PhD Nursing: Course Details, Eligibility, Admission, Fees

Lisha Gupta

PhD in Nursing in India is a full-time doctorate degree which deals in the field of Nursing for the betterment of Health care facilities. PhD Nursing is a research level program, where PhD Nursing course duration ranges from 3 to 5 years. Upon completion of this research level program, students will be able to find employment as a Director of Nursing, Rehabilitation Specialist, Critical Care Nurse, Nurse Manager, Community Health Specialist etc.

About PhD Nursing

This program helps students integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes from the areas of management, clinical practice, and generic areas of Nursing, and this is a major reason why get a PhD in Nursing. The course falls under the umbrella of PhD.

According to Wikipedia, "Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life.” 

Eligibility Criteria for PhD Nursing

The minimum eligibility for PhD in Nursing in India is a master's degree M.Sc./ M.Phil in Nursing with a minimum of 55% aggregate in the discipline passed from a recognized university. The candidates who have passed Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery from any institution recognized by the Indian Nursing Council are also allowed to join provided they have sufficient professional experience. Selection of the candidates for admission in PhD is done on the basis of entrance examination or merit. There is no age limit for the course.

How To Get Admission in a PhD Nursing?

To get admitted into the best universities for PhD Nursing, students must ensure that they satisfy the eligibility criteria. The PhD Nursing admission 2023 is generally on the basis of an entrance exam which is followed by a personal interview round conducted at the university or the college. Mentioned below is the general guidelines for the admission process:

How to Apply?

Students can understand the admissions process by going through PhD Nursing course details and descriptions online. Candidates can either reach the official website of the institute or can reach out the office of the institute to fill the application form. Candidates need to fill the application form and upload all the necessary documents which are asked in the form.

Selection Process

PhD in Nursing admission 2023 is strictly offered to only those candidates who clear the minimum cut-off. After completion of the process of application, go for the counselling round and attend the personal interview round to get your desired college. And the interview decides whether the candidate is allotted a seat or not.

Popular Entrance Exams for PhD Nursing

The applicants need to qualify the entrance examination conducted by UGC or state to secure a seat in top PhD Nursing colleges in India. Some of the top entrance exams students must give for admission to PhD Nursing are:

• JIPMER
• AIIMS PG
• NEET PG
• PGIMER

A Quick Glance at the PhD Nursing Entrance Exams

To get into the top PhD Nursing college in India, a candidate should clear the test. To prepare for the entrance exams, the candidates should know the course details, the syllabus, the question pattern, and should prepare according to it.

• Exam Pattern: It is divided into objective and subjective type questions of a total of 100 marks and total time duration is of 2 to 3 hours.
• The questions are asked from topics related to what they have studied at the time of your post-graduation.
• Students must have an exact idea of the syllabus of the entrance test and the type of questions that might be asked in the question paper
• The examination is subjective in nature and is designed to assess a candidate’s analytical and critical thinking abilities.

Top 10 PhD Nursing Colleges in India

Students can opt for the top government colleges for PhD Nursing in India or most premium colleges in India depending upon their ranking. Here is the list of PhD Nursing colleges in India for aspirants reference:

Fee Structure for PhD Nursing

The average PhD Nursing fees is around INR 10,000 to 2 LPA depending on the colleges or the universities offering PhD Nursing in India. The PhD nursing course fees may vary according to the college or university based on the type of institute, location, infrastructure, faculties, and facilities available. Listed below is the average annual fee for some colleges:

Syllabus and Subjects for PhD Nursing

There are both online Nursing PhD programs and part time PhD Nursing programs available for the graduates along with the full time course. PhD Nursing is a research-based doctoral course which involves researching in a particular domain of nursing. At the end of the course, the candidates will have to submit the research thesis to attain their PhD degrees. PhD in Nursing duration for three to five years. Some of the subjects covered in this course include Current Health Issues and Policies, Nursing Leadership, Nursing Informatics, Nursing Theories etc. Some of the compulsory subjects are:

• Nursing Leadership
• Nursing Informatics
• Nursing Theories and Theory Development
• Pathology and Genetics
• Medical-Surgical Nursing
• Community Health Nursing

Read More: PhD Nursing Syllabus and Subjects

Why Choose PhD Nursing?

Students often wonder about PhD Nursing details before choosing the course. Before deciding on a career, students come across queries like, "What is a PhD Nursing course?" and "Why choose PhD Nursing?”. To clearly understand the answers to these questions, we have framed the following three pointers:

What is PhD Nursing All About?

PhD Nursing courses in India is a three to five years full-time doctorate programme within the field of Nursing. This course contributes towards the development of knowledge and analytical skills of students and enhances their action and decision-making skills, which in turn provides them with a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

What Does a PhD Nursing Graduate Do?

After completion of this course, students easily get jobs as a Nursing Officer or Assistant Nursing Officer in numerous healthcare organizations or they can also choose to work as a Community Health Expert or Rehabilitation Specialist in a Rural/ Urban setting. With this program, aspirants will get a large number of opportunities to develop your own learning techniques through a series of educationally useful and challenging learning experiences

Assistant Nursing Officer: An Assistant Nursing Officer works under the directions of the Chief Nursing Officer to create an environment in which nursing staff will be able to perform their duties effectively.

Reasons Why PhD Nursing Can Fetch You a Rewarding Career?

There are a large number of benefits of PhD in Nursing courses. The completion of a PhD Nursing degree program is a notable achievement and is valued very highly both inside and outside of academia.

Career Scope and Options: Students can opt for jobs in numerous sectors such as Public Health Departments, Hospitals, Community Organizations, Wellness Centers, School Systems, Rural/ Urban Settings etc. on completion of this course. Successful professionals of this course are usually hired as Chief Nursing Officer, Rehabilitation Specialist, Critical Care Nurse, Nurse Manager, Community Health Specialist etc. 

Read More: PhD Nursing Job Opportunities & Scope

Preparation Tips for PhD Nursing

Having a PhD Nursing degree opens thriving career opportunities. Some tips for entrance exams are:

Get To Know The Syllabus: The syllabus of the course is something that a student should know, this helps the student to know how to perform at the time of the examination.

Time Management: This is the most important aspect of one’s preparation, so students must pay attention to this. Aspirants are advised to make a proper timetable and follow the same strictly to boost their preparation and perform well in the entrance test.

Practice Makes Perfect: Go through all the subjects and the modules that are taught in the duration of the course.

Salary of a PhD Nursing Graduate

The salary of a PhD holder will differ with field and position. As a fresher, the average salary ranges around INR 2 - 4.5 LPA [Source: Glassdoor]. It will increase up to INR 5 - 12 LPA [Source: Glassdoor], depending upon your skills and experience. This value is variable due to many factors like job designation and location.

Read More: PhD Nursing Salary

Career Options After PhD Nursing

There are a large number of job opportunities for Nurses qualified with a Nursing Degree. With a PhD degree in Nursing, students will be able to find jobs in the primary care, travel sector among several others. Here are some job positions available after PhD Nursing:

• Infection Control Nurse
• Nurse Manager
• Nursing Assistant Supervisor
• Junior Psychiatric Nurse
• Chief Nursing Officer
• Assistant Nursing Officer
• Critical Care Nurse

Skills That Make You The Best PhD Nursing Graduate

Just like every profession, there are some skills that aspirants need to have in Nursing. Must have skills are:

• Analytical Thinking
• Critical Thinking
• Good Management Skills
• Good Organizational Skills
• Research and Problem Solving Skills
• Strategic Communication Skills