If there is one thing that helps us in staying motivated and pushes us towards achieving our goals is determination. This determination decides a person’s fate of being successful in achieving a particular goal. Here, the story, which The Knowledge Review is going to present, is of sheer determination, passion, faith, hard work, and commitments. We would like you to meet Dr.Unmona Borgohain Saikia, the Principal of Asian Institute of Nursing Education, Guwahati, Assam.
Dr. Saikia completed her B.Sc. Nursing from Regional College of Nursing Gauhati in 1994. Later, she completed M.Sc. from SNDT Women’s University in 1999, Mumbai and was awarded Ph.D. degree from Gauhati University in 2010. She also acquired Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Hospital Management course from IGNOU New Delhi in 2011and in 2015, she completed M. Sc. Psychotherapy and Counseling from IPMS, Mumbai. Till now the story seems simple, but Dr. Saikia had to overcome many hurdles in her life to reach, where she is now.
In the first year itself, she lost the interest and decided not to pursue Nursing anymore. But, she kept her determination and completed four years. Yet, she was still confused about what to do with this profession. Further, when acquired a job as a Bed Side Nurse in a Govt. Hospital, she was shocked to see that the methodologies learned, were so much different from that being practiced. Once again, she wanted to quit.
Once more, against all odds, she kept her commitments and enrolled for M.Sc. (Nursing) in SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai for post-graduation. Here, she learned detailed Nursing theory and practices in different Hospitals at Mumbai. She was also presented with exciting new subjects. These were educational psychology, educational philosophy, and Management. According to her, ‘these subjects transformed me to the one full Nursing Professional’. This was the time, when she considered guiding young professionals to practice the best of standards.
After M.Sc. (Nursing), she joined GNRC-a Premier Multispecialty Hospital in the North East India- as a Nursing Head with added responsibilities as a Quality Control Officer and Management Representative of Quality Assurance. There, for two years, she supervised Quality Monitoring and handled the Nursing Department’s training. Later on, eminent Neurologist and Entrepreneur, CMD of GNRC Hospitals, Dr. N. C. Borah proposed her to guide a Nursing College herself, to meet the acute demand of graduate Nurses. This was the moment for Dr. Saikia, where her dream and vision for AINE sprouted.
Alongside struggles, Dr. Saikia has bagged many noteworthy recognitions in her successful career. She has been awarded from Assam Nursing council for academic achievement on International Nurses day 2011 and Academic Award for contribution in research by GNRC in 2010. She has initiated the concept of “In-service Nursing” education in Assam and introduced professional Homecare Nursing Module in Gauhati. She is a Certified Lead Auditor ISO 9000:2000 by BSI, New Delhi and CPQIH course as NABH Consultant. In her professional life, she has presented a large number of papers in conferences at the Local and National Level and published various Articles in Scientific and General Magazines.
About Asian Institute of Nursing Education (AINE)
AINE is a pioneer Private Nursing Institute in the North Eastern Region to start Graduate Nursing Programme. Recently, it has started “Nurse Practitioner in Critical Care” course, (first time in the entire North Eastern Region), which would render the qualified Nurses to be well trained and legally empowered to practice independently. Starting with a mere 30 students only, the Institute now educates about 300 students each year in five different courses. Within the next 10/12 months, its mission is to boost up the women’s power and educate more female aspirants in different paramedical courses.
Since 2004, the Institute is imparting Quality Nursing Education via B.Sc. (N) Course M.Sc. (N) course and Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing course. The Institution also offers Ph.D. Guide in Nursing and two more courses viz. Nurse Practitioner in Critical Care and Oncology Nursing. The Institute’s Graduates have a brilliant track record of accomplishment of 100 % placements since inception and securing uninterruptedly the top positions in the two affiliated Universities.
Expert Faculties constantly guide the Students of AINE and External Faculties are invited from different places like Kolkata and Mumbai. It undertakes various Social Activities and Health Camps for the awareness and welfare of the Rural People of this region. The students are always encouraged in co-curricular activities to develop their overall performances and leadership qualities. Further, Silicon India Education Magazine recognized AINE in The 20 Most Promising Nursing Colleges of India, 2018 and in 2019, rated it as Most Promising Nursing Institute of India.
Looking to the Future
Talking about the future, Dr. Saikia asserts, “I would like to see myself as a Torchbearer in the Noble Profession of Nursing in the path shown by Florence Nightingale and to disseminate the knowledge I gathered so far among the upcoming Nurses so that they can serve the mankind in the perfect way. I also want to see AINE as the epitome of light and strength for the profession”.
