Primary nursing in long-term care: is it economically feasible?

1. The demand for nursing home beds exceeds supply, creating a sellers market. Administrators, therefore, do not see the need for making costly changes in the method of nursing care delivery. 2. ++Modified primary nursing, where permanent RN-nursing assistant teams are accountable to a permanent patient assignment, can be budget-neutral. Studies have suggested that primary nursing decreases supply costs, the use of sick leave, and the total number of staff. 3. For primary nursing in long-term care to be feasible, there must be an adequate number of budgeted full time employees, an adequate supply of RNs who are willing to work in long-term care, and adequate salaries to attract competent staff. 4. Although research addressing the costs of implementing primary nursing in long-term care exists, it is largely anecdotal. More controlled studies are needed.