Post Basic Diploma in Neonatal Specialty Nursing – Residency Program Regulations, 2020: Indian Nursing Council

INDIAN NURSING COUNCIL
NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 22nd February, 2021

F.No. 11-1/2019-INC.—In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 16 of Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947 (XLVIII of 1947), as amended from time to time, the Indian Nursing Council hereby makes the following regulations, namely:—

1. Short Title and Commencement

These Regulations may be called Indian Nursing Council (Post Basic Diploma in Neonatal Specialty Nursing – Residency Program), Regulations, 2020.
These Regulations shall come into force on the date of notification of the same in the Official Gazette of India.

2. Definitions

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires,

‘the Act’ means the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947 (XLVIII of 1947) as amended from time to time;
‘the Council’ means the Indian Nursing Council constituted under the Act;
‘SNRC’ means the State Nurse and Midwives Registration Council, by whichever name constituted, by the respective State Governments;
‘RN&RM’ means a Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife (RN&RM) and denotes a nurse who has completed successfully, recognised Bachelor of Nursing (B.Sc. Nursing) or Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course, as prescribed by the Council and is registered in a SNRC as Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife;
‘Nurses Registration & Tracking System (NRTS)’ means a system developed by Indian Nursing Council and software developed in association with National Informatics Centre (NIC), Government of India, and hosted by NIC for the purpose of maintenance and operation of the Indian Nurses Register. It has standardised forms for collection of the data of Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife (RN&RM)/Registered Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (RANM)/Registered Lady Health Visitor (RLHV) upon Aadhar based biometric authentication;
‘NUID’ is the Nurses Unique Identification Number given to the registrants in the NRTS system;
‘General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM)’ means Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery qualification recognized by the Council under Section 10 of the Act and included in Part-I of the Schedule of the Act.

POST BASIC DIPLOMA IN NEONATAL SPECIALTY NURSING – RESIDENCY PROGRAM 2020

I. INTRODUCTION

The National Health Policy document (NHP, 2017) emphasizes the need to expand tertiary care services, prepare specialist nurses and standardization of clinical training for nurses. Responding to this, the Council planned to redesign the existing specialty nursing programs making it as a one-year post basic diploma residency programs utilizing competency-based training approach. Neonatal nursing is a new specialty prepared by the Council using revised guidelines that aim to prepare specialist nurses who can provide competent care to neonates with various medical and surgical conditions in which diagnostic, treatment, and care needs are complex and intensive.

India faces the biggest newborn health challenge in the world. The country is on the threshold of a neonatal survival revolution with the concerted efforts of the Government of India and professional bodies aimed at bringing about a reduction in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Neonate Mortality Rate (NMR). The specialized newborn care facilities have grown rapidly during the last two decades. A number of level II special care units and Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU’s) have been established in teaching as well as corporate hospitals.

The above revolution in newborn care demands adequate number of nurses specially trained in neonatal nursing who will function as neonatal specialist nurses. Therefore, it is essential for the health care system to meet such needs effectively. In this context, it is highly significant to strengthen or establish education and training programs to prepare super-specialty nurses for tertiary care institutions, who can provide safe, competent and compassionate care to neonates.

II. PHILOSOPHY

The Council believes that registered nurses need to be further trained as specialist nurses to function in various emerging speciality areas of practice and the training should be competency based. One such area that demands specialist nurses is Neonatal Nursing. Expanding roles of nurses and advances in technology necessitates additional training to prepare them for effective participation in neonatal care within their scope of practice.

III. CURRICULAR FRAMEWORK

The Post Basic Diploma in Neonatal Specialty Nursing education is a one-year residency program and its curriculum is conceptualized encompassing foundational short courses and major specialty courses for specialty nursing practice.

The foundations to Neonatal Nursing practice such as Professionalism, Communication & parental education, Clinical leadership & resource management, and Evidence based & applied research are short courses that aim to provide the students with the knowledge, attitude and competencies essential to function as accountable, committed, safe and competent specialist nurses. The major specialty courses are organized under Neonatal Specialty Nursing I and Neonatal Specialty Nursing II.

Specialty Nursing I includes Applied Anatomy and Physiology, Embryology, Pharmacology, Genetics, Community Health, Obstetrics, Neonatal Advance Life Support. Specialty Nursing II includes feeding of normal and low birth weight babies, policies and procedures for prevention of infections in NICU, nursing management of common medical and surgical problems in neonates and role of neonatal nurses in various investigations and procedures carried out on neonates. The curricular framework for the Neonatal Specialty Nursing – Residency Program is illustrated in the following figure-1.