NURS 6341 Week 11: The Cost of Health Care

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NURS 6341 Week 11: The Cost of Health Care essay assignment

NURS 6341: Specialty in Clinical Nursing | Week 11 essay assignment

… [F]or the first time, hospitals across the country will be paid for inpatient acute care services based on care quality, not just the quantity of the services they provide.

—From Fact Sheet on the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (2011)

Throughout this course, the issue of patient safety and quality has repeatedly emerged. Increased emphasis on quality care through government-promoted efforts to control health care costs will likely have a direct impact on nursing practice. Performance on measures of clinical process of care and patient experiences are now sources of evaluation of hospitals and their staffs.

NURS 6341 Week 11: The Cost of Health Care essay assignment

This week you consider the financial incentive to make significant improvements in patient quality of care.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Evaluate quality and safety measures that impact value-based purchasing
• Analyze nursing contributions towards the achievement of quality and safety measures
• Evaluate a practicum experience in the context of interprofessional collaboration
• Analyze personal development of interprofessional collaboration competencies
• Evaluate the impact of interprofessional collaboration on nurse educators
• Construct a detailed practicum log

Discussion: Managing Cost essay assignment

Miriam, the advanced practice nurse preparing to be a nurse educator, is wrapping up her final clinical experience for her MSN program. In the last few weeks of her practicum in the Intensive Care Unit, Miriam has observed the influence of new clinical measures of care as the hospital transitions to the value-based purchasing program. Because many heart attack and acute pneumonia emergency cases are admitted to ICU, Miriam has attended both formal meetings and listened to informal discussions on how the measures relevant to these conditions in particular will impact critical care nurses and other staff, both in the Emergency Room and ICU. From her observations of the nursing staff, Miriam can see the significant role of nurses in meeting the measures for value-based care. Miriam is looking ahead to including understanding of value-based purchasing in her work as a nurse educator, helping future nurses recognize the win-win of managing costs and enhancing patient safety and quality of care.

As you consider Miriam’s experience in her practicum setting, reflect on your own experiences, noting how initiatives such as pay-for-performance and value-based purchasing are impacting your specialty of interest. In this Discussion, share your perspective on the role of advanced practice nurses in managing costs and enhancing quality care, based on evidence from your practicum experience and the Learning Resources.

To Prepare

• Review this week’s Learning Resources on the costs associated with health care. Specifically, examine the measures of value-based purchasing.
• Conduct research for additional resources on value-based purchasing applied to your specialty of interest to inform and support your Discussion posting.
• Reflect on your practicum experience. Which quality and safety measures might have the greatest impact on your practicum setting and/or specialty of interest? Why?
• Consider the actions and contributions of the nursing staff in your practicum setting. In what ways have you seen nurses—in particular, nurses with advanced knowledge—contribute to the measures outlined in the value-based purchasing program?
• Consider your perspective on the current role that nurses play in managing health care costs and promoting patient safety and quality of care, and how that role may grow or change through value-based purchasing and similar initiatives.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of how at least three quality and safety measures have a significant impact on value-based purchasing in your practicum setting. Then, explain how nurses with advanced knowledge are contributing toward the achievement of these measures. Justify your responses by citing examples specific to your practicum experience and current literature.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using one or more of the following approaches:

• Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.
• Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
• Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.