Caring for Carers: Addressing Workplace Violence Against Nurses in Malaysia

When nurses are overworked, unheard or afraid to speak up, safety, dignity, learning and retention all suffer. Fernando Zhiminaicela / PixabayOpinion by Johanna Riha, Sergo Chikhladze, Sapna Mishra, Nicholas Hulus (kuala lumpur)Thursday, October 01, 2026Inter Press Service KUALA LUMPUR, October 1 (IPS) - Nurses are often called the backbone of the health system. We praise their compassion, commitment and resilience. On Nurses’ Day we thank them. During emergencies and crises, we call them heroes. But there is a harder question Malaysia, like most countries around the world, needs to ask more seriously: what happens when the people who care for everyone else are not safe, supported or respected at work? This question is not only about patient safety. It is first about nurses’ own rights, dignity and wellbeing. A safe and healthy working environment is recognised by the ILO as a fundamental principle and right at work.Nurses deserve safe workplaces not only because patients depend on them, but because no worker should be expected to absorb abuse, bullying or harassment as part of the job.The health and care sector is highly feminised, with women making up around 70% of the global wor...