PETALING JAYA: The current surplus of nurses is expected to be temporary as student intakes have decreased following measures taken by the Government, Malay­sian Nurses Association president Dame Ramziah Ahmad said.

She said the number of applicants for nursing courses had dropped after the Government imposed a minimum requirement of five credits, instead of three, in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia.

“Now there are fewer people applying due to the higher requirements,” she told The Star.

Ramziah stressed that nursing students also had a role to play in getting jobs for themselves, saying that one of the challenges in training nurses these days was their poor attitude.

They not only had to be competent but also possess soft skills, she said, adding that they must also be able to communicate in English and should have a healthy body mass index.

“Hospitals are looking for high quality nurses. Nursing students and graduates have to show that they are competent in order to secure the job,” Ramziah said.

It was reported yesterday that private nursing students were finding it tough to find jobs.

A government study found that at least 54% of them failed to get a job within four months after graduating in 2010.

Ramziah also noted that certain colleges in the private sector had taken in too many students, affecting the quality of nurses being produced.

“They lack clinical training as they handle fewer patients and they have insufficient hands-on experience,” she said.

The ratio, she said, should be one lecturer to 30 students and one clinical instructor to 15 students.

The authorities have also stopped more colleges from offering nursing courses in recent years.

In 2010, the Government announced a moratorium on new nursing schools.

Former Malayan Nurses Union general secretary Anne Khoo said that poor coordination between the Health Ministry, the Higher Education Ministry and the private colleges had resulted in the huge surplus.

“The Government must strive for better coordination and know the number of nurses needed annually,” she said.

Khoo said the surplus was frustrating for nurses who could not get jobs as they faced difficulties settling their study loans.

“It has also damaged the profession as private hospitals can hire nurses at a lower salary.

“This also could affect the salaries of existing employed nurses,” she said.

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