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Hospital Attendant

Healthcare

Transport patients to areas such as operating rooms or x-ray rooms using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds. May maintain stocks of supplies or clean and transport equipment. Psychiatric orderlies are included in Psychiatric Aides.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Allied HealthNursing

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
  2. 2Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
  3. 3Disinfect or sterilize equipment or supplies, using germicides or sterilizing equipment.
  4. 4Clean equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, or portable medical equipment, documenting needed repairs or maintenance.
  5. 5Respond to emergency situations, such as emergency medical calls, security calls, or fire alarms.
  6. 6Change soiled linens, such as bed linens, drapes, or cubicle curtains.
  7. 7Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.
  8. 8Collect and transport infectious or hazardous waste in closed containers for sterilization or disposal, in accordance with applicable law, standards, or policies.
  9. 9Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel.
  10. 10Collect soiled linen or trash.
  11. 11Provide physical support to patients to assist them to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
  12. 12Separate collected materials for disposal, recycling, or reuse, in accordance with environmental policies.
  13. 13Restrain patients to prevent violence or injury or to assist physicians or nurses to administer treatments.
  14. 14Carry messages or documents between departments.
  15. 15Turn or reposition bedridden patients, alone or with assistance, to prevent bedsores.
  16. 16Transport portable medical equipment or medical supplies between rooms or departments.
  17. 17Position or hold patients in position for surgical preparation.
  18. 18Stock utility rooms, nonmedical storage rooms, or cleaning carts with supplies.
  19. 19Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
  20. 20Stock or issue medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays.
  21. 21Transport bodies to the morgue.
  22. 22Serve or collect food trays.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • PCA
  • PCT
  • Orderly
  • PCT PRN
  • Attendant
  • Orderlies
  • Ward Aide
  • Transporter
  • Ward Helper
  • Cart Attendant

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Telecommunications — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Telecommunications — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service84%
  • Public Safety and Security62%
  • English Language59%

    English

  • Transportation50%
  • Education and Training48%
  • Psychology47%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsEvery day
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Orderlies

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org