Types of Nursing Courses- Colleges, Fee, Subjects, Eligibility Criteria, Job Profile and Salary

Updated December 20, 2022

India is experiencing rapid growth in healthcare sectors, increasing the demand for healthcare professionals. As a result, a large number of students are opting for medical courses after the 12th, and nursing courses are among the most preferred ones in the healthcare industry.

Students prefer to pursue Nursing Courses after 12th as it provides a lucrative, challenging, and practical career option. The best part about the nursing courses in the job guarantee as the health care field will remain in existence till the end of humankind. Because healthcare is an essential need of humanity for better health & life, and nurses are like the backbones of the entire sector.

What is Nursing Course 

Nursing is among the most popular professional courses in the medical field that aims to prepare candidates to serve humanity through medical treatment along with making a profit. Candidates aspiring to a career in healthcare can pursue diploma, certificate courses, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Nursing. ANM, GNM, and BSc Nursing are the top courses in Nursing. After BSc Nursing, people also prefer to opt for specialization in Mental Health Nursing, Medical-Surgery Nursing, Adult Nursing, and General Nursing. GNM and ANM are job-oriented nursing programs that require a mandatory internship of 6 months during the running course.

Opting for a career in nursing is preferred most in the healthcare industry because the demand for nursing professionals has increased a lot. Nursing professionals play a crucial part across hospitals and healthcare sectors as they act as a connector for patients and doctors. Nurses are like the backbones of the medical field because not every work is performed by doctors. It is Nurses who perform all pre and post-essential jobs during the treatment of the patient. They also assist doctors in various operations, update charts and look after the patients.

Types of Nursing Courses and Fees

Although there are several nursing courses aspirants can pursue but mainly categorized into three segments, which are mentioned below. The fee of any nursing program may vary from university to university and state to state, depending upon the figure determined by the particular institution.

• Certificate nursing Courses: Certificate Nursing courses are available at both undergraduate and post graduate level, and the program can 6 to 12 months long.
• Degree Nursing Courses: Degree Nursing courses are offered at both Undergraduate and Post Graduate level and the program can be 2 to 4 years long.
• Diploma Nursing Courses: Diploma Nursing Courses also includes degree courses, which are delivered at both UG as well as PG level. These programs can be 1 to 3.5 years long.

Different types of Nursing courses are mention below in the table along with their duration.

Eligibility Criteria for Nursing Courses

All Nursing courses are subcategorized into two segments, Undergraduate Nursing Courses, and Post Graduate Nursing Courses. And, eligibility criteria of each segment have a slight difference, which is mentioned below.

• Eligibility Criteria for Undergraduate Nursing:- Minimum Eligibility Criteria one must possess in order to pursue undergraduate nursing are, Aspirant, must have completed 12th in a science stream with Physics, Biology, and Chemistry as main subjects. They are also required to obtain a minimum aggregate of 50 percent at class 12th.
• Eligibility Criteria for Post Graduate Nursing:- The minimum eligibility criteria of PG Nursing are the same as for UG Nursing. Aspirants must have completed 12th in the science stream with an aggregate of 50 percent. And, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology should be the main subjects. But in addition, the aspirants must have obtained a bachelor’s degree in science with a minimum aggregate of 55 percent. Bachelor’s degree in the medical field is also a prerequisite, depending upon the courses one wants to pursue.

Nursing Entrance Exams

Admission to the different nursing courses is made through entrance exams held by colleges/universities and the state. The merit list is prepared based on the aspirant’s performance in the entrance examination. Some of the entrance exams conducted by different universities and states in order to offer admission to the nursing programs are mentioned below.

• AJEE Nursing
• IUET Nursing
• SAAT Nursing
• DSAT Nursing
• AUAT Nursing
• RUHS Nursing
• AIIMS Nursing
• KGMU Nursing
• PGMIR Nursing
• JIPMER Nursing
• CENTAC Nursing
• ITM NEST Nursing
• Indian Army Nursing
• IGNOU OPENNET Nursing

Top Colleges for Nursing Courses

There are numerous colleges in India that are famous for offering renowned courses in nursing. Some of the top nursing colleges are listed below.

• IUL (Integral University), Lucknow
• AFMC (Armed Forces Medical College)
• GMC (Government Medical College), Nagpur
• AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), Delhi
• KINS (Kalinga Institute of Nursing Sciences), Bhubaneswar
• RUHS (Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences), Bangalore
• KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology), Bhuvneshwar
• Bharti Vidyapeeth University Institute of Management (BVU), Kolhapur
• IGGMCH (Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital), Nagpur
• JIPMER (Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research), Puducherry

Subjects Pursued in Nursing 

Various subjects are pursued in nursing courses and these are mentioned below.

• English
• Genetics
• Nutrition
• Research
• Sociology
• Pathology
• Physiology
• Psychology
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Human Anatomy
• Nursing Statistics
• Advanced nursing
• Psychiatric nursing
• Nursing foundation
• Child health nursing
• Mental health nursing
• Gynecological nursing
• Environmental Science
• Medical-Surgical Nursing
• Basic of computer science
• Community health nursing
• Communication Technology
• Management of nurse Service

Career and Job Profiles after Nursing Course

A wide range of arena for job opportunities is available in Nursing. Students who pursue nursing can either opt for a job or go for higher studies to specialize in the field. Various employment areas like Govt. and private hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, educational institutions, research institutes, NGOs, etc., are open for the candidates who want to take up jobs after Nursing. Candidates can also opt for higher studies like MSc Nursing, MPhil Nursing, MSc Neuroscience, MSc Medical Microbiology, MSc Biotechnology, MSc Biochemistry, etc., and get the opportunities to become administrators and managers in a variety of hospitals. Below are some of the Job profiles one can get after Nursing.

• Nurse
• Professor
• counsellor
• Nursing Tutor
• Nurse Manager
• Nursing Educator
• Nursing Assistant
• Home Care Nurses
• Nurse – Nursery School
• Junior Psychiatric Nurse
• Nurse & Patient Educator
• Nursing Assist. Supervisor
• Ward Nurse & Infection Control Nurse

Salary of Nursing Professionals in India

The average salary of Nursing professionals may range from Rs 3 to 7.5 lakh per annum. Their salary varies depending on various factors like the candidate’s job profile, recruiter, and experience level. For instance, a Nurse can earn up to 3 lakh per annum, while a Nurse educator and Nurse supervisor may earn an average salary of 4 lakh per annum. And, the salary of a professor can be 6 lakh per annum.

Frequently Asked Questions on Nursing Programs

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