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What is BSN? How to become a Nurse in Pakistan? and why?


The nursing profession remained one of the most ignored professions in Pakistan in the past. In the recent past, however, the profession has been developing enormously and has tremendous growth opportunities for the youngsters who wish to join this profession. This post would answer the following questions in in English and Urdu. 

Why one should join the Nursing profession?

Every problem is an opportunity. The problem is that the nursing profession remained ignored in Pakistan in the past. But this problem is also an opportunity for the youth of today. Nursing is an excellent profession to join based on the following points:

  1. The transformation from Diploma to BSN: The General Nursing Diploma has been transformed into the BSN degree recently. This transition is expected to upgrade the standards and image of the nursing profession in Pakistan and abroad. 
  2. Job Opportunities: At present, there is a severe shortage of nurses in Pakistan. This means that there are a lot of job opportunities in Pakistan. One would rarely hear that a nurse is unemployed.
  3. Demand Abroad: There is a high demand for competent nurses out of Pakistan as well. For example, see these job opportunities for Pakistani nurses in Oman, in The United Kingdom.
  4. Growth Opportunities: There are good growth opportunities in the nursing profession. Soon after completing your BSN degree, you can become a Registered Nurse. Later, you can be a Nursing Instructor, an Assistant Professor, a Professor of Nursing or a Director Nursing Education etc at the nursing education services or a Head Nurse, a Nursing Supervisor, a Nursing Superintendent, a Chief Nursing Superintendent, Director Nursing or Director-General Nursing etc at the clinical nursing services. More interestingly, you can be a nursing researcher as well while working in these positions.
  5. Higher Qualification Opportunities: By joining the nursing profession, one can acquire a higher qualification in the field of nursing, for example, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a PhD in Nursing.   
  6. Less Competition: Other common carriers in Pakistan, like medicine and engineering, are too saturated with superfluously high competition. Whereas, like physiotherapy and pharmacy, nursing is an emerging field with less saturation.
  7. Less likely to be affected by automation and artificial intelligence: Many jobs around the world are expected to be replaced by automation and artificial intelligence. Nursing is one of those professions which is less likely to be replaced by automation and artificial intelligence in the near future.



نرسنگ کا شعبے کیوں جوائن کیا جائے؟

  1. حال ہی میں نرسنگ ڈپلومہ کو بی ایس این ڈگری میں تبدیل کر دیا گیا ہے جس وجہ سے مستقبل میں پاکستان میں نرسنگ کے شعبے کے معیار اورساکھ میں بہت بہتری آنے کی امید ہے۔ 
  2. اس وقت پاکستان میں نرسز کی شدید کمی ہے۔ جس کا مطلب ہے کہ نرسنگ کے شعبے میں ملازمت کے بہت سے مواقع ہیں۔ آپ شاذو نادر ہی سنیں گے کہ کوئی نرس بے روزگار ہے۔  
  3. بیرونی ممالک میں بھی نرسز کی بہت زیادہ مانگ ہے۔
  4.  نرسنگ کے شعبہ کو جوائن کر کے آپ نا صرف ایک نرس بن سکتے ہیں بلکہ بہت نرسنگ کے شعبہ میں اور بھی بہت سے اعلی عہدوں پر فائز ہونے کے ساتھ ساتھ ایک تحقیقکار بھی بن سکتے ہیں۔ 
  5. نرسنگ کے شعبے میں نا صرف بی ایس این بلکہ مزید اعلی تعلیم بھی حاسل کی جا سکتی ہے۔ جیسا کہ ایم ایس سی نرسنگ اور پی ایچھ ڈی نرسنگ۔
  6.  پاکستان میں میڈیسن اور انجنیرینگ کے شعبوں میں ضرورت سے زیادہ مقابلہ بازی چل رہی ہے۔ جبکہ فزیوتھیراپی، اور فارمیسی کی طرح نرسنگ ایک ابھرتا ہوا شعبہ ہے جس میں ترقی کرنے کی کافی گنجائش ہے۔
  7.  امید کی جاتی ہے کہ مستقبل میں دنیا میں بہت سی ملازمتوں کی جگہ آٹومیشن اور مصنوئی ذہانت لے لے گی۔ لیکن مستقبل قریب میں نرسنگ کے شعبے میں ایسا ہونے کی بہت کم امید ہے۔




How to join the nursing profession in Pakistan?

After the discontinuation of the General Nursing Diploma, a BSN degree is the only option to join the nursing profession in Pakistan. The General Nursing diploma has been stopped and 2018 was the last year for admissions in the diploma programme. Therefore, one needs to get admission in the BSN programme to join the nursing profession in Pakistan. After getting a BSN degree and gaining a license from the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) one can become a Registered Nurse.


