready to work for extra hours, even night shifts.
  
  The nursing profession generally calls for tremendous patience, responsibility and dedication. The job requires mainly the alertness of mind, team spirit, tact, compassion, etc. One should also be physically fit and in peak health for the job involves a lot of hard work. They should have the instinct to help and serve the patient without getting sentimentally attached. Apart from these, one must have a pleasant smiling face whatever be the situation.