The Indian Nursing Council (INC) has announced new regulations for a postgraduate residency program focused on nephrology nursing. The “Indian Nursing Council {Nurse Practitioner in Nephrology Nursing (NPNepN) – Postgraduate Residency Program} Regulations, 2024” aim to standardize and advance the training of specialized nurses in this critical area of healthcare. This notification was issued on January 17, 2025.
Key Program Details
NPNepN is a two-year, competency-based residency program focusing on advanced nephrology nursing skills. The curriculum includes theory (core, advanced practice, and clinical courses) and a significant clinical practicum component.
The program prepares registered B.Sc. nurses for advanced practice roles as clinical experts, managers, educators, and consultants in nephrology, leading to an M.Sc. degree (Nurse Practitioner in Nephrology Nursing).
Upon completion, NPNepNs will be able to:
- Provide competent, family-centered care to patients with kidney disease.
- Demonstrate clinical expertise in assessment, education, diagnostic reasoning, complex monitoring, and therapies (including diet) while collaborating with resource agencies.
- Apply clinical knowledge, scientific principles, and critical thinking to nephrology nursing interventions.
- Manage patients with kidney diseases to stabilize health and minimize complications (independently or collaboratively).
- Collaborate effectively with interprofessional nephrology teams across the care continuum.
Minimum Requirements for Institutions Offering the NPNepN Program
- Essentiality Certificate: Institutions must obtain an Essentiality Certificate/Government Order from the State (exceptions apply for existing B.Sc./M.Sc. Nursing programs and MBBS/DNB programs).
- Hospital Affiliation: A parent hospital/tertiary care center with at least 200 beds is required, with a preference for attached medical/nursing colleges.
- Nephrology Unit Requirements: The hospital must have a dedicated nephrology ward (minimum 20 beds), a hemodialysis unit (minimum 10 beds), and ideally, a peritoneal dialysis unit (minimum 2 beds), along with scope for kidney transplant services.
- Staffing: Adequate nursing staff, including a Charge Nurse (B.Sc. or M.Sc. preferred) and specific nurse-patient ratios in the nephrology ward (1:6) and dialysis unit (1:1), plus a leave reserve.
- Faculty/Staff Resources: Qualified nursing and medical preceptors (1:10 student-preceptor ratio) and teaching faculty with M.Sc. degrees in relevant specialties are required. Guest lecturers for pharmacology and pathophysiology are also needed.
- Physical and Learning Resources: Dedicated classroom/conference room, skills lab, library, computer facilities, and e-learning resources are essential.
- Equipment: A specified list of equipment (Appendix 1, not included in the excerpt) must be available.
Student Recruitment/Admission Requirements
- Registered B.Sc./P.B.B.Sc. nurse with at least one year of clinical experience (preferably in nephrology).
- B.Sc./P.B.B.Sc. degree from a INC-recognized institution.
- Minimum 55% aggregate marks in the B.Sc. nursing program.
- Selection based on an entrance exam and interview.
- Physical fitness.
- Student intake: 1 candidate for every 3 dialysis beds and 5 in-patients in the nephrology unit.
In-service candidates receive their regular salary. Other candidates receive a stipend/salary as per the hospital’s salary structure.
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