Haryana Staff Nurse Recruitment 2026: Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Syllabus and Preparation Guide

Staff Nurse is the backbone post of nursing care in Haryana's government hospitals, community health centres and medical colleges. If you have completed your nursing training and want a permanent government job with a clear service structure, this is one of the most common entry points. The work is demanding and it is real patient care; the recruitment, however, is a standard written-test process that rewards steady study of nursing subjects along with basic general knowledge.

This guide explains how Haryana Staff Nurse recruitment generally works, who is eligible, what the selection stages look like, a subject-wise syllabus, sample questions with explanations, and a study plan. Recruitment details (which body, how many posts, dates, marks) differ from one advertisement to the next, so we tell you to verify them in the current notice instead of guessing.

Latest notification and how recruitment cycles work

Nursing posts in Haryana are filled through more than one channel, and it matters which one you apply to:

• Regular government posts in the Health Department, filled through the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) or another agency named by the government in a given cycle. Confirm the recruiting body in the advertisement.
• Contract or National Health Mission (NHM) posts, filled by the mission or district health societies on a contractual basis, often through a merit-based process with a shorter cycle.
• Institution-specific recruitment by medical universities and colleges, such as those attached to the state's medical education system, which advertise their own nursing posts.

A regular Staff Nurse post is different from a contract post in terms of tenure and benefits, so read the notice carefully. Many advertisements are separate for Staff Nurse (Female) and Staff Nurse (Male), with different vacancy counts. You can watch pareeksha.in exam news for new notices.

What the job is and a day in the role

A Staff Nurse provides bedside and clinical care under the supervision of doctors and nursing superintendents. Duties typically include:

• Taking vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure) and recording them accurately.
• Giving medicines, injections and intravenous fluids as prescribed, and monitoring the patient's response.
• Wound care, catheterisation, dressings, oxygen therapy, and assisting in procedures and minor surgeries.
• Admitting and discharging patients, maintaining case sheets and nursing notes, and following infection-control protocols.
• In maternity units, labour rooms and paediatric wards: monitoring mother and newborn, assisting in delivery, immunisation support.
• In community health centres and primary health centres: outreach, national health programmes, and health education.

Work is done in shifts (morning, evening, night), including weekends and holidays. It is physically and emotionally demanding, and it involves close contact with patients and families. Many nurses find it a deeply meaningful career, but you should be ready for shift work.

Post and vacancy structure

We do not quote vacancy counts because they change every cycle. The general structure:

Aspect	How it usually works
Post	Staff Nurse (Female) and Staff Nurse (Male), sometimes advertised separately
Department	Health, and in some cases Medical Education and Research
Group	Group C in most cases (verify in advertisement)
Recruitment unit	State-wide or district-wise, as the notice specifies
Reservation	As per Haryana rules, including for ESM, PwD and Haryana residents

If the advertisement gives separate posts for female and male nurses, apply only under the one that matches your category. Check whether the posting is in general hospitals or specific facilities.

Eligibility

Educational qualification

The typical qualification is one of the following, from a recognised institution:

• Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM), or
• B.Sc. Nursing (four-year degree) or post-basic B.Sc. Nursing, recognised by the Indian Nursing Council (INC).

Some advertisements also accept a specified equivalent or additional qualification. If the notice asks for a certain percentage, apply the same to your GNM or degree marks.

Registration with the nursing council

You must be registered with a State Nurses and Midwives Registration Council, and Haryana notices generally ask for registration with the Haryana Nurses and Nurses Midwives Registration Council or another recognised council. If you did your training in another state, you may need registration or a transfer of registration in Haryana before joining, or by the date the advertisement specifies. Confirm this early, because council processes can take time.

Language requirement

Haryana government posts usually require Hindi or Sanskrit studied up to Matric standard. Check the advertisement for this and any exception.

Age limit

There is a minimum age (commonly 18) and a maximum age on a reckoning date, with relaxations for SC, BC, EWS, ESM, PwD and government employees as per the state rules. The notice gives exact numbers.

Nationality and domicile

Indian citizenship is required. Haryana recruitment usually gives preference or reservation to residents of Haryana, and reserved-category candidates need certificates in the state's format. If you are from outside Haryana, read the notice to see whether you may apply and under which category.

