Page 30 - Nursing Education in Malaysia

NursiNg EducatioN iN Malaysia

NurSINg PraCtICE

Nursing Practice Defined

Nursing is an art and a science. Nurses are taught to deliver care artistically with
compassion, caring and a respect for client’s dignity and individuality. In addition, nursing
practice incorporates social values, profesional autonomy, a sense of commitment and
community and a code of practice. As a science, nursing is based on a body of knowledge
comprising social and behavioral sciences, biological and physiological sciences and
nursing theories. The integration of the science and the art of nursing into practice will
result in the quality of care which is expected to be at the level of excellence.

The latest definition of nursing is given by Wilson (2003), which can be applied in
any locality. Nursing is defined as

The protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of
illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of
human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities
and populations.

Globally, nursing has a mandate to provide health care for clients at different points in
the health-illness continuum. The ICN Code of Ethics states clearly that nurses have four
fundamental responsibilities: to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health and to
alleviate suffering, and that the need for nursing is universal (ICN, 2005).

The client is the centre of nursing practice. The client includes the individual,
family and/or community. Clients have a wide variety of healthcare needs, experiences,
vulnerabilities and expectations, making nursing both challenging and rewarding.

Scope of Nursing Practice

Scope of nursing practice are:

1. Legal implications
2. Nurses roles and responsibilities
3. Basic requirements to practice nursing
4. Additional requirements to practice nursing
5. Practice settings

Legal implications
In Malaysia, the Nurses Act 1950 regulates the scope of nursing practice and
protects public health, safety and welfare. The protection includes shielding the public
from unqualified and unsafe nurses. In this context, the act defines that all Registered