Introduction: Indonesia is widely recognized as a geographically complex nation which is comprised of an estimated 17,000 islands and with its 264 million inhabitants, it faces a unique combination of having to organize and deliver health care services to a diverse population who speak 724 languages or dialects. Aim: The purpose of this critical reflective narrative is to expand on the challenging structure of healthcare in Indonesia and the corresponding environment for nursing. More specifically we elaborated on health care settings, delivery of care and nursing education in the midst of complex targeted healthcare reforms. Methods: For this paper's needs a review and critical analysis was conducted by a systematic search in PubMed and Google Scholar, including papers from within the last two decades. Following critical taxonomy of the original output (i.e. 553 refs), a final 36 references were selected for inclusion. Results and Discussion: Results have been organized under the broad categories of Health Care structure and delivery followed by Nursing Education and are further elaborated via critical narration under five detailed sub-categories, i.e. The health care system in Indonesia (Specialized health centers and hospitals), Community Nursing, School Nursing, Home Care Nurse, Nursing Education in Indonesia Conclusions: Indonesia's wide geographical expanse of islands and population diversity makes health care delivery a complex task. Thus, the country should be praised for tackling these challenges and initiatives such as the creation of the PUSKESMAS network which increased geographic access and national healthcare coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]