Application process

1. Register on the recruiting body's portal and complete the profile.
2. Select the advertisement and the correct post (Female or Male).
3. Enter educational details, council registration details, category and other details.
4. Upload photograph, signature and documents.
5. Pay the fee. Amounts differ by category and notice, so verify in the notification.
6. Download the application and keep the payment receipt.

Documents: Class 10 certificate (date of birth), Class 12 marksheet (as required), GNM or B.Sc. Nursing certificates and marksheets, council registration certificate, category and residence certificates, ID proof and, where applicable, experience certificate. Watch spelling differences between certificates, which is a common issue in nursing recruitment because names can be written differently in council and university records.

Selection stages

The stages depend on the cycle. The common pattern:

1. Written examination. An objective test with nursing subjects and general topics. Where the notice uses a common eligibility test for the general portion, it will say so.
2. Merit list. Based on the written test marks and any weightage such as experience or additional qualification, as stated in the notice.
3. Document verification. Originals of educational, registration and category certificates are checked.
4. Medical examination, where required.

For contract or NHM posts, selection is often based on academic marks plus experience, with or without an interview. Treat this as "typical structure, verify".

Detailed syllabus

The nursing portion is typically at GNM and B.Sc. Nursing level. Study each subject in the order below.

Foundations of nursing

• History and ethics of nursing, nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation), and patient rights.
• Basic procedures: vital signs, bed-making, hygiene, feeding, catheterisation, enema, wound care, oxygen administration, specimen collection, infection control and biomedical waste segregation.
• Medication administration: rights of medication, routes, dose calculation, drip rate calculation and common abbreviations.
• First aid and emergency care, CPR basics and the management of shock, burns, fractures and poisoning.

Anatomy, physiology and microbiology

• Body systems: skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, nervous, renal, reproductive and special senses.
• Blood and its components, blood groups, and normal laboratory values that nurses are expected to know.
• Microbiology basics: bacteria, viruses, sterilisation and disinfection, standard precautions.

Medical-surgical nursing

• Care of patients with respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, renal, neurological, endocrine (diabetes, thyroid), musculoskeletal and skin conditions.
• Pre-operative and post-operative care, operation theatre techniques, fluid and electrolyte balance, and pain management.
• Oncology and palliative care basics, and emergency and critical care nursing.

Obstetrics, gynaecology and midwifery

• Antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care; signs of pregnancy and normal labour stages; partograph; Naegele's rule for the expected date of delivery.
• Complications: pre-eclampsia, antepartum and postpartum haemorrhage, and puerperal sepsis.
• Newborn care: Apgar score, breastfeeding, kangaroo mother care and neonatal resuscitation.
• Family planning methods.

Paediatric nursing

• Growth and development milestones, immunisation schedule, paediatric emergencies, common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, malnutrition and fever, and IMNCI (Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness) basics.

Community health nursing and public health

• Principles of community health, epidemiology, communicable and non-communicable disease control.
• National health programmes such as the National Health Mission, Universal Immunisation Programme, National TB Elimination Programme, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Janani Suraksha Yojana and Ayushman Bharat. Read the current details of each on the official portals.
• Environmental sanitation, nutrition and health education, and vital statistics.

Mental health nursing and pharmacology

• Mental health conditions and their nursing management, therapeutic communication, and legal provisions such as the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.
• Pharmacology: drug classifications, actions, side effects, and antidotes for commonly used drugs. Focus on antibiotics, analgesics, cardiac drugs, insulin and anticoagulants.

Nutrition, nursing management and education

• Nutrients, therapeutic diets, and deficiency diseases.
• Ward management, record keeping, leadership and teaching methods.

General portion

• Reasoning and basic maths: number series, percentages, ratio, averages, simple problems.
• General knowledge and current affairs: national and Haryana-focused.
• Haryana GK: state formation on 1 November 1966, districts, rivers, fairs, and key health-department schemes.
• Language: basic Hindi and English if included.

Normal values and formulas worth memorising

Recruitment papers repeat a small set of numbers. Make a one-page card and revise it daily.

