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Education Plus
Into healthcare? Specialise
CHITRA V. RAMANI
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Specialised nursing is becoming the norm in many hospitals
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— Photo: Mohammed Yousuf
Caring hands: Nurses have to multi-task and they are doing it well.
Nursing is the art of caring for the sick within the science of healthcare. And this profession has come a long way since the time of Florence Nightingale. From just being ward attendants and care givers, nurses are now becoming assistants to physicians and surgeons. They now have a major role to play in ensuring the physical as well psychological well-being of patients. Specialised nursing seems be gaining popularity and several institutes have started courses to cater to the increasing demand for qualified nurses.
T. Dileep Kumar, president of the Indian Nursing Council, said that nursing, which had not kept pace with super specialisation like medicine, is only now catching up with the trend. “Qualitative nursing care is becoming the order of the day and that is possible only with specialisation. Without specialised training, nurses cannot be effective team members,” he said.
The National Health Policy 2002 laid emphasis on creating specialised nursing courses. The Indian Nursing Council has now developed the syllabus for 14 specialised courses. “The syllabi are ready. We have been getting a lot of enquiries from institutes across the country wanting to start the courses,” he said.
Some of the courses that have been developed include onco-nursing, cardio thoracic, neonatal, paediatric, psychiatric, orthopaedic and rehabilitation and emergency care.
With the Indian Nursing Council focusing on introducing specialised courses, several hospitals and nursing colleges across the country have taken to them. Bangalore recently hosted the first-ever national conference for onco-nurses, organised by HCG Enterprises Ltd. and sponsored by HCG Pharma. More than 500 nurses and nursing students from across the country participated, which only goes on to show the growing importance and popularity of specialised nursing.
K. Reddamma, Head and Professor, Department of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, said that specialised nursing became popular when the Union Government emphasised on it in its National Health Policy. “It was only after that that the need and skills of nurses were actually recognised. Specialised areas require special skills. That was the beginning of specialised nursing. The public perception of nurses has also undergone a sea change.”
Dr. Reddamma said that the Indian Nursing Council realised the need and demand for specialised nurses and formulated the syllabi for 14 different areas. “The courses are now getting more skill-based. More areas are being added. The Council is doing this by taking the lead from the National Health Policy.”
She felt that nurses should be trained to become assistants to physicians, not just care givers. They should become an intermediary between the doctors and patients.
Dr. Reddamma, who also heads the National Consortium for Ph.D. in Nursing that was started by the Indian Nursing Council in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, said that the skills of Indian nurses are well recognised in foreign countries. “A lot of nurses from India are moving to foreign countries because of the dearth of qualified nurses with specialised skills there. With increased awareness, the number of nurses opting to study further has also increased,” she said.
She added that there was good response to the Ph.D. programmes in nursing offered at the National Consortium. “We have just now finished the selection of candidates for the third batch. In the first year, we received more than 200 applications. In the second year, we received 147 and this year, as many as 187 applications came our way,” she said.
B.S. Ajai Kumar, who is one founders of Bangalore Institute of Oncology, said that specialised nursing is important as nurses should be physically and mentally strong to counsel patients and instil confidence in them. “Whenever patients are admitted in the hospital or get to know about their problems, they get depressed. Nurses should be able to cheer them up, help them overcome depression and look at life in a new light. This is where specialised nursing becomes important.”
Dr. Ajai Kumar, who is also the chairman and chief executive officer of HCG Enterprises Ltd., said that the hospital had started an in-house specialised nursing course on onco-nursing. “This needs patience, courage and service aptitude, apart from specialised knowledge in chemotherapy, radiation and onco-surgery.”
Dr. Ajai Kumar said that onco-nursing is essential as nurses should be competent to provide quality care to cancer patients while being aware of the new challenges in the field.
Ramesh S. Bilimagga, consultant radiation oncologist of Bangalore Institute of Oncology, said that specialised nursing is important as the nurses will have to address the physical and psychological needs of the patients. “The Indian Nursing Council has also realised the importance of specialised nursing. The educational institutions and hospitals should work together towards this cause.”
“Specialised nursing courses are value-additions to the nursing profession. While nurses are trained for general nursing, many areas are often neglected. These are areas that need to be focussed on and more awareness should be created on the demand for specialised and trained nurses in the country,” he added.
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