[Development or the nursing productivity conceptual framework]

This study was performed to develop the conceptual framework of the nursing productivity. The study efforts were made: (1) to define the concept the nursing productivity, (2) to identify the elements of the productivity, and (3) to determine the relationship among the elements. With the aim, the study employed a descriptive analysis by way of reviewing various references related to the subject. The nursing productivity consists of such elements as the nursing efficiency and the nursing effectiveness which are complementary to each other. The nursing efficiency is the quantitative input/output ratio, while the nursing effectiveness represents the integrated outcome of such sub-elements as the degree of accomplishing nursing goals, the quality of nursing service, consumer's satisfaction, and the degree of improvement of nurse's attitude toward the quality care. The nursing productivity can be estimated by summing up the nursing efficiency and the effectiveness. By employing the system theory model, the elements of the nursing productivity consist of three elements; the input, the process, and the output. By the process elements, the system inputs are transformed to the system outputs nursing efficiency and nursing effectiveness which are input to the system, in turn, through feedback mechanism (Figure 4).