Poor English Why Few Join Nursing

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 (Bernama) -- Poor command of English is among the reasons why less and less people are joining the nursing profession and which has led to more than 57 per cent of nursing job vacancies in government hospitals to go unfulfilled.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said that unlike in the past where nursing was a competitive course because of the chance to work with the government or overseas and earn a high salary, today there seemed to be a lack of interest among the younger generation to join the profession.
"The ability to communicate in English is still very much in demand. We still have some senior nurses working overseas. They are still needed there probably because of their ability to communicate with the patients," he told reporters after launching Masterskill College of Nursing and Health at Hulu Langat here.
To overcome the shortage of 89,960 nurses in the country, Chua said the Cabinet had recently approved that government nurse trainees be trained by local private nursing schools.
He said currently the ministry's 18 nursing colleges could only train 2,500 nurses annually instead of the 8,000 needed to achieve the ideal ratio of one nurse to 200 patients by 2020.
Masterskill is among 16 private colleges and five universities that provide training for nurses. Its new campus is located at Taman Kemacahaya, Batu 9, Cheras here.