Value, a nursing outcome

This era of health care reform calls for the ability of hospitals to provide quality patient care while managing costs. Nursing practice is a key determinant of patient care quality and associated costs, or simply put, creating value. The value of nursing has been addressed by multiple qualified authors, yet there is no clear, consistent meaning of the term. Researchers and authors have developed some theoretical foundation for the concept of value, which evolved into important research questions that establish value as an important outcome that is sensitive to nursing practice. The opportunity to attend 2 sessions at the Harvard Business School on health care value has prompted the need for nursing to adapt to common thinking on health care value and establish its meaning for the nursing profession. This report summarizes the nursing literature on value, reflects on the executive education, and proposes direction for nursing leaders in education and practice.