FROM WEST TO EAST:ABOUT INDIAN NURSES

"We are looking for nurses working in U.A.E. or India. The girl should be God fearing. Our boy, male 28 who is handsome, is working as a supervisor in an electrical company in Sharjah having a family status. He belongs to a renowned family in Central Travancore. Interested parties do contact us" an ad or a matrimonial website.

Traditionally, not too many would advertise for a bride nurse. People thought they were dirty as they handled the sick and the poor. The society questioned thier chastity as they touched strange men unsupervised. Attitude haven't completely altered, but things certainly have changed for Indian nurses, especially those from Kerala. As they get better opportunities in the western nations (particularly US, UK, Canada, Australia or the new hot-spot Ireland), unlike the traditional destinations in the Middel East, and success and enexpected leverage.

Today, a woman can get more from nursing than almost any other career. Enough to change her family's life. She's being chased by eligible bachelors. What's more, she is even being wooed by the US government: on May 25 this year, Senate approved immigrations reforms that would, among other things, eliminate the restriction on the floodgates for indian nurses, who can now skip their stints in the Middle East and fly straight to the US. So, like the Engineers and the Doctors, a nurse can now hope to get a green card and American Citizenship.

Life is full of choice...choose carefully, read a poster at New Delhi's Fateh Institute-which is the first stop for several nurses on their final course to the West. These nurses, the majority of whom are Kerala, come determined to score high in English to get an easy entry to the U.S, which is witnessing a spiraling shortage of 100, 000 nurses. They have seen this dream come true for the drones of didis. With such opportunities, the desire of these budding nurses to work in developed nations hardly seems like one that needs to be made carefully-many of them feel it's no brainer.

This unwaivering certainly about the wonders of life in the west worries Suneet Singh Kochar, CEO, Fathe Institute. While he makes his money by helping nurses pass the English Test, he tries to get them to think realistically about the choices they make. That's why he has that poster to caution them. Many of the nurses return to tell him about their contracts, proud of promised salary. Kochar laments that the salary locks deceivingly high rupees. It's good pay, no doubt, but those dollars can't buy much in the U.S.

Kochar has also been researching the future changes that can make if difficult for nurses to find overseas jobs. He predicts that language standards will get stricter becasue of as lesson learned by United Knigdom. "Patients can understand Indian nurses there, "he says". And now they (in the UK) can easily get nurses from European countries. "Australia has already set high standards for allowing nurses into hospital and Ireland may follow suit. Within the next two years, Indian nurses will need to improve their language skills, accent and training in the western way of nursing.

But Kochar still sees a huge potential for Indian nurses and plans to expand his business to help nurses get jobs abroad. Currently, they have to go through recruiters after his institute helps them score high on the test. "Filipino nursing skills are not up to the mark..and China has a langauge barrier, "he says". "The world needs nurses and the biggest pocket is in India"

She sees the women, specially the younger women, using nursing as a way open the door for their families and to empower themselves to have more say in their lives. "They are able to negotiate in the in the couple, "Pecot says. many of the women she studied were adamant that their money spend on their own children, not a distant cousin. But Percot qualifies the findings of her researcher. "I won't say it is a revolution, "she says, "but at least they are able to negotiate certain things."

Nurse Smitha Chandran doesn't hesitate to give some money to her own family for holidays or if someone ill. "If I am earning, i can ask my husband with courage to help my family. He has never objected." says the 26-year old who came to Delhi several years ago with intention of going abroad. She wants to settle in Florida beacuae sh has friends there. She syas nurisng will be hard work in the U.S, but she'll get paid according to the American Nurse Association (ANA), 3.5% of US nurses are foreign born-that was over 100,000 in 2004 of whom half are from the Philippines, and 1.3% have an Indian diploma. in 2004, the average income was almost $60, 000 (Rs 27 lakh) a year, which is substantial although recruiting agencies often take a cut. But the nurses usually complete their initial contract and negotiate a much better pay, without any commissions invloved, the next time.

And all of this contributed to the movement of the nurses around the globe. But one shouldn't discount or forget the role played by Mother Teresa and Florence Nightingale in aiding this migration. Many Keralite nurses told Percot that the two were inspiration. Mother Teresa may have inspired the work itself, rising above any prejudices about helping the poor and the sick. And Nightingale showed the way to travelling around the world. As Chandran says "If we have knowledge and are brave, we have confidence."