How to Become a Nurse in India: Complete Career Guide

Do you want to become a Nurse? If yes, this article will be of help to you. This step-by-step career guide has been crafted keeping the needs of nursing aspirants in mind. This article focuses on the topic – how to become a registered nurse in India.

Nursing is a noble profession. It is a career that provides job satisfaction and decent salary. Qualified and skilled nurses are in huge demand abroad. In short, there are many reasons to build a career in this sector.

To thrive in this profession, one must possess the following qualities –

Compassion and helping nature
Good communication skills
Sound nursing knowledge
Confidence
Ability to work in a team
Stamina to work in long shifts
Willingness to work at odd hours
Mental and emotional strength
Ability to deal with ‘difficult’ patients
Sound moral values and work ethics
Eye for detail

Common tasks performed by nurses include –

Treating patients
Carrying out instructions provided by Doctors (Assisting Doctors)
Rehabilitation of patients
Monitoring patient’s condition
Educating patients and their relatives
Taking care of patients’ medications

To become a Registered Nurse (RN) in India, one must successfully complete a relevant nursing course. Indian Nursing Council (INC) is the body that looks after the quality of nursing education in India. Also check – Nursing courses after 10th.

To become a Registered Nurse, one must complete a relevant nursing course from an institute recognized by the Indian Nursing Council. Here are the common steps involved in becoming a nurse in India –

Table of Contents

Steps to become a nurse in India

Steps to become a nurse in India

1 Choose a relevant nursing course

The first step is to choose a relevant nursing course. Undergraduate level nursing courses recognized by the Indian Nursing Council are – B.Sc. Nursing, Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing, GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) and ANM (Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery).

2 Satisfy the eligibility criteria

Each course has its own eligibility criteria. To secure admission, you must be academically eligible to pursue that particular course. Check out the eligibility criteria associated with the above mentioned courses –

B.Sc. Nursing: Passed 10+2 Science stream with PCB subjects from a recognized board. Minimum aggregate marks required is 50%.

Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing: Passed 10+2 from a recognized board and obtained GNM certificate from a recognized institute. Candidate should also be registered as RNRM with State Nurse Registration Council.

GNM: 10+2 passed in any stream (preferable science stream with PCB subjects) or registered as ANM with State Nurse Registration Council.

ANM: 10+2 passed from a recognized board.

3 Secure admission

Reputed institutes rely on merit based admission process. Deserving candidates are allotted seats based on the marks scored by them in relevant entrance test / board exam / a combination of both.

4 Complete the academic program

Nursing courses boasts a holistic mixture of classroom lectures and practical sessions. Most nursing courses also have compulsory practical training in the end (after the academic program is over).

5 Register with relevant State Nursing Registration Council

B.Sc. Nursing and Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing passed students may register as RN (Registered Nurse) with their State Nursing Registration Council.

GNM passed students may register as RNRM with their State Nursing Registration Council.

ANM passed students may register as ANM with their State Nursing Registration Council.

Career prospects

Nurses have both Government and private job opportunities available in front of them. Prime recruiters are –

Private hospitals
Government hospitals
Private clinics
Government clinics
Community health centres
Home based healthcare units
Rehabilitation centres
Medical laboratories
Rural healthcare centres

Job profiles available in front of nursing professionals are –

Nurse
Chief nurse
Assistant nurse
Social healthcare worker

There’s also a huge demand for skilled Indian nurses in developed nations! Salary offered there is much higher than what is available in India. UK, USA, Gulf countries, New Zealand, Australia etc are popular destinations among Indian nurses. Also check – How to become a commercial pilot in India.

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Arun Kallarackal

Educational consultant at Courses After 10th

Arun is a passionate educationalist who started this blog in 2016. He has been helping students, their parents, and teachers through his posts, guides, and articles on this blog. He has 10+ years of work-experience in the field of education, career counseling, and training.

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