Page 11 - Nursing Education in Malaysia

Chapter 2
Historical Development
of Nursing in Malaysia

The history of nursing in Malaysia began from the year 1800, with the formation of the
East India Company when hospitals for the sick were established in Penang and Singapore.
Nursing of the sick was carried out by catholic nuns and later by English nurses from
England.

At this time, every state in Malaysia established and organized its own “on-the-job
training” for nurses. Lectures in theory and practice were given by the English matrons
or assistant matrons, sisters and doctors at the hospital level. They sat for their own
state examination and the standards varied from one state to another. Upon completion
of training, they were promoted to Staff Nurses and later, if considered suitable, would
become Senior Staff Nurses.

The emphasis of nursing practice then was on patient care in hospital which was
mainly on the curative aspects.

In 1923, legislation for the control of the Practice of Midwifery and the training of
midwives were established. This was followed by the establishment of the Midwives Act
and the development of the Midwifery Board, which regulated the practice of midwifery
requiring the registration of all nurse midwives in the country in 1966.

In 1950, the Nurses Act was enacted which provided for the establishment of the
Nursing Board, with the power to control the training and registration of nurses in the
practice of nursing. This included the power to control the development of the curriculum
for Basic Nurse Training, regulation for the conduct of final examination, issuing of
Nurse Training Certificate and the Regulation to control the practice of nursing through
registration, issuing of Nurse Registration Certificate and Registration Badge.

In 1969, the Nurses Act 1950 was extended to Sarawak and in 1978 to Sabah. In
1985, the Nurses Registration Regulation had been revised to include the implementation
of the Annual Practicing Certificate. The Nurses Act 1950 remains in use today.