Retno Indarwati

Lived experience of Indonesian nurses in Japan: A phenomenological study.

AIM The movement of Indonesian nurses via a bilateral agreement with Japan has led to a substantial number of migrants to work as nurses in that nations healthcare system. The purpose of this research was to develop a deeper understanding of the meaningful experiences of Indonesian nurses while working in Japanese hospitals. METHODS In this phenomenological study, sampling was purposive and was based on information shared by five Indonesian nurses. The data were collected in interviews; the analysis was thematic. RESULTS Six key themes were identified: (i) seeking better than before; (ii) communication challenges; (iii) the nursing examination as a culmination; (iv) differences in nursing practice; (v) cultural differences; and (vi) the benefits of living in developed country. Among these challenges, communication as the basis of shared meaning and understanding was viewed as a complex issue, by both patients and coworkers. CONCLUSION The results of this study call for further intervention in supporting Indonesian nurses living in Japan in their struggle with the issue of communication. The emphasis on language acquisition for personal and professional objectives, and the bridging of cultural differences as well, should be considered in an international context.

Retaining and motivating health workers in very remote areas of Indonesia, do they respond to incentives?

Adequate Human Resources for Health (HRH) are crucial to the delivery of health care services in very remote areas of Indonesia. However, very remote areas suffer shortages in terms the number, type and quality of staff. This situation must be addressed through innovative policy, planning and implementation, such as incentives for retaining and motivating health workers. This paper aims to assess the application of an incentive scheme based on working location. The role of decentralized local government on incentives given to health workers also will be discussed. A desk study was performed from a relevant published materials, MoH database and online literature. The document highlights the importance of financial and non financial incentives. However, financial incentives alone are insufficient to retain and motivate the health workforce. Incentive systems must be integrated within the health system, in line with the goal and objective of Indonesia’s health development. The role of local leadership under decentralization is also crucial to motivate and maintain staff in the workplace. Different incentives between contracted and permanent staff in very remote areas must be established to ensure sustainability of the program.

End of Life Care in Elderly: Family Experiences

Mostly, death occurs due to aging, while the rest because of illness. In palliative care, Indonesian elderly with a chronic disease more likely to stay at home with their families until the death. These conditions give a unique experience to the family when taking care of elderly at the end of their life. This study was aimed to explore the family experiences in taking care of the elderly at the end of life. This study used a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. It was in-depth interview with semi-structured questions. The sampling technique was purposive sampling with inclusion criteria at Puskesmas Mulyorejo, Surabaya, Indonesia. A total of 4 family carers were recruited, and ten individuals were got involved in an in-depth interview. Five themes were revealed, including response, barriers, coping mechanism, the hope of family member, and the needs of health care. Taking care of the elderly at the end of life could bring a negative response to the family. So, in some cases the family need properly preparation and some help from the health workers. Keywords— family, end-of-life-care, elderly, experiences,