Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, and Washington, DC – (August 29, 2008) It may cost money to improve the quality of nursing care through increases in staffing or work environment changes but those costs may be offset through improved patient outcomes and nurse retention, according to research in a Special Issue of Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice published by SAGE.
The guest editorial, "The Importance and Challenge of Paying for Quality Nursing Care," introduces the articles that explore the economic issues and policies for quality nursing care. The articles are grouped around three general topics: (a) making the business case for quality nursing care, (b) reimbursing for nursing care, and (c) paying for performance related to nursing care. Articles include:
- Linda Aiken, Economics of Nursing
- Jack Needleman, Is What's Good for the Patient Good for the Hospital?
- Susan Horn, The Business Case for Nursing in Long-Term Care
- Nancy Laport, Walter Sermeus, Guy Vanden Boer, and Pieter Van Herck, Adjusting for Nursing Care Case Mix in Hospital Reimbursement
- John Welton and Clara Dismuke, Testing an Inpatient Nursing Intensity Billing Model
- Steven Finkler, Measuring and Accounting for the Intensity of Nursing Care
- Paul Ginsburg, Paying Hospitals on the Basis of Nursing Intensity
- Eileen Sullivan-Marx, Lessons Learned From Advanced Practice Nursing Payment
- Sean Clarke, Carol Raphael and Joanne Disch, Challenges and Directions for Nursing in the Pay-for-Performance Movement
The articles are based on papers delivered at The Economics of Nursing Invitational Conference: Paying for Quality Nursing Care, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy in June 2007.
"Historically, the economic value that nursing brings to the patient care process has not been recognized or quantified," write guest editors Lynn Y. Unruh, PhD, RN, LHRM (University of Central Florida), Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), and Susan C. Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, (AARP Public Policy Institute). "Improving the quality of nursing care through work environment changes or increases in staffing is viewed by many as an added cost, but the benefits in terms of money saved through improved nursing satisfaction and patient outcomes are not considered."
This special issue of Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice is being made available by SAGE at no charge for a limited time at http://ppn.sagepub.com/content/vol9/issue2/.
Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal that explores the multiple relationships between nursing and health policy. It serves as a major source of data-based study, policy analysis and discussion on timely, relevant policy issues for nurses in a broad variety of roles and settings, and for others who are interested in nursing-related policy issues. David M. Keepnews, PhD, JD, RN, FAAN serves as the journal's Editor-in-Chief. http://ppn.sagepub.com/
SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine. A privately owned corporation, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, and Washington, D.C. www.sagepublications.com