BY: FYZA ANUAR

The ‘Florence Nightingales’ of Malaysia are going through a hard and perilous path despite their years of education, and the sacrifices they have made to pursue a career in the nursing profession all over the country.

Whether male or female nurses, whether they work in private hospitals or public hospitals, there is this ceiling under which they go about their task of nursing in apprehension and having very little to look forward.

This has prompted a significant number of those in the nursing profession to venture abroad, causing a brain drain, leaving hospitals in the country short of nursing staff to treat and care for patients.

Whether the grass is greener outside this country, our nurses are to be valued and appreciated, and they must be accorded a just remuneration package commensurate with their qualifications and experience and based on deliverables.

This will serve as a great incentive and motivation for young men and women to choose nursing as a career path and it is important to see these nurses have a meaningful, lifelong working experience as nurses until they retire.

The government must initiate ways and means by which they retain nursing talent in Malaysia, and not only that, there must be moves afoot to enhance nursing as a profession and ensure that there is always a sufficient supply of nurses in the country.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher