Malaysia’s shortage of nurses could worsen if they are required to work an additional three hours a week, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) said.
This follows a new directive under the civil service remuneration system, which mandates ward nurses to work 45 hours a week, up from the current 42 hours, starting Dec 1.
Under the new directive, hospitals may revise shift hours to 7am–3pm, 3pm–10pm, and 10pm–7am the next day. Currently, shifts run from 7am–2pm, 2pm–9pm, and 9pm–7am the following day.
Howard Catton, the CEO of ICN, described the move as a “short-term, quick fix” that could strain nurses both physically and mentally, which may lead to more talent leaving the workforce.
“There’s also a safety concern in terms of the (quality) of care that is delivered to patients. As nurses get tired, quality and effectiveness may be affected.
“If a nurse makes a mistake, the consequences are different to ringing in the wrong number at the cash till. The consequences of making a mistake in healthcare can be catastrophic for people,” Catton told FMT.
On Thursday, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad described the additional three hours as reasonable and gave an assurance that the welfare of those required to put in the extra time would be better taken care of as they would be given more flexible shifts.
He also said nurses generally work four to six days a week and for not more than 12 hours a shift. They are also given a one-hour break and between a day to three days’ rest a week.
Malaysia is facing a critical nursing shortage, which has worsened in recent years because of the increased demand driven by an aging population, and the brain drain problem.
In May, Dzulkefly had said the deficit in the nursing workforce was projected to reach nearly 60% by 2030.
Catton pointed out that there are additional challenges faced by women, who make up the majority of nurses, as they have to balance professional responsibilities with caregiving duties.
According to the latest data, women account for 95% of nurses and about 58.6% of the total healthcare workforce in Malaysia.
“Other countries are not forcing people to work longer, but are instead working with them to find shift patterns and hours of work that are more flexible and can meet the nurses’ needs,” he said.
Countries like the Netherlands, for example, offer reduced hours, compressed workweeks, and flexible shift patterns to promote work-life balance for nurses.
Embracing AI in healthcare
Catton stressed the importance of using artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing rising healthcare demands.
He pointed to China’s use of AI in healthcare, including remote patient monitoring, faster access to medical data, and virtual consultations, all of which empower patients and enhance care delivery.
However, he said AI would not replace nurses, as patients prefer to interact with humans when dealing with health issues.
“We want that human contact. This is not just about our physical needs, but also about our emotional needs as well. A robot is never going to replace that,” he said. - FMT
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