PETALING JAYA: While the Public Service Department (PSD) decision to delay the 45-hour work week offers nurses a temporary reprieve, many on the frontlines warn that it skirts the real crisis, namely chronic understaffing, burnout and the long-term viability of the profession.
In a letter dated May 28, PSD approved the Health Ministry request to defer implementation of the extended hours until Aug 1.
The current 42-hour schedule will remain in place until July 31.
For many nurses, the move does little to ease the mounting pressure in wards and clinics across the country.
An ICU nurse in the private sector, who gave his name only as Ng, said the focus on working hours misses the point entirely.
“Even 42 hours feels like too much when you’re constantly on your feet, managing critical cases. This isn’t a desk job. We don’t have the luxury of zoning out. We’re dealing with lives,” he told theSun.
He said the public healthcare system is still reeling from the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and staffing remains dangerously thin.
“Understaffing is the root of the problem. I know government nurses earning RM4,000 after 10 years on the job. Eight of my friends have already left for better opportunities overseas.”
Ng added that management often focuses on performance targets while ignoring the actual workload nurses face on the ground.
“I’ve worked 14-hour shifts looking after 16 critically ill patients. What looks manageable on paper rarely reflects the chaos in real life. Nurses and patients aren’t statistics.”
Kanchana Murthy, 25, echoed the sentiment after more than three years in the field.
“Extending hours is not a solution. Most of us are already running on empty. Yes, we need more manpower but stretching the ones already in place won’t fix anything.”
She said work tolerance varies by individual and longer shifts should never be mandatory.
“You can’t force exhausted people to give their best. It’s unsafe for patients and it’s unfair to nurses.”
A 19-year-old nursing student who has completed placements at a private hospital in the capital city said the workload is overwhelming even for trainees.
“As a student, I’m already burnt out. I work alongside full-time nurses and the pace is relentless. I genuinely worry about how the staff cope,” said the student, who only wanted to be known as Tash.
He shared his experience at a government hospital, where overcrowding and staff shortages are common.
“Sometimes, there aren’t enough beds. One nurse might be caring for 10 patients. Some wards hold up to 60. It’s exhausting and unsafe.”
Tash said while the government’s intention to address shortages is understandable, the approach risks causing more harm than good.
“Longer hours might help with task completion in the short term, but they lead to fatigue and that leads to mistakes. In healthcare, mistakes cost lives.”
He pointed out that countries such as Singapore and the Philippines follow the International Labour Organisation recommendation of a 40-hour work week, which offers nurses better balance and stronger mental health support.
“A 40-hour week helps prevent burnout, keeps staff in the profession longer and makes nursing more appealing to new recruits. What’s the point of getting more done in a day if we lose people in the long run?”
His message was clear: “Stop treating nurses like machines. We’re overworked, underpaid and undervalued.
“At the end of the day, we’re human and we deserve to be treated that way.”
