KUCHING: Emotional resilience, growing workloads and hands-on patient care continue to shape the nursing profession in Malaysia.
At Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Samantha, a second-year nursing student said early clinical exposure has already shown her the physical and emotional demands of bedside care, particularly when handling bedridden patients in pain.
“We have to be proactive, keep asking and be fast with what kind of procedure we are doing so that we can keep our patients healthy and safe,” she said.
Samantha, who has been undergoing clinical postings to hospitals since her first year of study, said even routine procedures such as turning and cleaning immobile patients require careful attention to minimise discomfort.
“Taking care of my patients actually means a lot to me. They deserve to be loved and to be cared for,” she said.
Meanwhile, Bebe Amanina, 31, a Normah Medical Specialist Centre oncology nurse, said working with cancer and palliative care patients is emotionally challenging, particularly when cases progress rapidly or reach terminal stages.
“Today we see her, maybe next day we cannot see her anymore. Quite sad,” said the nurse, who has worked in the field since 2018.
She said misunderstandings about cancer among patients and families often add to the difficulty of care, but closer patient relationships in smaller medical settings help improve communication and support.
Bebe said access to advanced cancer treatment should be improved, particularly for patients from lower-income backgrounds.
Meanwhile, Lee Ping, 45, a Timberland Medical Centre nurse, said the profession has expanded beyond bedside care, with administrative duties such as reporting and documentation now forming a significant part of daily work.
“Now you have a lot of other things other than just attending to patients. There are reports, paperwork, all those things,” she said.
She said that workload pressures can contribute to exhaustion, although structured rest and leave policies help manage burnout among staff.
Despite the challenges, she said nursing remains an attractive career path for the younger generation due to its global mobility and employment opportunities abroad.
