The education industry has undergone a sea change in recent times. With latest technologies and teaching techniques emerging on a daily basis, the industry is now seen as one of the most fertile areas to develop a career in. Unlike other industry, the education industry is one where women have always had a dominating share at handling managerial and administrative roles, as it is a known fact that women are better teachers & managers. This can be attributed to the diverse characteristics a woman possesses such as caring, compassionate, patient, perseverance, and strong will power to name a few.

Dr. S Vasantha (Principal, Bhaarath College of Nursing) is one such educational industry leader who is taking their college to greater heights by leveraging her vast industry experience to guide students in their academic journeys and create a better society for the future. Siliconindia Education recently had an opportunity to interact with Dr.S.Vasantha about her professional journey so far and her college. Below are the excerpts –

Tell us about your educational and professional background so far.
I started my UG in 1994 and completed in 1998. After my UG degree, I started my career in the teaching field. Later on, I went on to pursue my PG in 2005 and PhD in 2014, and again got back to my teaching career. During this period, I have also handled various administrative & managerial roles, and have a total of 22 years of experience in the teaching and administrative fields. I garnered experience in the administrative field while I was working as an Associate Professor. This included areas such as admission and managerial works across various colleges in Chennai.

I joined Bhaarath College of Nursing in the year 2021 as Principal and continue to hold that role till date. I have presented and published many papers at National and International forum. I have guided PhD students in various Universities and currently I am guiding PhD students under Bhaarath

University. I am also an editor and reviewer in various National and International journals. I am one among the panel of inspectors with Indian Nursing council, Tamil Nadu Nurses and Midwives Council and The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University for the past 10 years.

What are the various roles and responsibilities that you handle at Bhaarath College of Nursing? Also, how does your vast industry expertise help you in your daily routine?
My role as a Principal and Administrator involves monitoring the teaching of our faculty members and ensuring the effectiveness of the teaching methodologies involved in the process. Additionally, I also make sure that every student gets the necessary clinical experience in every particular area. We also have our own parent hospital, wherein personnel from College of Nursing and from hospital help to ensure that our students get the necessary clinical experience and gain as much knowledge and practical skill as possible. In addition to this I hold various roles like NAAC coordinator, Faculty recruitment committee member, Hostel enquiry committee member and Board of studies member in Nursing Research. I also act as a point of contact between various Department personnel of Bhaarath University and ensure that the dayto-day functions are carried-out in a hassle-free way.

Tell us about Bhaarath College of Nursing and its inception story.
Bhaarath College of Nursing is one of the constitute colleges run by Bhaarath Institute of Higher Education & Research(Deemed-to-be-University), a University with 40 years of excellence. Bhaarath College of Nursing was started in 2020-21. We have all the modern technologies in place and follow the latest teaching techniques in both theory and practical sessions. Our parent hospital Bhaarath Medical College and Hospital is a super specialty hospital wherein students can get hands-on experience of all the aspects of the health care industry. ‘Learning by Doing’ and ‘Self-Guided Learning’ are the two very important methodologies that we encourage among our students. They are encouraged to be a part of various National & International forums and even to do research as well. We also have a Journal Club in our college where these research papers are presented as well.

We conduct many health programs by our students, in our college and in the hospital for the general public. Additionally, we also conduct many community health programs for the public to create awareness on prevention, promotion and rehabilitation of current and emerging health issues. This programmes ensure our students to get hands-on experience of how the health industry functions.

How do you see the nursing training industry in India evolving in recent times?
The Nursing industry has undergone a thorough metamorphosis post the Covid pandemic, as the industry now is completely different from what it used to be before the pandemic. People now clearly understand the role of Nurses in the healthcare industry. Being focused on value & competency based education, we want to update ourselves and our students and train them accordingly. Also, keeping in mind the human integrity, dignity and social justice, we want to produce efficient nursing personnel based on these core values to serve the society better in the future.

What is the future roadmap set for yourself as well as your college?
Going forward, I am planning to do a PostDoctoral degree in the future. My vision is to produce highly competitive and efficient healthcare workforce to the society.

Dr. S Vasantha, Principal, Bhaarath College of Nursing
A PhD holder, Dr. Vasantha has over 22 years of experience in teaching and administrative fields. Having presented many papers at various National & International conferences and seminars, she guides PhD students in their academic journey and a panel of inspector in Indian Nursing council, Tamil Nadu Nurses and Midwives Council and The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University for the past 10 years.