Dr. Sunita Srivastava is a highly qualified and experienced nursing professional. She holds a BSc, MSc, and PhD in Nursing. Her undergraduate studies were completed at the College of Nursing, AFMC, Pune, in 2004. She pursued her postgraduate studies at the National Institute of Nursing Education, PGI Chandigarh, in 2009. She obtained her PhD in Nursing from the Indian Nursing Council Consortium at Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in 2020.

Sunita Srivastava has a diverse range of research interests, including oncology nursing, nursing education, nursing practice, objective structured clinical examination, nursing competence, the welfare of nursing staff and faculty, and nursing student issues. Her PhD research focused on the development and validation of a "Clinical Competence self-assessment tool" for upcoming nursing graduates of selected nursing colleges.

She has extensive work experience in various academic and administrative roles. She has worked as a nursing tutor, acting vice principal, assistant professor, professor cum vice principal, principal, and associate dean in different nursing institutions across India. She has also served as a professor at Amity College of Nursing, Amity University, Manesar, Haryana, since June 2020, and later became the professor and principal at the same institution from August 2022 onwards.

Amity University, Gurgaon

Being Head of Department, How do you ensure students have holistic exposure not just academics?

Amity Nursing College ensures the overall development of the student by engaging them in innovative extracurricular activities, including creative talent display by posters, rangoli, art and craft, university fest, and sports meet. Ample opportunities and exposure to the events organized by the universities and organizations in and around them.

How do you try to bring in a practical approach towards subjects and how students get practical experience from studying the subject?

The nursing arts lab is equipped with all the mannequins and other articles to provide hands-on practical experience in labs.  Objective structured Clinical examination is being practiced for all the nursing specialities.The students are encouraged to observe the best practices in the best corporate and public hospitals in and around the university. 

What are the best practices offered by the department to the students which help them gain the necessary skills?

  1. Evidence-based nursing practice and education: the students are given the best EBP in the Nursing industry. They are taught how to incorporate it into practice so as to practice standard-based nursing practice.
  2. Continuing education for the nursing faculty aims to encourage them to continue education and to keep them abreast of the recent changes in the field of nursing education and practice.
  3. Soft skills: effective communication is the key to effective nursing practice. The students are given the best training for soft skills. Mock drills, mock interviews, and mock sessions enhance their soft skills.
  4. Focus on bridging the gap between nursing education and practice by imbibing the best available nursing education technologies.
  5. Integration of technology in nursing education: the nursing students are exposed to the best technology for teaching, including LCD projectors, simulation, gamification, augmentation, etc.
  6. Teamwork and Collaboration motivate the students and faculty to work as a team. The core values of the team are taught to them from time to time. They are given group projects so as to make them future-ready.

How do you help your student to cope up with the competition being so high in the outside world?

Integration of technology into nursing education and simulation-based lab training for nursing students Their exposure and clinical posting to the best corporate and public hospitals in and around the university are given so that they are abreast of the latest technology and developments. The experts' talks are organized from time to time for the faculty and students to keep them aware of the standards they are expected to meet in the future.

What do you see as the department’s/ college’s greatest strengths and how it helps students to excel?

The nursing arts lab with all the infrastructure for the OSCE and the well-trained and highly qualified nursing teachers are the strengths of the department. It enables the students to get the best exposure to the field of nursing in the industry and to learn from qualified teachers of the nursing fraternity.

Can you share some success stories of your students/Alumni?

The nursing students have been participating in various national-level competitions. The ACON students represented themselves at the Trained Nurses Association of India and bagged the first, second, and consolation prizes in the poster competition on "Breast Feeding: A Key to Sustainable Development." There are numerous stories from Amity Nursing College. We have a sterling placement record of 100% in reputed corporate and government hospitals and organizations in and outside the country. A few of them are mentioned below:

Ms. Priyanka Chaudhary, after completing her Msc Nursing (2015 pass out), was selected as a lieutenant in Military Nursing Services.

Disha Sharma, Bsc Nursing (2020 pass out), was selected as a staff nurse at an NHS hospital in Plymouth, United Kingdom.

Lala Ram Yadav, Msc (N) 2018-20 batch, was selected as a nursing officer in AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

Nandita Jana (2017–21) is a staff nurse at the NHS hospital in Plymouth, United Kingdom.

Saurabh (Bsc Nursing, 2017–21) is a nursing officer at ESI Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad.

Kanishka Tyagi, Bsc (N), 2017-21 pass out, nursing officer, AIIMS, Nagpur

Fazal Ur Rehman, (2019-21) Pass out, staff nurse, NHS hospital, United Kingdom

What valuable advice would you like to the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead?

A nursing career is exclusively dependent on the sincerity and dedication of nursing students toward patient care. The transition from an individual to a professional nurse is a continuous, ongoing effort that needs impetus from mentors and the care environment. The student nurse should have an unquenching thirst for knowledge, compassion, and the well-being of the patient. One must join nursing with dedication, commitment, and a desire to bring about change in the lives of patients and the community.