Nurse Practitioner
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
A nurse with advanced training who assesses and manages patients with greater independence than general nursing allows. The scope of practice depends on the specific qualification and the employer.
- Route in
- Earliest entry: Undergraduate. Also entered at: Undergraduate, Postgraduate. With further study. 2 courses lead here
- Entry pay
- ₹20,000 – ₹40,000 / monthly Any experience
- Where you work
- Government and corporate hospitals (AIIMS, Apollo, Fortis), ICUs and specialty units
How people get in
Getting in
Earliest entry point. Undergraduate level.
Other levels people enter from. Undergraduate, Postgraduate.
How the role is usually reached. With further study.
Licence or registration. MANDATORY: registration with the State Nursing Council as a Registered Nurse / ANM.
Where people work
Outlook
Government and corporate hospitals (AIIMS, Apollo, Fortis), ICUs and specialty units.
Indicative starting salary
Understand the role
20,000 - 40,000 per month at entry level.
This is an indicative range, not a quote. Actual pay varies with employer, city, sector and the specific role.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology Required
The standard science entry for B.Sc Nursing.
B.Sc Nursing Required
Four years including the internship. The nurse practitioner route needs the degree; a GNM diploma on its own will not get you in.
Register with your State Nursing Council Required
RN RM registration, and it has to be current when you apply for a practitioner programme.
Build clinical experience in your intended specialty Required
Practitioner residencies ask for at least a year in post, and critical care programmes want that year to have been in an ICU. Get posted where you intend to specialise.
Nurse Practitioner residency Required
The Indian Nursing Council recognises a small number of practitioner programmes, of which Nurse Practitioner in Critical Care is the established one. It is a two-year residency, not a taught degree - you are working the whole time under supervision.
Practise at advanced scope Required
You take on assessment, ventilator and protocol-driven management work that a staff nurse cannot. Scope still varies by hospital, so ask exactly what you will be allowed to do before you accept a post.
Courses that lead here
2 mapped routes into this career.
What it pays
Indicative bands.
| Stage | Pay band | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Any experience | ₹20,000 – ₹40,000 / monthly | Varies by employer |
These are ranges, not offers. Pay varies by city, employer size, sector and your own skill more than by job title. Treat the band as the shape of the market, not as a number you can hold anyone to.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
What qualification do you need to become a Nurse Practitioner?
The earliest entry point is undergraduate level. People also enter from: Undergraduate, Postgraduate.
Where does a Nurse Practitioner usually work?
Government and corporate hospitals (AIIMS, Apollo, Fortis), ICUs and specialty units.
What does a Nurse Practitioner earn to start?
20,000 - 40,000 per month is a typical entry-level range. Pay varies with employer, city and sector.
Does a Nurse Practitioner need a licence or registration?
MANDATORY: registration with the State Nursing Council as a Registered Nurse / ANM.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.