Performance of Public Health Nurses and Coverage of the Nursing Care Program by Community Health Centers in Jember, Indonesia

Public Healthcare Services (PHCs) provide health care activities, including home visits by public health nurses (PHNs), as part of the Indonesian nursing care program. The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of PHNs and the coverage of the nursing care program by CHCs in Jember (East Java, Indonesia). A cross-sectional study based on secondary analysis, obtained from the Health Department of Jember District (East Java, Indonesia), was conducted in 2016. The data included quality improvement initiatives and outcomes of the nursing care program, which had been collected from 50 CHCs in Jember. The performance of PHNs and the coverage of the nursing care program by CHCs were evaluated based on three categories, namely nursing care for vulnerable families, nursing care for community groups, and family self-care empowerment. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (version 22.0). The coverage of the nursing care program by PHCs in the category of vulnerable families, community groups, and self-care empowerment was 48.28%, 44.87%, and 49.50%, respectively. The average coverage (low vs. high) by CHCs in the category of vulnerable families, community groups, and self-care empowerment was 50.0% versus 50.0%, 52.0% versus 48.0%, and 52.0% versus 48.0%, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the pre-defined targets and the coverage of the nursing care program by PHCs in vulnerable families (r=0.488; P<0.001), nursing care in communities’ groups (r=0.316; P=0.026), and empowerment of families’ self-care (r=0.531; P<0.001). The results showed that 50% of the CHCs did not meet the required program coverage. The performance of PHN to achieve target of PHCs was correlated with the program coverage of PHCs. The competence of PHNs in providing care to the families and the community, particularly in rural areas, should be improved through an integrated training program.