Narratives from Malaysian Healthcare Workers: A Window into their Community of Practice

Abstract

In Malaysia’s complex healthcare environment, understanding the lived experiences of healthcare workers in a collective manner is vital to addressing challenges in service delivery. To this end, this study examines narratives from healthcare workers in a public hospital in Sabah as a way-in to explore the structure and functions of their Community of Practice (CoP). Narratives, collected through two online focus group discussions with eight participants, were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns and meanings. The research significance lies in demonstrating how storytelling functions as both a mirror and mechanism of a CoP. It makes visible norms and emotional dynamics that underpin collaborative practice. Findings reveal four thematic areas: hierarchical boundary negotiation, mentorship and cultural induction, emotional expression and coping, and identity formation with collective memory. These themes illuminated how members navigate professional hierarchies, introduce newcomers through culturally embedded advice, share emotionally charged experiences for mutual support, and preserve institutional memory through repeated stories. The results show that in a high-pressure, hierarchical healthcare setting, narratives provide crucial emotional and professional scaffolding, strengthening team cohesion and resilience while transmitting context-specific, practice-based knowledge. The study concludes that recognising and facilitating narrative exchange within healthcare CoPs can support workplace cohesion, mitigate burnout, and indirectly improve patient care quality. For the Malaysian context, this approach offers culturally attuned insights into sustaining professional communities amid structural and emotional challenges. Future research should extend narrative-based inquiry across diverse institutions and explore longitudinal changes in narrative repertoires.ReferencesBai, F., & Mohammed, T. A. (2024). The mediating role of subjective well-being in work productivity in Malaysia’s healthcare industry: As an example of public hospitals. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research, 7(10), 48–56. https://doi.org/10.6918/IJOSSER.202410_7(10).0007Che Sat, N. Z., Abdul Kadir, N. B., Mohd, R. H., & Abdullah @ Mohd Nor, H. (2025). The scoping review of depression and suicidal ideation among police and front-liners. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 22(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2025.2201.02Che Yusof, R., Norhayati, M. N., & Azman, Y. M. (2022). Experiences, challenges, and coping strategies of frontline healthcare providers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kelantan, Malaysia. Frontiers in Medicine, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.861052Chong, S. L., & Janan, D. (2025). Qualitative research and publications in Malaysia: Some patterns and perspectives. In S. L. Chong (Ed.), Qualitative research in Malaysia: Bringing voices from the margins to the mainstream (pp. 99–116). Routledge.Dousin, O., Collins, N., & Kler, B. K. (2022). The experience of work‐life balance for women doctors and nurses in Malaysia. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 60(2), 362–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12282Delgado, J., de Groot, J., McCaffrey, G., Dimitropoulos, G., Sitter, K. C., & Austin, W. (2021). Communities of practice: Acknowledging vulnerability to improve resilience in healthcare teams. Journal of Medical Ethics, 47(7), 488–493. https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2019-105865Findyartini, A., Greviana, N., Felaza, E., Faruqi, M., Zahratul Afifah, T., & Auliya Firdausy, M. (2022). Professional identity formation of medical students: A mixed-methods study in a hierarchical and collectivist culture. BMC Medical Education, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03393-9Geampana, A., & Perrotta, M. (2025). Using interview excerpts to facilitate focus group discussion. Qualitative Research, 25(1), 130–146. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687941241234283Gonçalves, L., Parker, M., Luguetti, C., & Carbinatto, M. (2022). ‘We united to defend ourselves and face our struggles’: Nurturing a physical education teachers’ community of practice in a precarious context. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 27(4), 339–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2021.1891212Gordon, L. J., Rees, C. E., Ker, J. S., & Cleland, J. (2015). Leadership and followership in the healthcare workplace: exploring medical trainees’ experiences through narrative inquiry. BMJ Open, 5(12). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008898Henderson, H. (2017). Difficult questions of difficult questions: The role of the researcher and transcription styles. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 31(2), 143–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2017.1379615Janjang, J. M., Mohd Nor, M. Y., & Hamid, A. H. (2023). Parents’ challenges against the intention of the implementation of the 12-year compulsory education policy in Malaysia. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. 