India is all set to unveil its first integrated Ayurveda nursing degree as an add-on to Allopathy or conventional nursing programme in an effort to offer the best of integrated medicine benefits to patients. Offered to nurses trained in Allopathy, the Ayurveda component will be a year-long add-on training capsule with specific subjects and hands-on training.
The proposal, which is in the last phase of its approval with the Nursing Council of India, is expected to become a reality by this year-end.
The syllabus has been created by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the apex tertiary care centre for Ayurveda in the country, said AIIA director Prof. Tanuja Nesari, who added that this will be “a first of its kind programme which will be a breakthrough in integrative health care.’’
‘Key pillar’
Giving details of the initiative Dr. Rajagopala S, medical superintendent, AIIA, said nursing care was one of the four important pillars of health care and the integrated knowledge of both the therapies would be an asset.
“The syllabus has been prepared by top professionals in both allopathic and Ayurveda fields and the intake will be of nursing graduates who have finished their allopathic training. The syllabus has been submitted to the Nursing Council and the council has had several rounds of meetings on the issue,’’ he said.
“If all goes well we should be able to offer the course soon. Besides the AIIA, institutes that have the infrastructure and manpower to conduct the course will be offering this to students,’’ he added.
Residency programme
Nursing superintendent at the AIIA Sindhu Rajesh said this would be a residency programme where students would take theory classes and work in hospital for hands-on training.
“We are proposing a 80:20 ratio of practical and theory,” she said, adding that the syllabus had been approved in-principle and the suggestions made by the council had been incorporated. The draft syllabus was now undergoing the approval process.
“The notification for the course could come in by August-end if all goes well,’’ said Ms. Rajesh.
India currently offers Ayurveda nursing for those having finished Class 12 with science subjects.
“The courses being offered currently, both B.Sc programme and diploma, don’t offer nurses trained in the Ayurvedic stream a licence and registration number, which allows them the flexibility to work in the national or international arena. Their university registration is not recognised by the Indian Nursing Council,” said Ms. Rajesh.
She added that the Nursing Council wants rigorous training like that offered to allopathic nurses for those wanting to specialise in Ayurveda. “This can be achieved by the add-on programme that we are offering. It also eliminates the lacunae of not being registered to work internationally. Also, for the integrated medical therapy that we offer to our patients allopathic training helps. The idea is to provide holistic and rigorous medical care for patients,” said Ms. Rajesh.
