Trained nurses and students from Kerala have opposed the draft syllabus of B.Sc. (Nursing) course for the upcoming academic year, which has proposed, among other things, a go-ahead for those from arts, humanities, and commerce streams to join the course.
Renu Susan Thomas, treasurer, Trained Nurses’ Association of India (TNAI), State unit, told The Hindu on Saturday that the health sector needed people who had a thorough knowledge of biology and an aptitude for science. “Students who join humanities stream in Plus Two classes do not learn anything on biology for two years,” she said.
The publication of the draft syllabus by the Indian Nursing Council follows the decision to scrap the three-year general nursing and midwifery course by 2021. Right now, only those who have studied biology during their Plus Two science course can apply for the four-year B.Sc. (Nursing) course. Objections and suggestions can be sent by January 24.
Ms. Thomas said that B.Sc. (Nursing) has papers in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, bio-chemistry and microbiology, learning of which requires a scientific base. “At a time when a majority of students with science background are unable to handle the syllabus and are failing in the first year itself, how will those from arts and humanities stream cope with it?” Ms. Thomas asked.
Reduced teaching hours
The draft syllabus proposes to cut down the teaching hours for anatomy and physiology, which, she said, would affect the quality of nursing graduates. “The move to reduce the teacher student ratio from 1:10 to 1:15 will also affect the academic and job prospects of students. Teachers will not be able to directly supervise them,” Ms. Thomas said.
D. Aneesh, staff adviser, Student Nurses Association of India (SNAI), Kerala unit, said that there was only one paper in nursing for the first year of B.Sc. (Nursing) course and the rest were science subjects. Those from non-science streams would find it difficult to sail through. He said that though the government had earlier given green signal to such students to apply for the general nursing and midwifery course also, they were not allowed to pursue the two-year post-basic B.Sc. course in nursing. Both the TNAI and SNAI were sending their objections to the council , they said.
