Nursing courses can be blended with 'Skill India' training

Laying stress on adequate skill enhancement through appropriate training, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said that nursing courses can be blended with the flagship scheme 'skill India' training courses to counter the shortage of nursing staff.

Noting that the training course for nurses should be contextualised, so that they are also imparted knowledge of the Indian healthcare landscape, Nadda said the government was committed to provide accessible, affordable and quality training to the nurses.

"The Health Minister also suggested that Nursing courses can be blended with skill India training courses for countering the shortage of nursing staff," an official statement said.

The Minister said that in harmony with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Skill India' there is a need to ponder on how the courses for skilling the nurses can be synced with the the programme.

Nadda, who inaugurated the Indian Nursing Council Office Complex here emphasised that the nursing staff occupies important position in health care delivery and said that their role can be compared equally to that of the doctors when one thinks of achieving the SDGs.

Nadda also launched two new nurse practitioner courses, one in critical care and the other in primary health care and a

web-based 'Live Register' for nurses.

Laying stress on importance of adequate skill enhancement through appropriate training, Nadda said that the training course for the nurses should be contextualised so that they are imparted education and knowledge of the Indian health care landscape.

He also underlined the importance of informal education in addition to formal education, saying it will provide a holistic and rounded understanding of the various issues the nursed are required to deal with in their profession.

"The need for sensitisation towards laid down protocols in treatment should be made part of the curriculum," Nadda said.
Terming the newly launched 'Live Register'

path-breaking", Nadda said through it accurate data of active and registered nurses will be made available online.

"This will help the Government in better manpower planning and for making policy level decisions for the nursing professionals in India," he said adding that it will also help in rationalisation and optimum utilisation of manpower.

Noting that the government has given high priority for improving the nursing and midwifery cadre through skill development and continued professional development, Nadda said that the Government has undertaken major expansion of nursing and technical education leading to a three-fold increase in the numbers of nursing institutions.

Nadda said that the Government has undertaken several initiatives for strengthening of nursing cadre which includes establishment of ANM/GNM schools, up-gradation of institutions from School of Nursing to College of Nursing, Training of Nurses, development of 11 one year specialisation courses, revision of curriculum for all nursing programmes and establishment of national PhD consortium for Nursing Research.

While the nurse practitioner in critical care programme launched today will be a two-year residential M.Sc degree which on completion will make nurses qualified to assume responsibility for the care of critically ill patients, the Nurse Practitioner in Primary Health care Programme will be a one-year residential Post Graduate diploma program.