The Evolution of Neuroscience Nursing in Indonesia: Current Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract

Background: Indonesia is experiencing an epidemiological transition in which non-communicable diseases, including stroke and neurotrauma, have overtaken infectious diseases as the primary drivers of national disease burden. This shift underscores the urgent need for a specialized neuroscience nursing workforce. This narrative review comprehensively examines the historical evolution, current systemic challenges, and future trajectory of neuroscience nursing in Indonesia.

Methods: A narrative review methodology was employed, guided by Ferrari's (2015) framework. Literature was retrieved from CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Indonesian governmental databases using Boolean keyword searches in English and Bahasa Indonesia. A total of 28 full-text sources meeting predefined inclusion criteria were included.

Results: Neuroscience nursing in Indonesia has evolved through three identifiable phases: a generalist vocational era (pre-1983), a professionalization phase initiated by the 1983 National Nursing Workshop, and a contemporary specialization phase marked by the establishment of the Indonesian Neuroscience Nurses Association (HIPENI) and the National Brain Center Hospital in 2014. Persistent challenges include workforce shortages, the absence of standardized postgraduate clinical pathways, and significant geographic disparities in neurocritical infrastructure.

Conclusion: Advancing neuroscience nursing in Indonesia requires a multifaceted response: the establishment of formal postgraduate clinical specialization programs, strategic integration of telementoring and tele-nursing platforms, and organizational leadership by HIPENI to align national competency standards with international benchmarks. These measures are essential to developing an equitable, evidence-based neurocritical care workforce across Indonesia's diverse regions.