Nurses are the Heart of Healthcare

Nurses are the Heart of Healthcare

Nursing is one of the most dedicated profession that can be found around the globe. Nurses are responsible for the primary treatment and day-to-day care of a patient and play an important role just like doctors in saving human lives.

Nurses form the backbone of the health workforce in India, this statement is indeed true and is better illustrated by the fact that nurses form over 60% of the health workforce in India. However that might seem like a lot but the patient-to-nurse ratio in India is nowhere near the WHO-specified standard.. As India continues to Fight against COVID-19, healthcare personnel are at the front battling the deadly pandemic & providing services to prevent the spread. Bottom line is, India is short of the prescribed strength of nurses & doctors.

India has 1.7 nurses per 1,000 population, which is 43% less than the World Health Organisation norm (3 per 1,000). This includes nurses, midwives, women health visitors and auxiliary nurse midwives. Overall, India has 3.07 million registered nursing personnel, government told the Rajya Sabha on March 3, 2020. India is still facing a shortage of nurses.

According to a 2016 report, India needed over 24 lakh nurses to overcome the shortage and the demand were only expected to grow with the years.

In such a job market of acute shortage and expecting an increase in demand, taking up nursing as a career after 12th can be a great option for any student. For dedicated students who have managed to get into one of the top Nursing colleges in India, nursing courses even offer excellent career prospects abroad. In case you are confused about choosing one course, we have brought you a detailed analysis of the ANM, GNM, B.Sc (Nursing)

Comparative Analysis ANM GNM Vs B.Sc Nursing

Feature

GNM

ANM

B.Sc (Nursing)

ABOUT THE COURSE

Overview

This diploma programme has been curated to train individuals as nurses and develop skills that will help them to function competently in a hospital environment and perform duties such as providing first aid, functioning effectively in a team, assisting in research activities etc.
The programme also serves as a base for those wishing to pursue higher education.

Although the ANM course is similar to GNM in many ways, it is more of a basic training programme. Students of the ANM course are expected to have a knowledge of the basics of nursing as well as being able to provide first aid and primary medical care to the patient.
However, since it is a shorter-duration course,
ANM has a more limited syllabus when compared to GNM and B.Sc  (N).

An undergraduate degree programme designed to train nurses into the practical aspects of nursing including providing first aid, setting up equipment, briefing the patients, coordinating the proper functioning of hospital wards and ward personnel.
The programme also goes into assisting doctors during medical procedures as well as research etc.

Degree

Diploma

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc)

Duration

3 years 6 months

2 years

4 years

Major Subjects

  • Bio-Science
  • Behavioural Science
  • Community Health Nursing
  • Medical-Surgical Nursing
  • Mental Health Care
  • Gynaecology and Midwifery etc.
  • Mandatory 6-month internship
  • Community Health Nursing
  • Mental Health
  • Child Health Nursing
  • Midwifery
  • Health Centre Management
  • Human Body & Hygiene etc.
  • Mandatory 6-month internship
  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Community Health Nursing
  • Medical and Surgical Nursing
  • Paediatric Nursing
  • Obstetrical Nursing
  • Psychiatric Nursing etc.

ADMISSIONS

Age Eligibility

17-35 years

17-35 years

Subject Eligibility

(10+2) with Biology, Physics and Chemistry as the main subjects
(Other streams might as well take up GNM depends on the colleges)

(10 + 2) in Arts/Commerce or Science Stream

(10 + 2) with Biology, Physics and Chemistry as the main subjects

Percentage Eligibility

40-50%
(As specified by the Indian Nursing Council. May vary from college to college.)

Entrance Exam

Conducted by State Nursing Examination Boards

Conducted individually by colleges and universities

CAREER

Scope

Graduates of both, GNM and ANM courses, share a similar scope of employment. However, one major difference is that GNM offers a better opportunity for growth in terms of salary as well as work in a workplace environment.

Since B.Sc (N) is a 4-year degree course, it has much better prospects when compared to Diploma courses, especially if you are considering pursuing postgraduate education.

Employment

Since all of the three courses are quite similar, the places of employment of all the three are similar too. However, B.Sc in Nursing graduates can expect to get into better organizations and can demand higher salaries than GNM and ANM graduates. Some of the places that hire ANM, GNM and B.Sc in Nursing students are:

  • Aanangwadi Programmes
  • Community Health Centres
  • Government and Private Hospitals
  • Private Clinics
  • Dispensaries
  • Government Jobs
  • Nursing Homes etc.

Average Starting Salary

GNM starting salary in India is approx. between Rs. 10,000 – Rs. 15,000

ANM Starting Salary in India can be from Rs. 8,000 – Rs. 12,000

B.Sc Nursing starting salary in India is from Rs. 10,000 – Rs. 25,000