1. Historical events in nursing and midwifery
The history of nursing in Malaysia began from about the year 1800 with the formation of the East India Company when hospital for the sick were established in Penang and Singapore. Nursing was carried out by Catholic nuns and later on replaced by English nurses from England.
Nursing practice in the pre-war period in Malaya then was carried out by nurses who received “on the job training” with lectures given by expatriates i.e. by European sisters, matrons and doctors at the hospital level.
After Independence, health services became mainly a central government responsibility with delegation of service delivery through state and district health administrations.
Prior to the war, each straits/settlement organized and ran their own nursing services. All states were responsible to the director of medical services. The nurses receives lectures in practice and theory of nursing from the matron or assistant matron of the hospital. The doctors gave lectures to both nurses and hospital assistant. They sat for their own state examination and the standards varies from one state to another. On completion from training, nurses were promoted to staff nurse and later in considered suitable they become senior staff nurse.
The expansion of medical and nursing services were greatly hindered during the emergency situations. But in 1959, most of the states in Malaya become free from communism and it marks the beginning of the development of health services throughout the country.
IMPORTANT LANDMARKS
1923 Introduction of legislation for the control of the Practice of Midwifery and the training of midwifes in the Straits Settlement and
subsequently in the other states of the Malay Peninsular. 1950 Nursing Legislation
Nurses Act and the establishment of the Nurses Registration Ordinance, to control the practice of nursing which provided for the setting up of the Nursing Board for controlling the training and registration as regards to the practice of nursing.
• Development of syllabus and curriculum for the Basic Nurse Training.
• The regulation for the conduct of final examination.
• The issuing of the Nurse Training Certificate
• The Regulation to control the pratice of nursing though
registration and issue of Nursing Registration Certrificate and Registration Badge.
1956 The Nurses Registration Regulation.
1961 The first private nursing school in Malaysia was established at the Assunta Hospital. It was called the Tun Tan Cheng Cock College of Nursing.
1969 Extension of the Act to Sarawak.
1978 Extension of the Act to Sabah.
1985 Nurses Registration Regulation 1985.
Implementation of the Annual Practicing Certificate.
1966 The Midwives Act 1966 establishes a Midwifes Boards provides for the registration of nurse-midwifes and regulates the practice of midwifery in the country.
1971 The Midwives (Registration) Regulation, 1971, requiring all midwives to apply for registration. (Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA), up to 1st August 1972)
1990 Act Revised – 1990 (Reopened to Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA), within the next 10 years).
Advancement of the nursing Profession in Malaysia A. Nursing service sector
The Nursing Division was reinstated / restored on 1 Jun 2006, with the Appointment of Director of Nursing.
The Nursing Division is now directly under the supervision of our honourable Director General of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia Y. Bhg. Dato’ Dr. Hasan bin Abdul Rahman, who is also the chairman of the Nursing Board and the Midwifery Board Malaysia.
Upgrading from Support group to Professional since year 2005. Incentive for Post-basic courses.
Retirement age increased to 58 B. Nursing Education
* Upgrading Certificate status to Diploma * Upgrading Assistant Nurse to Staff nurse * Upgrading Community nurse to Staff nurse * Upgrading Midwives to Community nurses * 2 tier for Government sector
- Certificate - Diploma
* 3 tier for the private sector
- Certificate for Assistant Nurse - Diploma for Staff nurse
- Degree for Staff nurse
C. Commencement of Degree programme
* Nursing Schools upgraded to Nursing Colleges
* College Principals upgraded to Directors of Nursing College
D. Accreditation of Nursing & Midwifery Programme
36 private nursing colleges existed in year 2006 increased to 115 currently. Public University has increased from 5 to 10. Ministry Of Health = 28 Colleges, 1 nursing College under Ministry of Defence and 76 Private Nursing Colleges.
2. Regulations and Laws
2.1 Act or Law
Regulation focus Target Nurse categories
Title of Act or Law Year Regulatory authority
Nurses Regulation 1985 (Being reviewed currently, most probably will be repealed ) Midwives Regulation 1990 Nurses of all category Midwives Nurses Act 1950
(Being reviewed currently, most probably will be repealed ) Midwives Act 1966 1950 1966 Malaysian Nursing Board Malaysian Midwives Board 2.2 Regulatory authority
Authority Address Phone No. Fax No. e-mail
Malaysian Nursing Board
Malaysian Midwives Board
Ministry Of Health Malaysia, Level 3, Block E1, Complex E, Precint 1 Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62590, Putrajaya, Malaysia
03-88831315 03-88831329 fathilah_ab@moh. gov.my
3. Nursing Associations
Nursing Associations Address Phone No. Fax No. E-mail
Malaysian Nurses Association
Suite C-10-1, Wisma Goshen Plaza Pantai, Jln. 4/83A, Off Jln. Pantai Baru,
59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
03-22826971 03-22826973 mna11109@hotm ail.com
4. Nurse leaders and/or focal points
Name and position title Organization and Address Phone No.
