Nursing is an exciting and rewarding career that provides many opportunities. Nurses are important members of the health care team and their primary role is providing patient care. “This can vary from helping a patient eat breakfast to helping deliver a baby,’’ says an enrolled nurse.

Working in hospitals, community health clinics, nursing homes, private homes (home care) or in schools, nursing practitioners are instrumental in delivering health services to our communities. Nurses focus on the needs of the individual, rather than specific illnesses or conditions. They help individuals and their families to live more comfortable lives by providing care, advice and counselling.

Although both registered nurses and enrolled nurses care for sick, injured or convalescing patients, there is a distinct difference in the focus of their work.

With University training, registered nurses can specialise in a long list of clinical areas such as critical care, emergency, theatre or mental health and can also study to become midwives and deliver babies.

Those working in operating rooms, help assist in creating spotless and sterile environments. During the surgical procedure they pass instruments and sponges to surgeons, even counting them to make sure nothing is left inside the patient.

Career path:

There is a continuing strong labour demand for registered nurses. A nursing degree provides someone with options to work both nationally and internationally. Although the health sector is growing, employment prospects for enrolled nurses are average and demand for enrolled nurses will not be as strong as for registered nurses.

Nature of the job:

Enrolled nurses provide basic bedside care for their patients under the direction of registered nurses and doctors. This may include observing and measuring vital signs (taking temperatures and pulse rates), bathing and dressing patients, assisting in wound care, or feeding and helping patients become mobile.

‘’Enrolled nurses manage general patient care and rely on registered nurses for advanced nursing care. They assist patients with ADLs (activities of daily living — things you do every day, like eating, drinking and showering), provide wound care management and other basic nursing care. Registered nurses manage general and advanced patient care. They are also responsible for the supervision of the enrolled nurses.

“Advance nursing care may include drug administration (giving needles), or defibrillation (resuscitating using ‘paddles’),’’ says a nurse.

A people’s person:

There’s no doubt that nursing practitioners need to be great with people, be excellent communicators and have the skills and empathy to deal with people who are in poor health. Nurses need to also work with a broad range of ethnic and socially diverse patients, so respecting difference and displaying professionalism are vital in this profession. Hospital based nurses need to be prepared to work shift hours, be physically strong (moving patients) and aware of safety issues such as needle injuries and working with electrical equipment.

Entry requirements:

Eligibility

The applicant must be SLC pass with a minimum percentage of 50, and should have studied English, Maths and Science.

Personal qualities

If you enjoy working with people and would like to make a difference to their lives nursing has a lot to offer you. You need to be non-judgmental and a good communicator, with the ability to listen, empathise and provide support. Nursing attracts all kinds of personalities from all sorts of backgrounds. Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert you’ll find an area of nursing that helps you to fulfil your potential.

Health

You have to complete a health questionnaire when you apply for nurse or midwifery training and will be asked to identify any special needs related to a disability. Your acceptance on a course will be subject to satisfactory health clearance.

In Nepal, there are various institutes who train nurses and in fact Nepali nurses are in great demand in countries abroad.

The hospitals around the country also train nurses and on an average a nurse can make Rs 8,000 at the minimum along with the facilities given.

Nursing Institutes:

• Nursing Campus, TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj

• Bir Hospital Nursing Campus

• Sushma Koirala Memorial Nursing Campus, Baneshwor

• Lalitpur Nursing Campus

• CTEVT Nursing Campus

• School of Nursing, Pokhara

• KU Nursing Campus