Ferry Efendi1,2, Ching-Min Chen3, Nursalam Nursalam2, Nurul Wachyu Fitriyah Andriyani2, Anna Kurniati4, Susan Alison Nancarrow5. 1. Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. 2. Faculty of Nursing, Airlangga University, Indonesia. 3. Department of Nursing/Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. 4. Center of Planning and Management of Human Resources for Health, Ministry of Health, Indonesia. 5. School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Remote areas of Indonesia lack sufficient health workers to meet the health-care needs of the population. There is an urgent need for evidence regarding interventions to attract health workers and specifically health students to serve in remote areas. The aim of this research was to analyze the job preferences of health students to develop effective policies to improve the recruitment and retention of health students in remote areas. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment was conducted to investigate health students' preferences regarding job characteristics. This study was conducted in three different regions of Indonesia, with a total included 400 health students. Mixed logit models were used to explore the stated preferences for each attribute. RESULTS: Data were collected from 150 medical, 150 nursing and 100 midwifery students. Medical students gave the highest preference for receiving study assistance, while nursing students viewed salary as the most important. Midwifery students valued advanced quality facilities as an important attribute. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed the importance of combination interventions in attracting and retaining health workers in remote areas of Indonesia. Money is not the only factor affecting student preferences to take up a rural post; good management and better facilities were viewed as important by all health students. Addressing health student preferences, which are the candidate of future health workforce, would help the nation solve the recruitment and retention issues.
BACKGROUND: Remote areas of Indonesia lack sufficient health workers to meet the health-care needs of the population. There is an urgent need for evidence regarding interventions to attract health workers and specifically health students to serve in remote areas. The aim of this research was to analyze the job preferences of health students to develop effective policies to improve the recruitment and retention of health students in remote areas. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment was conducted to investigate health students' preferences regarding job characteristics. This study was conducted in three different regions of Indonesia, with a total included 400 health students. Mixed logit models were used to explore the stated preferences for each attribute. RESULTS: Data were collected from 150 medical, 150 nursing and 100 midwifery students. Medical students gave the highest preference for receiving study assistance, while nursing students viewed salary as the most important. Midwifery students valued advanced quality facilities as an important attribute. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed the importance of combination interventions in attracting and retaining health workers in remote areas of Indonesia. Money is not the only factor affecting student preferences to take up a rural post; good management and better facilities were viewed as important by all health students. Addressing health student preferences, which are the candidate of future health workforce, would help the nation solve the recruitment and retention issues.
Authors: Amanatul Firdaus; Ferry Efendi; Setho Hadisuyatmana; Gading Ekapuja Aurizki; Khatijah Lim Abdullah Journal: Fam Med Community Health Date: 2019-07-05