Bangalore company steps in to help nurse US dreams

As to why the US would want to recruit nurses from India, the answer is that they have a shortage of them. ‘‘Locals do not view it as a career. There is a huge senior citizen population. And most importantly, Indian nurses are better equipped in terms of medical knowledge. The curriculum is on par with that of the US,’’ says Nurses Anytime’s director of India operations Revathi Sunkara.

After selection, the free training programme includes cross-culture etiquettes, grooming and mock sessions of emergencies and NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses). ‘‘Nurses are not allowed to grow their nails. Looks do not matter in India. But in the US, they need to present themselves well,’’ adds Gloria, a student. The candidates sign a two-year bond after which they are free to either come back or stay there or, maybe even, shift their profession. ‘‘We have to pay for our families’ visa processing, which I think is absolutely fair,’’ says Gloria.

‘‘Nursing is not a highly paid profession, so we don’t want to burden the candidates by charging them extra. But we are supported by the hospitals themselves,’’ says Revathi, of their free training programme.