Opportunities for caregivers

Pervin Malhotra 

Q. I completed my Diploma in General Nursing five years ago. After working for three years, I had to leave my job to look after my ailing mother who lives in Chennai. While attending to her,  I would now like to pursue some additional course that can help me move into training or counselling patients or even working as a caregiver. I would prefer not to work in a hospital. Any suggestions — preferably in or around Chennai? — Savitha Appaswamy

A. Here’s something you could consider, given your present situation. With over 65 million Indians (including children) being affected by diabetes, India has acquired the dubious distinction of being labelled as the diabetes capital of the world.

Diabetes management rests on four main pillars: diet, exercise, drugs and education.

Doctors don’t always have the time to educate patients on the specific intricacies of prevention and management. And this is where the role of ‘nurse educator’ comes in. While nurses are very good in general nursing, they may not have in-depth knowledge of diabetes.

In Chennai, you could check out the Deakin-DMDEA course which aims at bridging the doctor-patient gap by equipping trained nurses with the knowledge to become educators, in addition to being care-givers.

The six modules (one per month), address various aspects that a nurse educator needs to be familiar with, including nutrition, exercise, type and dose of medication, blood glucose monitoring as well as mental-health issues, such as the interplay between depression and diabetes.

To qualify for the programme, students must have completed their Diploma in General Nursing & Midwifery, or be in their final year of B.Sc. Nursing. Those who have completed, or are currently pursuing M.Sc. in Nursing are also eligible to apply.

The all-inclusive tuition fee is Rs 5,000. If you’re interested in joining the inaugural batch starting February 21, apply by February 10 on the following link: http://diabetescourses.in/non_physicican.html#cdne

High-flying dreams

Q.I am from a village in Punjab, but dream of becoming an airhostess. Do you think my rural background will hamper my progress? Will I need to take an expensive training course? Is it fine to be a little plump? — Arpita Majitha

A. No one can stop you from becoming a wonderful airhostess (or whatever else you fancy), except yourself!

The Bharat-India divide is fast closing in and you’ll be surprised by the number of applicants from rural and small towns queuing up for cabin crew jobs. No one is saying that it’s easy. But if you have the grit and determination you can surely get your wings for this high flying job.

With the market saturating for urban girls, airhostess training institutes are targeting rural and tribal girls along with those from lower income homes in urban areas. Of the tens of thousands of girls enrolled in different training schools, the majority are from small towns. Some are even class toppers who want to pursue a career in the airlines. .

The reasons for this trend are relaxed eligibility criteria, good pay packages, charm of flying and easy availability of loans. The availability of finance options and bank tie-ups for loans has brought the training fee within the reach of many young girls. Parents are willing to pay because of the attractive salaries that airhostesses can fetch.

However, it’s not mandatory to join these institutes. Nothing stops you from applying to the airline companies directly. In any case, they will train you in-house before you are ready to serve on board.

Try and knock-off the puppy fat if you’re really serious about getting in. You have the wings to fly; your just need to realise that you do.

Prospects for biology students

Q. I took physics, chemistry and biology in Class XI because I was not comfortable with maths or commerce. Besides medicine what are the prospects for biology students? — Geetanjali Dwivedi

A. Besides all systems of medicine, Biology finds wide applications in microbiology, genetics, agriculture, forestry, forensic sciences, biotechnology and environmental studies. If not medicine or para-medicine, you can pursue BSc in Botany or Zoology, Home Science or in specialized courses such as BSc in Genetics, Microbiology, Environmental Science, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Biomedical Studies or B. Pharma.

BSc courses in Life Science / Biological Science focuses on the more modern aspects of biology in an integrated manner.     

After graduation, BSc Biology students have the option of choosing higher (PG) studies in agriculture (e.g. in plant breeding or pathology), molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences or life sciences. M.Sc. in Botany or Zoology, followed by B.Ed, is popular, especially among girls, for becoming teachers in schools.

If you’re more ambitious, you can pursue a Ph.D. and opt for teaching at College / University level, or join a research institute as a scientist.

Biology students with the requisite aptitude can also compete for Indian Forest Service and other central services. There are openings for biologists in biotechnology and environmental management organizations as well.