GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery)

Last Updated on July 30, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

GNM stands for General Nursing and Midwifery. It is a 3½ years long Diploma program. Academic program is 3 years long and 6 months are dedicated towards internship. In this article, you will be reading about GNM course details, eligibility criteria, admission process, syllabus, pg courses & advanced studies, career prospects and job profiles available after completing the course.

Nursing is a noble profession. It is a promising area offering diverse job opportunities to male and female aspirants. Nursing is an integral part of healthcare sector. Nurses play an important role in the smooth functioning of various healthcare setups.

Nursing is a discipline that focuses on care, rehabilitation or treatment of patients. The main objectives of the above mentioned actions are- prevention of diseases, rehabilitation and maintaining good health of patients and/or general public.

Nurses posses knowledge about patient care, medicines and rehabilitation. They are trained to take care of patients and assist Doctors in supervised or independent setups.

GNM is a job oriented course, using which, 12th standard passed students may enter the field of nursing. Let us check out the course details now.

Course details

It is a Diploma course, commonly just known as GNM course. Duration: The course is 3½ years long. Academic program is of 3 years and 6 months are dedicated towards internship. Internship is mandatory. After completing this course, successful candidates may register themselves as registered nurse or midwife with state nurse registration council.

Eligibility criteria

Age limit: A candidate must be at least 17 years of age. Applicant must not be more than 35 years of age.

Educational qualifications: According to the website of Indian Nursing Council, 10+2 Science stream Biology group (PCB) passed students are the most preferred ones. However, it has also been mentioned that 10+2 Arts stream passed students are also eligible to pursue this course. Minimum aggregate marks required may vary from one institute to another. Usually, it is around 40-50% marks.

Important Note: It has been noticed that the educational requirement varies from one institute to another. In case of many institutes offering GNM course, the minimum educational requirement is- 10+2 passed in any stream (Science/Commerce/Arts)! So, before taking admission, enquire at the institute and make sure whether you are eligible for admission or not!

Registered Nurses who possess ANM (Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery) Diploma are also eligible to pursue GNM course.

Admission process

Most institutes follow the ‘direct admission’ process. Seats are allotted to deserving applicants based on the marks scored by them in 10+2 board examination. In case of some reputed institutes, private screening tests and interviews are also used in admission process.

Syllabus

To get a better idea about the course structure, let us run through some important subjects present in this course. Note: Not all subjects have been mentioned. Important ones have been listed.

1st year subjects-

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Microbiology
• Fundamentals of Nursing
• First Aid
• Community Health Nursing
• Health Education
• Nutrition
• Personal and Environmental Hygiene
• Psychology
• Sociology

2nd year subjects-

• Medical Surgical Nursing
• Pharmacology
• Psychiatric Nursing

3rd year subjects-

• Paediatric Nursing
• Advanced Community Health Nursing
• Midwifery and Gynaecology

Along with theoretical knowledge, hands on practical experience is also given much importance in this course. Students who finish the academic program then have to go through 6 months long internship stint. Ward management, patient care and clinical nursing practice are key parts of this internship program.

PG courses and career paths

GNM is a job oriented course. Still, it is just a Diploma program. There’s much more valuable Degree Nursing program out there. Completing the Degree program will further boost one’s career prospects!

Also read: Nursing courses in India

Paramedical courses

Diploma courses

Not sure about how to go on and get Degree after completing this Diploma program? Relax, I’ll guide you.

After completing GNM course and getting registered with a State Nurse Registration Council, one may pursue the B.Sc. Nursing (Post Basic) course. This course will lead one to a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. The course duration is 2 years (3 years in case of distance education mode).

After completing B.Sc. Nursing (Post Basic) course, one may go for even advanced PG programs. Some of the well known advanced PG courses are-

• M.Sc. in Nursing
• PG Diploma in Nursing
• PG Certificate in Nursing
• M.Phil. Nursing
• PhD

Using the above mentioned PG courses, one may specialize in any one of the many specialties available within the field of nursing. Specializing will help one boost career prospects and the chance of going abroad!

Career prospects and Job opportunities

GNM is a Diploma course. It doesn’t offer diverse job profiles. Handful of job profiles available in front of GNM Nurses are-

• Staff Nurse
• Home Nurse
• Health Visitor
• Community Health Worker

Common places/areas where one may find a job include-

• Public Health Centres
• Government hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• NGOs
• Old age homes
• Government health schemes
• Private hospitals/clinics
• Government dispensaries

With further education, like B.Sc. Nursing (Post Basic), one may have access to diverse job profiles. Some such job profiles are-

• Chief Nursing Officer
• Assistant Nursing Officer
• Critical Care Nurse
• Paediatric Surgery Nurse
• Nurse Manager/Supervisor
• Rehabilitation Specialist

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.