There is More to Nursing Than Meets The Eye

Picture caption: Nursing Ward Picture caption: Launch of SEGi College’s Pharmacy, Dental and Nursing Centre by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health .

29 August 2008 - Many people are unaware that nursing is is not restricted to work in only clinics and hospitals. In fact, it is a very promising profession which has great earning potential and even prospects of furthering a career overseas. Why is this so? There is a great shortage for trained nurses in Malaysia as well as globally. The shortage is so serious that several wards and intensive care units in newer hospitals have to remain closed, as reported in an article in a local newspaper recently.  Currently Malaysia is short of more than 10,000 nurses in public hospitals as well as in the few hundred private hospitals and clinics nationwide. According to Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysia has to import 1,300 foreign nurses from Asean and Commonwealth countries over the next three years. Thousands of nurses are also needed in many countries such as Bahrain, the USA and  Saudi Arabia which are willing to pay a good premium for nurses. As mentioned earlier, nursing is not confined to hospitals and clinics. Qualified and experienced nurses are also needed in the field of education and training, research, consultancy as well as pharmaceutical companies. For example, a graduate nurse with several years of experience can be a nursing lecturer, who earns an average salary of RM5,000. Nurses can also choose to work for international service organisations such as the Peace Corp. Those with specialised training can choose to work in medical officers for dentists, eye doctors, surgeons and others. How do you become a nurse? The most basic qualification needed is a Nursing Diploma from which you can upgrade to more specialised fields or progress to a degree in nursing. In view of this great need for quality nurses, SEGi Group of Institutions has stepped up with a complete and competitive Nursing Diploma to cater to this demand. The biggest strength of SEGi’s Nursing Diploma is that it is industry based, giving SEGi’s nursing graduates a competitive edge in the job market. The Diploma in Nursing is designed to prepare students to be well equipped with the latest knowledge and skills as well as in-depth exposure to the nursing industry.

Nursing students at SEGi have an added advantage of practical training at government and private hospitals. One of the them is a top-notch medical centre - Tropicana Medical Centre (TMC) - where students are able to utilise the facilities for practical training and be exposed to training at different types of environments.

Most industrial or practical training sessions for any other field involves a short-term posting at only one institution. Here at SEGi, nursing students will experience real life situations in simulation wards, in community health clinics as well as during attachments at partner hospitals. This ensures that they are versatile and are ready to take on any challenge in the field after they graduate.

SEGi employs lecturers who have direct industry experience so as to ensure the educators deliver relevant, practical and up-to-date knowledge to the nursing students. Students will then gain a realistic insight into their professions as well as gain precious experience from the lecturers.

The nursing programme has received high acclaim from the Nursing Board of Malaysia as the college was awarded the “Emerging Star” Award of the Excellence Nurse Award. It is approved by the Ministry of Higher Education. It is also accredited by the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Nursing Board.

Professor Dr. Muhamad Bin Awang, Vice Chancellor of SEGi University College said, “The quality of nurses we are to produce should meet the standards of the global healthcare community for we are looking at exporting our expertise to overseas. As such, we hold high importance in the quality of our nursing graduates.”

Facilities and equipment are of first class standard. SEGi University College has equipped 3 floors to be its Faculty of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences. Students are privy to a simulation ward, skills laboratory, practical room, computer laboratory, multi-purpose hall and a well-stocked library and resource centre.

They are also pampered with a recreation centre equipped with a gym, swimming pool and other recreational facilities. SEGi believes in producing well-rounded and healthy graduates.

In fact, SEGi’s students are so well-taken care of that those from East Malaysia are provided accommodation, flight passage from East Malaysia and a monthly allowance extracted from their PTPTN loans.

The launch of the Pharmacy, Dental and Nursing Centre on the 29th of May this year was witnessed by Y. Bhg. Dato’ Seri Dr. Hj. Mohd. Nasir bin. Mohd Ashraf, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, representing the Minister of Health, YB Dato’ Liow Tiong Lai.

Entry requirements for this programme is reasonable, at 3 credits for SPM or O-Levels or equivalent. Candidates need to be at least 18 years old and in good health. Proficiency in the English Language will be an advantage. The nursing syllabi have three main areas – health sciences, behavioural sciences and nursing sciences.

SEGi will have ongoing roadshows in different locations throughout Peninsula Malaysia. For further enquiries, call SEGi University College (1800-88-SEGi or 03-6145 1777) or campuses located at Subang Jaya (03-86001888), Kuala Lumpur (03-20702078), email to askme@segi.edu.my or log on to www.segi.edu.my for further information.