College of
Nursing Campus
In December 2009,
the centenary year for nursing education in CMC Vellore, the College of Nursing
moved out of the main hospital premises to a sprawling new campus in
Kagithapattarai, very close to the hospital.
The Nursing Campus includes, apart
from the College of Nursing, hostels for student nurses, administrative
offices, spacious classrooms, a digital library, conference room and a chapel,
surrounding airy courtyards.
CMC opened India’s
first College of Nursing which started the graduate nursing course in 1946.
However, the Lower Grade Nursing Course for girls began in 1909. Back in the
early days, parents were hesitant to send their daughters for training. The
nursing pioneers, along with CMC’s founder Dr. Ida Scudder, used to visit
schools throughout South India to persuade girls and their parents to choose a
career in nursing.
Today, the nursing courses in CMC are much sought after. About 600 students
study in the College of Nursing. The courses include diploma, degree (B. Sc
Nursing), post certificate B.Sc, M. Sc, Ph.D and post diploma courses in
several specialities.
Admission is based on all-India written examinations and
interviews. 50 students are admitted into the B.Sc programme each year
and the course is affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R Medical
University. The annual intake for Diploma Nursing is 100 and it is recognized
by the Indian Nursing Council. Various scholarships are available for
needy students. At CMC, nursing education and ward work are closely
integrated giving enhanced standards of patient care and the highest quality of
theoretical and hands-on education.
Public
Health Nursing in the Indian context is an important part of the curriculum.
The College strongly emphasizes preventive and promotive health. A nurse
managed outreach programme, CONCH (College of Nursing Community Health), was
launched in 1987. This covers 63,000 people living in 20 villages and semi
urban areas adjoining Vellore town.
All nursing students participate and become
familiar with needs of the community. Maternal, child health and morbidity
clinics and home health services are conducted regularly by the CONCH staff.
Referrals are made to CMC and government health care facilities, where
necessary.
In 2004, the College of Nursing was
designated as a WHO collaborating centre for Nursing and Midwifery development;
one of two such centres in India. It has also been given a five-star rating by
the National Assessment and Accreditation Council of the University Grants
Commission and is a study centre for the national Ph. D. consortium.
In November 2017, the
College of Nursing was granted the ‘Nursing Excellence’ certification by the National
Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). CMC Vellore is the largest healthcare institution with
a nursing manpower of over 2800, to achieve this honour. Obtaining this
certification entailed meeting 48 standards with 216 objective elements
covering seven chapters namely, Nursing Resource Management (NRM), Nursing Care
of Patients (NCP), Management of Medication (MOM), Education, Communication and
Guidance (ECG), Infection Control Practices (ICP), Empowerment and Governance
(EG), and Nursing Quality Indicators.
How to get to the campus
The
College of Nursing is located in Kagithapattarai campus one kilometer away from
the main campus towards the east. The College of Nursing Chapel, Florence
Taylor Memorial Library for nursing students, UG & PG Nursing
Students' Hostel and faculty residential areas are located inside the
campus. Buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws are available from the Katpadi Railway
junction to the Kagithapattarai campus.
(Photographs by Abhishek Scaria)