Bringing economics and quality together: imperatives for nurse executives: part two: what's making a difference at the bedside?

Balancing improved quality care with cost continues to be one of President Obama's health care reform mantras. In advocating that the health care industry borrow best practices from business, he points to innovations such as pay for performance (P4P). These plans, which reward hospitals and physicians, consistently overlook nursing. To be included, nursing needs to quickly quantify its contribution to care and the price tag of that care. Without that critical data, nursing will continue to be hidden inside "room and board" charges--making the profession invisible to payers, consumers, and decision makers who will be left on their own to determine our value.