Classic nursing management skills and disease management: something old, something new

With the advent of managed care, nursing has the opportunity to shine through the current chaos in the health care industry because of its steadfast use and necessary expertise in the five classic management skills: planning, coordinating, controlling, delegating, and communicating. The new focus on disease management provides nursing with the best chance ever to position itself as the most skilled and pivotal player in an incredibly competitive arena. The five skills will be described in the new context of disease management, with the hope that nurses in diverse roles will demonstrate that excellent management of clinical care is a patient's best chance for achieving optimal outcomes and a health care system's best chance at achieving value.