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So You Wanna Be A Nurse?

by StudyMalaysia.com on December 20, 2021 | Top Stories, Career Guide

So You Wanna Be A Nurse? - StudyMalaysia.com

A nurse is a person who is trained to give care to people who are sick or injured. Nurses work with doctors and other health care workers to make patients well and to keep them fit and healthy. They play an integral role in promoting health, preventing illness and caring for all individuals and the physically and mentally disabled. To do this they need to observe and monitor the patients, recording any relevant information to aid in treatment decision-making. Their roles range from direct patient care to establishing practice standards, developing quality assurance procedures and directing complex nursing care systems.


Professional Registration

To become a registered nurse in Malaysia, you must

  • have completed an accredited nursing course programme approved by the Malaysian Nursing Board.
  • sit for and pass the Malaysian Nursing Board Examination.
    • The examination is conducted by the Board to recognise future nurses who have completed their programmes at the university. The exam is done ten times a year. You have to apply to take the exam two months before the exam date.
  • register with the Malaysian Nursing Board which will issue licences to practise nursing.
  • get your Annual Practising Certificate (APC) as proof of satisfying all requirements to be a full-fledged nurse.

Once, you have got your APC, you are officially a Registered Nurse in Malaysia and can practise in hospitals, clinics, government organisations, nursing homes, etc. anywhere in Malaysia.


Educational Qualifications

To be a nurse in Malaysia, you must graduate from an approved/accredited nursing course by the Malaysian Nursing Board. Your options include nursing diplomas or a Bachelor’s degree.

  • a Diploma in Nursing takes 3 years
  • a Bachelor in Nursing Science (Hons) takes 4 years
  • a Bachelor in Nursing (Hons) takers 4 years

Entry Requirements for a Diploma in Nursing Course

  • Must pass SPM/SPMV with minimum 5 credits (including Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics) + a credit in one of the following subjects: Science/Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Applied Science + a credit in one other relevant subject
  • Pass O-Level with minimum 5 credits (English, Mathematics, Science/Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Applied Science)
  • All local candidates who possess GCE O/A Levels MUST possess credit in Bahasa Melayu.

Education Providers

StudyMalaysia.com provides you a list of education providers and nursing courses, log onto www.studymalaysia.com/what


Course Directory

Some examples of nursing courses at Diploma and Bachelor degree levels:

Diploma in Nursing

Offered by: AIMST University
Level: Diploma Level

Diploma in Nursing

Offered by: MAHSA University
Level: Diploma Level

Diploma in Nursing

Offered by: Management & Science University (MSU)
Level: Diploma Level

Diploma in Nursing

Offered by: Nilai University
Level: Diploma Level

Diploma in Nursing

Offered by: Sunway University
Level: Diploma Level

Diploma in Nursing

Offered by: Widad University College
Level: Diploma Level

Advanced Diploma in Paediatric Nursing

Offered by: MAHSA University
Level: Advanced Diploma Level

Bachelor in Nursing (Hons)

Offered by: Management & Science University (MSU)
Level: Bachelor's Degree Level

Bachelor in Nursing Science (Honours)

Offered by: AIMST University
Level: Bachelor's Degree Level

Bachelor of Nursing (Hons)

Offered by: International Medical University (IMU)
Level: Bachelor's Degree Level

Bachelor of Nursing (Hons)

Offered by: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
Level: Bachelor's Degree Level

Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) Public Health

Offered by: MAHSA University
Level: Bachelor's Degree Level

Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Nursing

Offered by: Nilai University
Level: Bachelor's Degree Level

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Nursing

Offered by: MAHSA University
Level: Bachelor's Degree Level

Occupation Video About Nursing Career

STUDYMALAYSIA has compiled a series of career videos from CareerOneStop web-portal on “ Health Science” for students’ viewing.

Click onto the link and view the videos on Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses or any other Healthcare profession of your choice.

By watching the videos, students will better understand the nature of the different healthcare professions and the skills they entail.


Skills Required

  • Communication – communicate with a variety of people each day, including patients, family members of patients, other nursing staff and doctors.
  • Ethics – put well-being of patients above all else.
  • Observation – ability to detect issues before they become serious; aware of body language and pay attention to details.
  • Physical endurance- on their feet for several hours each shift so nurses need to be able to endure working long hours.
  • Teamwork skills – need to work as part of a team with other medical professionals.
  • Interpersonal skills – need to deal with different people in the course of their work.
  • Computer literacy – need to use computers to keep track of patients’ medications, treatment plans and histories. Ability to handle electronic medical record systems.
  • Math skills – possess an understanding of Math and the metric system for measuring patients blood pressure and determining medication amounts.

Work Styles For Nursing Career

  • Caring and compassionate
  • Able to deal with emotionally-charged and pressured situations with patience and rationality.
  • Able to empathise with each patient by putting themselves in their patients’ shoes.
  • Able to use person-centred approach rather than follow strict guidelines.
  • Possess the integrity to make decisions that impact others’ lives.
  • Guide patients through stressful situations with confidence, endurance and kind-heartedness.
  • Possess the emotional stability for patients to put their full trust in them.

Career Interests

Nursing is a profession that under both the categories of social and realistic occupations.

Social occupation category

  • Social occupations often involve helping, caring for people, or providing service to others. These occupations frequent involve working with others as a team and are often required to communicate with and teaching people.

Realistic occupation category

  • Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include hands-on work to produce result and solve problems. They often work with things, plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outdoors, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with people.

Knowing My Interests

It is of utmost importance to choose a course or career path that matches your interests and skill set as well as your overall life goals. You will also have to consider prospective careers and employment opportunities.

STUDYMALAYSIA has drawn up a “Know Myself” Course-Interest-Test which is a self-directed activity to help you find out where your interest lies. Try our Course-Interest-Test @ interest.studymalaysia.com to find out whether the field you have chosen is the best fit for you.

Once students have identified their course of study, the next step is to find out the institutions of higher learning that offer this course, their fees and information on scholarships available.

Any further information you may need, STUDYMALAYSIA is there for you! Go to https://studymalaysia.com/career-guide/ask-studymalaysia/.

Source: O*Net OnLine, Malaysian Nursing Board, STUDYMALAYSIA portal

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