20(4), 116–128. https://doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2023.2004.10Jiménez-Zarco, A. I., González-González, I., Saigí-Rubió, F., & Torrent-Sellens, J. (2015). The co-learning process in healthcare professionals: Assessing user satisfaction in virtual communities of practice. Computers in Human Behavior, 51, 1303–1313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.057 Jørgensen, R., Edwards, K., Scarso, E., & Ipsen, C. (2021). Improving public sector knowledge sharing through communities of practice. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 51(2), 318–332. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-08-2019-0115Keir, A., Bamat, N., Hennebry, B., King, B., Patel, R., Wright, C., Scrivens, A., Elkhateeb, O., Mitra, S., & Roland, D. (2021). Building a community of practice through social media using the hashtag# neoEBM. PloS One, 16(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252472Kennie-Kaulbach, N., Crespo, K., Janke, K. K., Davies, H., Whelan, A. M., Bishop, A., & Price, S. (2024). A narrative inquiry of critical events supporting professional identity formation in introductory pharmacy practice experiences. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 88(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpe.2023.100614Kislov, R., Harvey, G., & Walshe, K. (2011). Collaborations for leadership in applied health research and care: Lessons from the theory of communities of practice. Implementation Science, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-6-64McGrath, R. (2021). Journalling and memoing: Reflexive qualitative research tools. In J. Crossman & S. Bordia (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research methodologies in workplace contexts (pp. 245–262). Edward Elgar Publishing.Noar, A. P., Jeffery, H. E., Subbiah Ponniah, H., & Jaffer, U. (2023). The aims and effectiveness of communities of practice in healthcare: A systematic review. Plos One, 18(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343 Portoghese, I., Galletta, M., Sardu, C., Mereu, A., Contu, P., & Campagna, M. (2014). Community of practice in healthcare: An investigation on nursing students’ perceived respect. Nurse Education in Practice, 14(4), 417–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2014.01.002Ranmuthugala, G., Plumb, J. J., Cunningham, F. C., Georgiou, A., Westbrook, J. I., & Braithwaite, J. (2011). How and why are communities of practice established in the healthcare sector? A systematic review of the literature. BMC Health Services Research, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-11-273Rezuan, N. A., Jalil, A. A. A., & Noordin, Z. M. (2025). Prevalence of and coping mechanisms against mental and psychological burnout among healthcare professionals in a Malaysian public hospital: A cross-sectional study. Malaysian Family Physician: The Official Journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 20. https://doi.org/10.51866/oa.755Riessman, C. K. (2015). Entering the hall of mirrors: Reflexivity and narrative research. In A. De Fina & A. Georgakopoulou (Eds.), The handbook of narrative analysis (pp. 219–238). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118458204.ch11Roberts, T. J., Ringler, T., Krahn, D., & Ahearn, E. (2021). The my life, my story program: sustained impact of veterans’ personal narratives on healthcare providers 5 years after implementation. Health Communication, 36(7), 829–836. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1719316Sahimi, H. M. S., Mohd Daud, T. I., Chan, L. F., Shah, S. A., Rahman, F. H. A., & Nik Jaafar, N. R. (2021). Depression and suicidal ideation in a sample of Malaysian healthcare workers: A preliminary study during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.658174Seibert, S. (2015). The meaning of a healthcare community of practice. Nursing Forum, 50(2), 69–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12065Soomro, A., & Ramendran, C. (2024). Workplace stress and burnout among healthcare workers in Malaysia: HRM interventions a review. Asia Pacific Journal of Business, Humanities and Education, 9(1), 22–40. https://apjbhe.segi.edu.my/index.php/segi/article/view/112Ungar-Sargon, J. (2025). Revisioning healthcare spaces: Lessons from spiritual community in contemporary medical practice. American Journal of Medical and Clinical Research & Reviews, 4(6), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.58372/2835-6276.1301Weinberg, A. E., Balgopal, M. M., & Sample McMeeking, L. B. (2021). Professional growth and identity development of STEM teacher educators in a community of practice. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 19(Suppl. 1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-020-10148-9Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning as a social system. Systems Thinker, 9(5), 2–3.Wenger, E. (2009). Communities of practice: The key to knowledge strategy. In Knowledge and communities (pp. 3–20). Routledge.Zakaria, N., Zakaria, N. H., Rassip, M. N. A. B. A., & Lee, K. Y. (2022). Burnout and coping strategies among nurses in Malaysia: a national-level cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 12(10). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064687