Linking outcomes to nurses' roles in health care

As the health care industry refines quality assurance and quality improvement standards, the accountability of individual care providers is intensifying. Care providers work within a system of interdependent roles and functions and collaborate to attain the common goal of quality care. A conceptual model was developed which relates the achievement of specific outcomes to nurses' independent, dependent, and interdependent roles and functions. Empirical literature was used to identify outcomes associated with nurses' role functions. Outcomes associated with nurses' independent role functions included the prevention of complications, clinical outcomes, knowledge of diseases and treatments, satisfaction, and cost outcomes. Outcomes associated with nurses' dependent role included adverse incidents which caused problems or prolonged hospital stays. Outcomes associated with nurses' interdependent role included interdisciplinary team functioning.