Yusuf, Azlina and Che Hasan, Muhammad Kamil and Abdullah, Khatijah Lim and Mohamed, Rasidah and Mohamed Ludin, Salizar and Soh, Kim Lam and Chong, Mei Chan and Vincent Balang, Rekaya and Mohd Shafie, Zainab and Abdul Mulud, Zamzaliza (2026) Final report: direction of nursing education in Malaysia. Technical Report. Ministry of Higher Education.
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Abstract
This report outlines the strategic direction for nursing education in Malaysia, funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE). The primary objectives are to assess alumni and stakeholder satisfaction, identify ongoing educational, challenges, and propose a strategic plan to develop globally competent, future-ready nursing professionals. The findings are based on a mixed-methods approach, including surveys from 413 nursing alumni and 55 stakeholders, as well as focus group discussions with 109 nursing educators and key policymakers. Malaysia is currently facing an unprecedented nursing shortage that is heavily straining healthcare delivery and risking negative patient outcomes. The national nurse-to-population ratio is 1:279, falling short of the World Health Organization's recommended target of 1:225, meaning the country requires an estimated 145,224 nurses to meet optimal standards. A major systemic failure exacerbating this shortage is the lack of professional differentiation between diploma and bachelor's degree qualifications in clinical settings. Degree-holding nurses frequently work in the same clinical support service categories as diploma-level nurses, with identical job descriptions and starting at the same U29 grade in government hospitals. Furthermore, there are extremely limited career pathways for Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), pushing highly qualified nurses to migrate overseas or transfer to the academic sector. This migration is further driven by uncompetitive salaries; a fresh graduate nurse in a Malaysian public hospital earns approximately MYR 1,797 monthly, compared to an equivalent of SGD 3,000 (MYR 9,000; SGD 1 = MYR 3) in Singapore. Surveys indicate that alumni are generally highly satisfied with their nursing programs, particularly regarding the clarity of course objectives and affective domain outcomes. However, significant dissatisfaction was noted regarding faculty support and clinical placements, with nearly a third of graduates dissatisfied with rotations in high-stress specialities like the intensive care unit (ICU), paediatrics, and mental health. Employers and stakeholders recognise a distinct difference in graduate quality, reporting that degree-holding nurses demonstrate significantly higher levels of critical thinking, decision-making, effective communication, and leadership skills compared to diploma graduates. Consequently, stakeholders strongly recommend establishing a bachelor’s degree as the minimum educational requirement for professional nursing practice.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Technical Report) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RT Nursing R Medicine > RT Nursing > RT71 Study and Teaching R Medicine > RT Nursing > RT82 Nursing As A Profession |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | Kulliyyah of Nursing |
| Depositing User: | Dr Muhammad Kamil Che Hasan |
| Date Deposited: | 27 Jul 2026 14:52 |
| Last Update: | 27 Jul 2026 14:52 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-07-Q4266 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/129432 |
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