Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Support Program for Nursing Staff

Area of Science:

• Healthcare economics
• Occupational health
• Psychological support programs

Background:

• Hospitals face significant costs associated with nurse turnover and absenteeism due to stressful patient-related events.
• Existing support systems may not adequately address the unique challenges faced by hospital staff.
• The Resilience In Stressful Events (RISE) program was developed as a peer-support intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an economic evaluation of the cost-benefit of the Resilience In Stressful Events (RISE) program.
• To determine the financial impact of the RISE program on hospitals from a provider perspective.

Main Methods:

• A Markov model with a 1-year time horizon was utilized for cost-benefit analysis.
• Data from nursing staff at a 1000-bed US hospital (2015-2016) were incorporated.
• Modeled costs included program operation, nurse turnover, and time off, with probabilities estimated via survey data.

Main Results:

• The RISE program demonstrated a net monetary benefit (NMB) of $22,576.05 per nurse initiating a RISE call.
• Probabilistic sensitivity analysis confirmed these savings with 99.9% consistency.
• A budget impact analysis projected annual savings of $1.81 million per hospital.

Conclusions:

• The RISE program yields substantial cost savings for hospitals.
• Implementing institution-wide support programs like RISE is recommended due to high demand and proven financial benefits.
• Investing in staff well-being through programs like RISE can improve hospital financial performance.