A report co-written by the American Nurses Association, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the Healthcare Financial Management Association calls for improved communication and collaboration between nursing and finance leaders on the allocation of resources for nurses.
The report, “The Business of Caring: Promoting Optimal Allocation of Nursing Resources,” encourages a mutual understanding of the respective professional roles and challenges of nursing and finance leaders, and asks healthcare leaders to pioneer evidence-based nurse staffing approaches, evaluate the effects of new technology on all stages of care, strive for collaboration and agree on key principles when allocating nursing resources. Authors say collaboration will help prioritize quality of care, consider resource allocation holistically, yield more reliable data and minimize conflict.
“It is time to shift the nurse staffing paradigm so that the contributions of nurses to positive patient outcomes are understood, valued and viewed as a priority investment rather than a discretionary expense,” says ANA President Ernest Grant, RhD, RN, FAAN.
