Govt to conduct CBT for 5,204 staff nurse vacancies in Telangana

Hyderabad: In a move to streamline the process of hiring staff nurses for various sectors, the Health Department has decided to conduct the appointment process online via Computer-Based Testing (CBT). Exam centers have been established in Hyderabad, Warangal, Khammam, and Nizamabad districts, with exams scheduled to take place in the next one or two months.

The examination paper is being prepared by Medical and Health while the examination will be conducted by Hyderabad JNTU. According to reports, the exam will be conducted in two sessions on the same day. The exam will have a maximum of 80 points, and 20 additional points will be given to employees serving on contract and outsourcing.

With a huge demand for staff nurse vacancies, there have been 40,936 applications received for 5,204 vacancies so far, meaning eight candidates are competing for each vacancy. The pay scale for these vacancies ranges between Rs 36,750 and Rs 1,06,990, which has made the jobs highly sought after.

Candidates have already begun receiving coaching to improve their chances of success. Experts have advised candidates to prepare for the examination curriculum, which includes 14 topics of Anatomy and Physiology, six topics of Micro-Biology, and other areas such as first aid, psychology, sociology, basic principles of nursing, community health nursing, environmental hygiene, health education and communication skills, diet, medical surgical nursing, mental health nursing, child health nursing, midwifery, gynaecological nursing, nursing education, introduction to research, professional orientation and adjustment, nursing administration and ward management.

Employees working in tribal areas will be allotted 2.5 points for every six months, while those working in non-tribal areas will be allotted 2 points. The online examination process is expected to be beneficial in reducing the time taken for recruitment and increasing efficiency in the process.

The shortage of healthcare staff is a longstanding issue in India, particularly in rural and remote areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted this issue and increased the demand for healthcare workers.