Illegal nursing courses aplenty in TN
Passouts Are Threat To Public Health, Turn Into Quacks: Council
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai:21.02.2019
The Tamil Nadu Nursing Council has urged the government to put an end to thousands of nursing courses offered in the state that aren’t recognised by the national or state councils.
At least 10,000 candidates who have completed these diploma programmes, lasting six months or one year at various institutions including quasi-government agencies and doctors’ bodies, will not be able to work as nurses.
“They aren’t qualified and can be dangerous if allowed to work with patients. They should not be allowed to do sutures, scans, tests or charting on patients as they neither have adequate knowledge nor the exposure,” said state nursing council registrar S Ani Grace Kalaimathi.
“We have defined job profiles for nurses who have cleared a four-year UG nursing degree, a three-year diploma course or the two-year auxiliary nursing and midwife course. But we have no job profiles for nursing assistants or bedside assistants who do a six-month course or a one-year course because they aren’t recognised,” she said.
These nurses can be a public health hazard because some of them manage to find low-paying jobs in rural hospitals. “When they are negligent or violate the medical code, we will not be able to initiate disciplinary action against them because they don’t come under our purview,” said nursing council member Dr R Thigarajan.
“Investigations have shown that since these nurses don’t get jobs in big private hospitals or government ones, they turn into quacks. The public health authorities have come across cases against such quacks, whose treatment led to complications and deaths during the dengue outbreaks,” he added.
Most colleges say such short courses were approved by the National Council on Vocational Training (NCVT) — an advisory body set up by the Government of India in 1956, the Barath Sevak Samaj — a national development agency, by the Indian Medical Association or some deemed universities. “These aren’t even agencies authorised to approve the courses. It’s like going to the grocery store for a medical consultation,” Dr Thigarajan said.
According to the rules of the council, colleges must seek essentiality certificate from the state and course approval from the state nursing council before admitting students. While colleges offering degrees are affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, those offering diploma programmes in nursing are approved by the director of medical education. The auxiliary course has to be approved by the public health department.
Investigations have shown that since these nurses don’t get jobs in big private hospitals or government ones, they turn into quacks. The public health authorities have come across cases against such quacks, whose treatment led to complications and deaths during the dengue outbreaks
DR R THIGARAJAN | State nursing council member
Passouts Are Threat To Public Health, Turn Into Quacks: Council
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai:21.02.2019
The Tamil Nadu Nursing Council has urged the government to put an end to thousands of nursing courses offered in the state that aren’t recognised by the national or state councils.
At least 10,000 candidates who have completed these diploma programmes, lasting six months or one year at various institutions including quasi-government agencies and doctors’ bodies, will not be able to work as nurses.
“They aren’t qualified and can be dangerous if allowed to work with patients. They should not be allowed to do sutures, scans, tests or charting on patients as they neither have adequate knowledge nor the exposure,” said state nursing council registrar S Ani Grace Kalaimathi.
“We have defined job profiles for nurses who have cleared a four-year UG nursing degree, a three-year diploma course or the two-year auxiliary nursing and midwife course. But we have no job profiles for nursing assistants or bedside assistants who do a six-month course or a one-year course because they aren’t recognised,” she said.
These nurses can be a public health hazard because some of them manage to find low-paying jobs in rural hospitals. “When they are negligent or violate the medical code, we will not be able to initiate disciplinary action against them because they don’t come under our purview,” said nursing council member Dr R Thigarajan.
“Investigations have shown that since these nurses don’t get jobs in big private hospitals or government ones, they turn into quacks. The public health authorities have come across cases against such quacks, whose treatment led to complications and deaths during the dengue outbreaks,” he added.
Most colleges say such short courses were approved by the National Council on Vocational Training (NCVT) — an advisory body set up by the Government of India in 1956, the Barath Sevak Samaj — a national development agency, by the Indian Medical Association or some deemed universities. “These aren’t even agencies authorised to approve the courses. It’s like going to the grocery store for a medical consultation,” Dr Thigarajan said.
According to the rules of the council, colleges must seek essentiality certificate from the state and course approval from the state nursing council before admitting students. While colleges offering degrees are affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, those offering diploma programmes in nursing are approved by the director of medical education. The auxiliary course has to be approved by the public health department.
Investigations have shown that since these nurses don’t get jobs in big private hospitals or government ones, they turn into quacks. The public health authorities have come across cases against such quacks, whose treatment led to complications and deaths during the dengue outbreaks
DR R THIGARAJAN | State nursing council member
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