So you read the title? You must already be considering your job possibilities after earning your nursing degree. Will you work as a clinical nurse or, at most, a nursing college tutor? So basically, according to you, either it’s a hospital or a college! Have you ever been to a family function where when you said that you were studying to be a nurse, people commented that all you have to do is load injections and give tablets?
But are those the only options? Or is nursing only about giving injectables and tablets? I doubt that.
Okay…………….now I want you to take a deep breath and reread the title! And think about it from a different perspective. Start thinking about places where you have been and consider how to place a nurse there. Start with the school you attended. Do you remember the school nurse who did your yearly growth assessments? Think about big industries with industrial nurses to ensure quick first aid in an emergency! Imagine you are on an inter-continental cruise or a big hotel; they have their infirmary, which has its nurse! Even the armed forces offer career options for nurses. As you can see, the list of career options is never-ending. You only have to look for the opportunity at the right place and time.
Since B.Sc. Nursing is a degree program you end up having multiple options soon after graduation compared to diploma holders. Even as a fresher, you can give various exams for working as a nurse in tertiary-level hospitals like AIIMS, JIPMER, and all central government hospitals. You can also work as a CHO after appearing for the state-level exams. Various state government hospitals, ESIC, and railway departments also regularly announce vacancies for staff nurses. You only need to be alert and regularly check for notifications related to the vacancies.
For those interested in pursuing higher education, you must crack the annual M.Sc. entrance exam held by AIIMS because that is the only way you can do a Master’s without any clinical experience. The other colleges, like RAK, and PGI, require a minimum of one year of clinical experience as an eligibility criterion for admission.
Furthermore, going to other countries might be on some of your agenda too. So you need to ace the language skills and score well in the language proficiency tests like IELTS or OET, after which CBT and OSCE follow. The procedure varies depending on which country you are planning to go. Nursing practice in other countries is far more diverse and independent than ours. They have independent nurse practitioners and comparatively better working conditions.
Nursing in India is progressing at its own pace. The Indian Nursing Council initiated the ‘Nurse Practitioner in Critical Care Program’ (NPCC), the first postgraduate nursing residency program in India, back in 2017. With the government of India rolling out the National Nursing and midwifery commission bill 2020 and opening midwifery training institutes, it’s not a distant reality that we will start seeing Nurse practitioners in Midwifery soon. So you have to decide accordingly. Also, Post basic diploma in Forensic Nursing has been introduced lately.
Another new field of interest is Nursing informatics, which integrates various analytical sciences and nursing. This will require a Master’s degree in health informatics.
There are countless specialties in nursing, but on the downside, Nursing in India still works in general rather than the specifics. As I said, we are progressing, but we are still in a phase where your posting (especially in the government sector) is “manpower shortage-based” and not “specialization-based.” So now you must be thinking, what’s the point of doing an M.Sc.? Because for research and teaching enthusiasts, it’s a must. And no knowledge and experience ever gained is waste.
Now it hits you – BOOM! So many options; which one is best for me? Well, when it comes to the best option, views differ. Why? Because what I consider best for me might not be the best for you. What I mean is that you select your parameters. Know what defines ‘YOUR BEST.’ Being a clinical nurse pays well, but a few of you might not be comfortable with the shift system. And not everybody is lucky enough to get a general 9-5 shift in the OPD or daycare department of the hospital.
A few of you might be more interested in research and teaching, so you may consider working as a tutor in a nursing college. Or a few of you may be interested in higher studies, so you will prefer to give M.Sc. entrance exams for which you can prepare with the customized Nursing Next Live’s Plan MSc Entrance Pack. The whole point is that you define your best. Because at the end of our lives, we will realize that satisfaction from work life is more important. But suppose your salary determines your satisfaction level, or working in a clinical setting excites you. In that case, the best option is to give the yearly NORCET exam and work as a clinical nurse in various AIIMS and central government hospitals.
Nursing next live Plan C+ Mastermind pack 2.0 and Plan B NORCET test series 3.0 can help you with the NORCET preparation from the comforts of your home by providing live and pre-recorded online classes.
In India, as a fresher, the best option is to work as a clinical nurse; the pay is good. And to progress further in your career, you may pursue M.Sc. as an in-service candidate and apply for various posts in the academic area. But you need to understand that the teaching vacancies are fewer. So your best shot will be applying for the clinical nurse after clearing the NORCET exam. Also, after gaining some experience in the clinical setting, you can enroll yourself for MBA in hospital management. Depending on the college you are willing to do an MBA from, the duration of experience required may differ. MBA will help you bag placements in the management section of various private companies. Abroad, the story is different. Working as a certified nurse anesthetist, general nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or psychiatric nurse practitioner pays well. But that will require further education and experience after B.Sc. Nursing, probably in the country where you want the job.
The above content is about the people who enjoy nursing as a profession—now coming to the section which has started doubting their career choice. First thing first, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes we realize a bit late that our life expectations don’t resonate with our career choices. And trust me when I say it’s never too late to change careers. Since you are a graduate, you are automatically eligible for many government jobs requiring a degree (in any stream) to be eligible for those exams. For example, you can attempt the UPSC, SSC, and Bank PO exams.
Also, a few of you might want to start your own business. (oh, don’t be shy, I know we all have thought about it sometimes in our lives!) You can do that too! Working as a nurse will help you save money to start something new.
Believe it or not, be it on land, water, or space, nurses are practically everywhere. Yeah, space, too, no kidding! Some nurses have worked on assessing the health of astronauts at NASA and there’s a Space nursing society too. Isn’t that cool? So it would be best to expand
your horizons when considering career options after your B.Sc. Nursing, because gone are the days when nurses were present only in hospitals. For you, the sky is the limit!