Fax No. E-mail
Dame Ramziah Ahmad President
Malaysian Nurses Association Suite C-10-1, Wisma Goshen Plaza Pantai,
Jln. 4/83A, Off Jln. Pantai Baru, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 03-22826971 03-22826973 mna11109@hotm ail.com Rosni Aziz President
Malaysian Nurses Union No A 82, Jalan Padang Belia 50470 Brickfields Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 03- 22749862 03- 22749776 None
5. Categories and functions of nurses
Category Entry requirement Length of
training Level/ Credential Description Diploma In Nursing Diploma Programme (Local Candidates)
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) with
5 Credits
• Mathematics
• Science (General Science / Pure Science – Biology / Chemistry / Physics ; and 3 other subjects and a pass in; • Bahasa Malaysia (Malay
Language) • English Language
3 Years Diploma - Basic Nursing
All Nursing Programmes need to abide to Guidelines On Standard & Criteria for Approval / Accreditation of Nursing Programmes.
Diploma Programme (Foreign Candidates)
O-Level or equivalent to SPM with 5 credits
• Mathematics
• Science (General Science / Pure Science – Biology / Chemistry / Physics ; and • 3 other subjects
and Proficient in English • Pass International English
Language Testing Services (IELTS) with a minimum of 5.5
OR
Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) with a minimum of 550
OR
Pass in English (O-Level or equivalent to SPM 1119
Basic Degree Programme
Basic Degree Programme For Local Students
• Pass STPM or its equivalent, with a minimum CGPA 2.5 (For Art Stream students – credits in Mathematics and Science at SPM level) OR
• Matriculation with a minimum CGPA 2.5
OR
Foundation Programme with a minimum
• CGPA 3.0 OR
• Pass in the Malaysian University English Test (MUET)
4 Years Degree In Nursing
For Foreign Candidates
In addition to the above requirements:
• Pass International English Language Testing Services (IELTS) with a minimum of 5.5 or Test of English as a foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum of 550.
Masters in Nursing
• Basic degree in Nursing or nursing related degree. • Registered with Nursing
Board Malaysia or its equivalent.
• Possess current Annual Practicing Certificate. • Minimum 3 years working
experience for basic degree holders.
2 Years Masters in Nursing
• Foreign candidates must obtain;
Temporary Practicing Certificate (TPC) for clinical programme
• Pass International English Language Testing Services (IETS) with a minimum of 6.5 OR
Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) with a minimum of 600.
PhD / Doctorate Programme
• Masters in Nursing or nursing related degree or its equivalent.
• Registered with Malaysian Nursing Board or its equivalent.
• Possess current Annual Practicing Certificate.
4 Years PhD In Nursing
6. Nursing Education (include a diagrammatic illustration if available and the total number of nursing and midwifery schools).
No. Number of Nursing Colleges conducted by Public Sector Number of Private Nursing Institutions Number of Higher Nursing Institutions 1. 28 (Ministry of Health) 1 (Ministry of Defence) 76 10
7. Resources available (e.g. practice guidelines, standards, policies on nursing/ midwifery workforce)
Subject/Title Year published
Description Contact (Name, Address, Phone No., Fax No., E-mail, etc.)
Nurses Act 1950 & Nurses Regulation 1985 1950 1985 Reprinted 1999
Nurses Act & Nurses Regulation will be repealed in year 2011, taking into consideration
advancements in Nursing and to maintain the standard.
Nursing Division
Ministry Of Health Malaysia, Level 3, Block E1, Complex E, Precint 1 Federal Government Administrative Centre, 62590, Putrajaya, Malaysia. Tel No: 03-88831315 Fax No: 03-88831329 Email: fathilah_ab@moh.gov.my Midwives Act 1966 & Nurses Regulations 1990 1966 1990 Reprinted 2001
Midwives Act & Midwives Regulation will be repealed in year 2011, taking into
consideration advancements in Nursing and to maintain the standard.
Nursing Practice Guideline (NPG)
2007 A total of 25 set of books on various specialty / discipline to guide nurses in their Nursing Care to sustain quality.
Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses
1998 In the process of review
Code of Professional Conduct for Midwife
Guidelines On Standard & Criteria For Approval / Accreditation of Nursing Programmes
2010 Last review 01 July 2010. Provides guidelines on Professional Standards and criteria required for both the approval and accreditation of any nursing programme offered in the country. These guidelines are subjected to being reviewed from time to time when deemed necessary.
8. Main nursing and midwifery issues/priorities: Shortage of Nurses with Specialization.
Insufficient Post Basic Training Institutions
9. Important policies or strategies needed:
Encourage more nurses to take up Specialised Post Basic Courses Encourage more Private Institutions to conduct Post Basic Courses.
1. Does your country have a National Health Plan and or Human Resources for Health Strategy? How have Nursing and Midwifery workforce policies been integrated into this plan/s?
Malaysia does have a national health plan, inclusive of human resources for health. Nursing and midwifery and overall HRH assessments and need projections linked to priority population health needs and universal access are integrated into the national health plan.
