THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Government Collegiate Nursing Teachers Association has urged the State Government to bring BSc (nursing) admissions within the purview of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test to restore quality of nursing graduates in the State. In a statement here on Monday, association general secretary Susheela P said the Government should ensure NEET for the 4-year graduate nursing course as in the case of B Pharm and Pharm D, for which Kerala engineering entrance rank list has been reintroduced as the criterion for admissions. B Pharm admissions used to be made on the basis of marks obtained in higher secondary examinations, as in the case of B Sc (nursing).
Now, the decision to switch over to State Engineering entrance with effect from 2017 has been based on the assessment that there was a progressive decline in the quality of pharmacy education. The trend of Government nursing college students topping in entrance tests for JIPMER, ESIC, All India Medical Sciences and Railway Recruitment Board had reversed since 2008 when the State Government, succumbing to a skewed logic, ordered higher secondary marks as the basis for BSc (nursing) admissions. As marks are generally high in higher secondary examination, chances of students in CBSE and ISC streams making it to BSc (nursing) are bleak. The majority of students from science stream take NEET, which makes it logical that candidates seeking admission for nursing also are selected from the same examination, said Prof Susheela.
