More than 1 lakh nurses trained across India to fight against COVID-19

The 4-hour, free online course is accredited by major nursing associations of India, grants continuing education credits to qualified participants and offers practical, demonstration-based, and immediately applicable support.

To strengthen the fight against COVID-19, over 1 lakh nurses from various hospitals in the country have undergone skill development training in infection prevention and control in the COVID-19 crisis, use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the role of nurses in handling COVID-19 patients and self-care.

Initiated by Generation India, a youth employment not for profit organisation, along with its coalition partners, this 4-hour, free online course offers practical, demonstration-based, and immediately applicable support.

This free online course has reportedly been disseminated across 18 states and over one lakh nurses have already registered for this course.

The coalition included partners like Columbia Asia Hospital, who offered the medical content and Learnet Skills and UNESCO, who supported the launch and rolled out the course. Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) was the certification partner while healthcare bodies National Health Authority (NHA) and Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organisations (CAHO) were Strategic Partner (Public Health).

Other organisations such as Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Orion Edutech, DNC (Delhi Nursing Council), IPNA (Indian Professional Nurses Association) have also significantly contributed towards the dissemination of this course.

According to Arunesh Singh, CEO, Generation India, they worked with various nurses’ associations of India to get the programme accredited and published on their website, at no charge, so that the programme is available to as many nurses as possible. The programme also grants continuing education credits to qualified participants.

Several participants remarked on how helpful it is to have demonstration videos, which are not usually a component of nurses’ training. In particular, the content on roles and responsibilities of a nurse in handling COVID-19 and stress management has been especially well received.

The course can be accessed at https://www.generation.org/india-covid-19/.