Patient advocacy through outcomes management. A cardiac surgery example.

As we attempt to survive market forces that dominate the health care environment today, nurses must be active participants in finding solutions that improve patient care in a cost-effective manner. In our quest to reduce costs, however, health care providers know first-hand that good patient care is cheaper than bad, with its accompanying complications and readmissions. At our workplace, through our professional organizations, and from our political activities, nurses must offer a loud and unified voice towards the pursuit of patient-focused care. Practices such as early extubation and blood conservation are not only cost effective, they are clearly "the right thing to do."