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A new perspective on nursing and caring in a corporate context
1School of Nursing, University of Southern Maine, Portland.
ANS. Advances in Nursing Science
|July 1, 1989
Summary
The corporatization of healthcare, driven by competition and payment systems, discourages nurses from providing care. Strategies in education, policy, and activism are vital to re-establish caring as a core nursing value.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Ethics
- Healthcare Management
- Sociology of Health
Background:
- The US healthcare system has increasingly adopted a corporate model since the 1960s.
- This shift promotes competition among providers and incentivizes minimizing services.
- Current financial structures, including Medicare Prospective Payment Systems, Health Maintenance Organizations, and Preferred Provider Organizations, reward reduced care delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of healthcare corporatization on the social context of nursing.
- To understand how these systemic changes affect nurses' ability to practice an ethic of caring.
- To identify strategies for maintaining caring as a fundamental aspect of nursing work.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of the evolving healthcare landscape.
- Examination of incentive structures within healthcare payment systems.
- Literature review on nursing ethics and social activism.
Main Results:
- The current healthcare system's financial incentives do not reward or support nurses in providing comprehensive care.
- Nurses face systemic pressures that conflict with the ethic of caring.
- The social context for nurses is significantly altered by market-driven healthcare reforms.
Conclusions:
- Nurses must actively engage in education, policy development, and social activism.
- These actions are crucial to ensure that caring remains a non-negotiable element of professional nursing practice.
- Reasserting the value of caring is essential for the future of nursing and patient well-being.