34. The Value of RNs: How Can We Communicate our Economic Worth?

Any discussion of economics and economic valuing in what now is a globally connected health care delivery system is daunting talk, particularly to those among us who might prefer a focus on the art and science of care giving. Yet the nursing discipline is embedded in, and central to any discussion on the economic valuing and delivery of health care on many fronts. If this were not the case, one would have to seriously wonder, Why not? It is hard to imagine any serious health care venue consuming nursing resources in the United States or abroad - acute care, primary care, long-term care, home or public/community-based care, the military, informatics firms, pharmaceutical companies, and others - without seriously considering the value that nurses and nursing bring to bear on care or services outcomes.