CO U R S E S & C A REERS
MEDICINE
NURSING
A Glut or
Opportunity?
Many might have shied away from pursuing
their dream of being a nurse, after having
heard of a purported glut of nurses in the
country. After speaking to academicians
from MAHSA University College in Malaysia
that specialises on medicine, dentistry,
pharmacy, nursing and allied health sciences
education, it is a relief to acknowledge that
there is no truth in the reported glut of
nurses. In fact, there is a shortage of nurses;
you can almost verify this if you pay a visit to
the hospitals, especially the public ones.
The higher the nurse-to-patient ratio,
the healthier patients become and
fewer re-admissions were noted,
according to academicians at the
University of Pennsylvania School of
Nursing. Researchers have also found
that mortality rates slide with a higher
nurse-to-patient ratio. The World
Health Organisation (WHO) reports
that the ideal nurse-to-patient ratio
is one nurse for every 200 patients.
However, the ratio is 1:354 in
Malaysia, almost double the WHO’s
recommended ratio. Even first-world
countries such as the US are facing a
shortage of nurses, so much so that
the state of California has launched
a safe patient ratios campaign to
address the diminishing numbers of
caregivers that is expected to fall by
40% in the next 15 years.
Before you venture into the world of
nursing and medicine, you first need
to determine if you are suited for the
profession, before deciding which
nursing route to take and, subsequently,
which specialisation to undertake.
The shortage of nurses puts a strain
on those in the profession who have
had to face extra workloads, longer
hours and increased pressure, which is
also why you may have to wait longer
for attention at the hospitals. Nurses
have also reported that they have to
do double duty at times, where they
would have to either work two shifts
or do the work of two people.
While addressing the shortage
of nurses, existing nurses must
also be motivated to specialise or
become what the industry refers to
as ‘thinking nurses’. Unlike general
nurses, specialist nurses can assess
situations and make critical decisions.
They also educate patients on caring
for their own well-being.
easyuni Guide 2014
Issue 2
5