پاکستان میں نرسنگ کے شعبہ کو کیسے جوائن کیا جا سکتا ہے؟

پاکستان میں چار سالہ نرسنگ ڈپلومہ 2018 میں بند کر دیا گیا ہے۔ اب پاکستان میں نرسنگ کے شعبہ کو جوائن کرنے کا واحد راستہ بی ایس سی نرسنگ (بی ایس این) کی ڈگری حاصل کرنا ہے۔ بی ایس این کی ڈگری کے بعد پاکستان نرسنگ کونسل (پی این سی) سے آپ ایک رجسٹرڈ نرس کے طور پر کام کرنے کا لائسنس حاصل کر سکتے ہیں۔



What does a registered nurse mean?

A Registered Nurse (RN), in Pakistan, means a male or a female nurse who is registered with the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC).  After getting a BSN degree, a nurse applies for registration with PNC. PNC verifies the credentials of the candidate and issues a license/card to the candidate. The PNC license allows a person to work as a nurse in any healthcare setting in Pakistan or abroad.

Many people get confused between the terms that are used to denote a registered nurse. The term Nurse, Registered Nurse, Charge Nurse, or Staff Nurse is used to denote a registered nurse in different settings across Pakistan.




ایک رجسٹرڈ نرس کا کیا مطلب ہے؟

پاکستان میں رجسٹرڈ نرس سے مراد ایک ایسی فیمیل یا میل نرس ہے جو پاکستان نرسنگ کونسل سے رجسٹرڈ ہو۔ بی ایس این کی ڈگری حاصل کرنے کے بعد نرسز پی این سی سے لائسنس حاصل کرنے کے لئیے اپلائے کرتے ہیں۔ پی این سی نرسز کی قابلیت کی جانچ پڑتال کر کے ان نرسز کو لائسنس جاری کرتی ہے۔ ایک رجسٹرڈ نرس کے لئیے پاکستان کے مختلف حصوں میں سٹاف نرس، چارج نرس، یا نرس، کی اصطلاحات استعمال ہوتی ہیں۔



What is a BSN degree?

BSN stands for Bachelor of Science in Nursing. It is a four-year degree programme that is offered in an institution that is affiliated with a university. The BSN programme of that institution must be recognized by the Pakistan Nursing Council. After the completion of their four-year academics in a university, a candidate of BSN programme must complete a one-year mandatory internship in a hospital.

The terms BSN, BScN, Generic, Generic BSN, BS Nursing, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing are used to denote the same programme. Whereas, Post-RN BScN is a different programme that is offered to the registered nurses who already have a general nursing diploma; hence the name: Post-Registered Nurse BScN (Post-RN BScN).



بی ایس این کی ڈگری کیا ہے؟

بی ایس این کا مطلب ہے بیچلر آف سائنس ان نرسنگ۔ بی ایس این چار سالہ ڈگری پروگرام ہے جو ایک ایسا ادارہ آفر کرسکتا ہے جو کسی یونیورسٹی سے الحاق شدہ ہو۔ اس ادارے کے بی ایس این پروگرام کا پاکستان نرسنگ کونسل سے منظورشدہ ہونا بھی ضروری ہے۔ چار سالہ ڈگری کے مکمل ہونے کے بعد بی ایس این کے طلبہ کے لئیے کسی ہسپتال میں ایک سالہ انٹرنشپ مکمل کرنا بھی ضروری ہے۔ بی ایس این پروگرام کے لئیے جو اور اصطلاحات استعمال ہوتی ہیں وہ یہ ہیں: بی ایس این، بی ایس سی این، جنیرک، جنیرک بی ایس این، بی ایس نرسنگ، یا بیچلر آف سائنس ان نرسنگ۔ ان سب اصطلاحات کا ایک ہی مطلب ہے۔ جبکہ پوسٹ آر این بی ایس این ایک مختلف پروگرام ہے جو کہ ان رجسٹرڈ نرسز کو آفر کیا جاتا ہے جن کے پاس پہلے سے نرسنگ ڈپلومہ موجود ہو۔


How to get admission in the BSN programme in Pakistan?

In order to get admission in the BSN programme in any nursing institution in Pakistan, one must fulfil the following eligibility criteria that have been developed by the Pakistan Nursing Council:

  • Qualification: FSc (Pre-Medical) with 50% minimum marks (Physics, Chemistry & Biology as compulsory subjects)
  • Age Limit: 17-25 years
  • Gender: Male/Female *

*(Earlier, the gender ratio was “Female 90% and Male 10%”. However, through a letter issued by PNC on 19th March 2019, the gender ratio was made open for both genders. Whereas, in the same letter PNC stated that the provinces have the flexibility for fluctuations in the gender ratio according to their objective conditions under intimation to PNC.)



      بی ایس این پروگرام میں داخلہ کیسے حاصل کیا جائے؟

      بی ایس این میں داخلہ حاصل کرنے کے لئے پاکستان نرسنگ کونسل کی طے شدہ اہلیت کی شرائط مدرجہ ذیل ہیں:
      تعلیم: ایف ایس سی (پری میڈیکل) میں کم سے کم 50٪ نمبر (فزکس، کمیسٹری، اور بیالوجی لازمی مضامین)
      عمر کی حد: 17 سے 25 سال
      جنس: مرد یا عورت



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