Item	Usual normal range or rule
Adult pulse	60 to 100 beats per minute
Adult respiration	12 to 20 per minute
Adult blood pressure	About 120/80 mmHg in a healthy adult (confirm the classification used in your textbook)
Oral body temperature	About 36.5 to 37.5 degrees Celsius (97.7 to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit)
Oxygen saturation	95 to 100 per cent on room air
Haemoglobin (adult female)	About 12 to 15 g/dL
Newborn respiration	About 30 to 60 per minute
Pregnancy duration	About 40 weeks (280 days) from the last menstrual period

Two calculation formulas cover most questions. For a drip rate, use drops per minute = (volume in mL x drop factor) / time in minutes. For a tablet or liquid dose, use dose = (dose ordered / dose available) x quantity of stock. Practise ten of each type every week until you can do them without a calculator.

Exam pattern (typical structure, verify)

Component	Typical structure
Mode	Objective written test
Sections	Nursing subjects (largest share), general awareness, reasoning, sometimes language
Marking	As notified; negative marking may apply
Duration	As on the admit card
Additional marks	Experience or weightage in some cycles

Nursing and health subjects usually carry a large portion of the marks. Do not neglect the general portion, since it is often where close ranks are decided.

Salary, pay level and career growth

Staff Nurse is a Group C post in the pay structure adopted by the Haryana government. The advertisement states the pay level and scale, and allowances such as dearness allowance and house rent allowance are added according to state rules. Nursing posts may also carry a nursing allowance or other special allowances as per department orders. Because these change with pay revisions, check the advertisement and the latest orders for the exact amount.

Career growth in the nursing cadre normally goes from Staff Nurse to Nursing Sister (or Senior Nursing Officer), then to Nursing Superintendent and higher nursing posts through promotion as per service rules. Nurses who complete a B.Sc. or M.Sc. Nursing may become eligible for nursing tutor or nursing college faculty positions and for specialised roles such as ICU, operation theatre or community health officer. Nurses with post-basic training can work in leadership roles.

Previous-year trend discussion

Without quoting numbers, the following patterns are worth noting:

• The number of nursing graduates and diploma holders has grown, so competition for regular government posts is high, particularly for female Staff Nurse posts. Male Staff Nurse vacancies are fewer in some cycles, but the applicant pool is also smaller.
• Questions from the nursing subjects are usually direct and cover standard textbook facts: normal values, procedures, drug actions, immunisation schedule, and common conditions.
• Community health and national health programmes appear regularly, and candidates who study only clinical subjects lose marks here.
• Dose and drip-rate calculations appear in almost every nursing exam. A few minutes a day of practice will make these easy points.
• A number of recruitments have given weightage to experience or additional qualification. Check whether this applies in your notice.

Worked practice questions

Q1. What is the normal respiratory rate range for a resting adult? Answer: About 12 to 20 breaths per minute. Rates below 12 are bradypnoea and above 20 are tachypnoea.

Q2. An IV infusion of 500 mL is to run over 4 hours. The drop factor is 20 drops per mL. What is the drip rate in drops per minute? Total drops = 500 x 20 = 10,000. Time = 4 x 60 = 240 minutes. Drip rate = 10,000 / 240 = about 41.7, so approximately 42 drops per minute.

Q3. The doctor orders 250 mg of a syrup. The stock is 125 mg per 5 mL. How many mL should be given? 250 / 125 = 2 doses of 5 mL each, so 10 mL.

Q4. What is the antidote for heparin overdose? Answer: Protamine sulphate. The antidote for warfarin is vitamin K.

Q5. What is the range of the Glasgow Coma Scale? Answer: 3 to 15. A score of 3 is the deepest coma, and 15 is fully alert. It has three components: eye opening, verbal response and motor response.

Q6. A woman's last menstrual period began on 10 January. Using Naegele's rule, what is the expected date of delivery? Add 7 days to the first day (17 January) and then add 9 months (or subtract 3 months): expected date is 17 October.

Q7. Which vaccine is given at birth in India's Universal Immunisation Programme and by which route? Answer: BCG, given intradermally, usually over the left upper arm. Oral polio vaccine zero dose and hepatitis B birth dose are also given at birth.

