Plans are afoot to prepare qualified nursing faculty to ensure quality care to critically ill patients in the tertiary healthcare settings in the country. The move also aims to offer nurses new career pathways.
The Nursing Council of India (NCI), an autonomous body under the Union Health Ministry, has prepared draft curriculum for two-year ‘Critical Care Nurse Practitioner Program’ (NP) for registered BSc nurses with a main focus on competency based training. The curriculum consists of theory that includes core courses, advanced practice courses and clinical courses besides clinical practice which is a major component.
“The move also aims to address the deficit of qualified nurses in the critical care segment. The nursing care will be focused on stabilising patients’ condition, minimising acute complications and maximising restoration of health,” says the draft.
It further notes that developing training programs and curriculum in the area of tertiary care is recognised as the need of the hour. The move is in keeping with the National Health Policy, 2015 which emphasis human resource development in the areas of education and training alongside regulation and legislation.
“To support specialised and super-specialised healthcare services, specialist nurses with advanced preparation are essential. Such faculty has been already functioning in USA since 1960s, UK since 1980s, Australia since 1990s and Netherlands since 2010,” says the draft.
With establishment of new cadres and legal empowerment, master level prepared NPs will be able to provide cost effective, competent, safe and quality driven specialised
nursing care to patients in a variety of settings in tertiary care centres.
Those nurses practicing in critical care/acute care, oncology, emergency care, neurology, cardiovascular care, and anesthesia, can also take up the course which would give them legal rights to function in tertiary care settings. Rigorous educational preparation will also enable them to diagnose and treat patients with critical illnesses as well as preventive and promoting care relevant to such illnesses and patients’ responses to illness, the draft adds.
The course is built upon the bachelor’s program in nursing. When authorised by the nursing regulatory council/s, state or national laws, they may also prescribe drugs, medical equipment and therapies.
The post graduate degree will be registered as an additional qualification by the State Nursing Council.