Establishing a profitable outpatient community nursing center

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Practice
• Public Health

Background:

• The 1983 prospective payment system (PPS) significantly reduced hospital lengths of stay.
• This reduction curtailed traditional patient services, creating unmet healthcare needs.
• Nurses recognized the gap in care delivery post-hospitalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the unmet needs of patients following reduced hospital stays.
• To explore innovative outpatient nursing service models.
• To establish a sustainable community-based nursing center.

Main Methods:

• The Division of Nursing at Memorial Medical Center of Long Beach initiated a needs assessment.
• A strategy was developed to deliver nursing services on an outpatient basis.
• A Community Nursing Center was established to implement the strategy.

Main Results:

• The Community Nursing Center was successfully formed.
• The center aimed to meet patient needs previously unaddressed during inpatient stays.
• The initiative represented a shift towards community-based, outpatient nursing care.

Conclusions:

• Community Nursing Centers can effectively address healthcare gaps created by policy changes.
• Outpatient nursing services are crucial for comprehensive patient care beyond the hospital.
• Innovative models are needed to adapt nursing practice to evolving healthcare systems.