Q8. Which vitamin deficiency leads to a bleeding tendency because of poor clotting? Answer: Vitamin K. It is needed for the synthesis of clotting factors II, VII, IX and X in the liver, which is why newborns are given a vitamin K injection.

Q9. What is the normal range of pulse rate for a resting adult? Answer: 60 to 100 beats per minute.

Q10. In the nursing process, which step comes immediately after assessment? Answer: Nursing diagnosis. The sequence is assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation.

Month-by-month preparation plan

A five-month plan can suit a candidate who has completed training and wants to prepare for the exam.

Month 1: Foundations. Fundamentals of nursing, anatomy and physiology, and microbiology. Keep a notebook of normal values, procedures and abbreviations. Start dose-calculation practice.

Month 2: Medical-surgical nursing. System by system, with causes, signs, investigations, nursing care and complications. Take a short quiz on each system.

Month 3: Obstetrics, paediatrics and community health. Learn the immunisation schedule, national programmes, and maternal-child health topics.

Month 4: Mental health, pharmacology, nutrition, general portion. Start reasoning, basic maths, Haryana GK and current affairs.

Month 5: Mock tests and revision. Weekly full-length tests, analysis of errors, revision of your notes and normal-value tables, and a final check of your documents and registration.

Books and resources

• Your GNM or B.Sc. Nursing textbooks for the core subjects.
• A concise nursing recruitment exam guide with previous questions, used with regular practice.
• Official portals for national health programmes and the immunisation schedule, so you have current information.
• A Haryana GK book and a monthly current-affairs magazine.
• Mock tests for the general section on pareeksha.in, plus timed tests of nursing questions from a reliable source.

Common mistakes

• Studying only clinical topics and skipping community health and national programmes.
• Not practising dose and drip calculations until the exam.
• Overlooking council registration or letting it lapse. Some candidates find at the verification stage that registration is not transferred.
• Applying under the wrong post (Female vs Male) or wrong advertisement (regular vs contract).
• Ignoring the general portion, which often decides close ranks.
• Using old immunisation schedules or old programme names without updates.
• Submitting documents with mismatched names.

Comparison with sibling Haryana exams

Aspect	Haryana Staff Nurse	HSSC CET Group C	Haryana Forest Guard
Nature	Technical (nursing) post	General screening for many posts	Field and physical post
Qualification	GNM or B.Sc. Nursing plus registration	Depends on the post	Senior secondary (verify)
Main focus	Nursing subjects and general awareness	Reasoning, maths, GK, language	General awareness plus physical standards
Physical test	No	No	Yes (verify)

If a general screening test is part of your notice, the HSSC CET Group C guide covers the structure.

Frequently asked questions

Is GNM enough for Staff Nurse in Haryana? GNM is generally accepted, as is B.Sc. Nursing, along with council registration. Check the notice for any additional condition.

Is registration with the Haryana council compulsory? A recognised State Nursing Council registration is required, and Haryana notices usually ask for Haryana registration by a specified date. Verify the rule.

Do male candidates have separate posts? Notices often advertise Staff Nurse (Male) separately. Read the vacancy table.

Is there an interview? Regular recruitment has typically been through a written test and verification. Contract posts may be merit-based. Check the notice.

Is there negative marking? The advertisement will state the marking scheme.

Who conducts the exam? HSSC or another agency, depending on the cycle. Confirm in the advertisement.

Can B.Sc. Nursing final-year students apply? Only if the advertisement says so. Most require the qualification to be complete by the closing date.

Are there weightage marks for experience? Some cycles have them. The notice specifies.

How much time do I need? Four to six months of regular study is reasonable for most candidates.

What is the difference between regular and NHM posts? Regular posts are permanent government posts with standard service conditions. NHM posts are usually contract-based with a different pay structure.

Related reads

• HSSC CET Group C guide
• HSSC CET Group D guide
• Haryana Forest Guard guide
• HSSC Gram Sachiv guide
• Latest recruitment news

Final word

Staff Nurse recruitment rewards two habits: revising your nursing subjects in a structured order and paying attention to the paperwork, especially registration. Read the notice carefully, practise calculations, and keep taking timed tests. pareeksha.in mock tests can help with the general portion, and the news page can help you follow the next notification.