Healthcare Traveler - January 2009 - (Page 6)

By the Numbers Marcia Faller A P L AT FO R M FO R I N D US T R Y R E SE A RCH Are nurses a cost or an investment? A new survey of hospital chief nursing officers points to the growing financial impact of nurses. H istorically, many hospitals have viewed nurses as a cost, since it was commonly perceived that these professionals do not contribute to the bottom line. That perception may be changing, however, as a new survey of hospital chief nursing officers (CNOs), conducted by San Diego-based AMN Healthcare, attests. The survey was mailed to CNOs around the country and asked for comments on a range of issues pertaining to nurse staffing—including the use of travel nurses—within their facilities. Over two-thirds of those surveyed (37%) said nurses were viewed by hospital administrators “mostly as a cost,” while 16% reported nurses were seen as a “break even” proposition. