The Economic Case for Fundamental Nursing Care

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Economics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Healthcare cost containment is a primary concern for payers and administrators.
• Nursing leaders must establish nursing as a vital service line and articulate its value.
• Inadequate nurse staffing leads to missed care, negatively impacting patients and hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the importance of articulating nursing's value in healthcare.
• To highlight the consequences of inadequate nurse staffing.
• To present economic evidence supporting adequate nurse staffing.

Main Methods:

• Review of economic analyses concerning nurse staffing levels.
• Application of the Fundamentals of Care Framework to articulate nursing's role.
• Analysis of financial implications of missed care due to staffing shortages.

Main Results:

• Economic analysis indicates that adequate nurse staffing is financially viable.
• Cost savings are realized through reduced length of stay and fewer adverse outcomes.
• The value of nursing services can be effectively communicated using established frameworks.

Conclusions:

• Adequate nurse staffing is an affordable investment when considering overall healthcare costs and patient outcomes.
• Articulating nursing's value and the cost of missed care is crucial for healthcare leaders.
• Implementing models like the Fundamentals of Care Framework can support nursing's strategic positioning.