Nurses’ association, IMA Kerala spar over nurse practitioner course-OxBig News Network

The Indian Nursing Council’s recent move to launch a two-year postgraduate (PG) course titled ‘nurse practitioner in geriatric nursing’ has pitted the Kerala branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against the Trained Nurses’ Association of India (TNAI).

While the IMA has vowed to oppose the move, calling it “another form of quackery”, the TNAI claims the programme will enable experienced nurses offer treatment in situations when the services of specialist doctors are not available.

Through the course, which is expected to be launched in nursing and medical colleges across the country soon, those with a BSc degree in nursing will be trained to prescribe medication and offer treatment in geriatric care. The graduates are expected to get a special registration from the State Nurse and Midwives Registration Council. The course has been designed in accordance with a World Health Organisation report in 2022 highlighting a rise in life expectancy across the globe.

The IMA Kerala branch, however, recently pointed out that the course cannot be allowed in modern medicine as MBBS is the basic qualification to examine and treat patients as certified by the National Medical Commission. IMA State president Joseph Benaven and secretary K. Sasidharan said that denying career opportunities to modern medicine graduates and placing unfit and unqualified individuals would be “prevented at all costs.” They demanded that the government take steps to make use of the services of doctors in the field of geriatric medicine. More PG courses in family medicine and geriatric medicine should be launched in medical colleges. The organisation also warned of a strong protest and agitation against fake treatment and any move to “create misunderstanding and confusion among doctors and nurses”.

Meanwhile, TNAI State president Renu Susan Thomas and secretary Pramina Mukkolath said that developed countries such as the U.K., U.S., New Zealand, and Canada already have nurse practitioners since the 70s and it has not affected the job prospects of modern medicine practitioners there. The TNAI is of the view that the services of nurse practitioners will be helpful in medical college hospitals when the services of specialist doctors are not available during the evening and in the night. Similar is the situation in community health centres and taluk hospitals.

Also, considering the rise in the population of senior citizens in Kerala, nurse practitioners trained in community medicine will be required. They claimed that the sanction to start nurse practitioner course in seven nursing colleges in the State had been stalled by certain sections since 2014. The TNAI functionaries also wondered why the IMA Kerala branch was opposed to the move as their own national president is a member of the Indian Nursing Council.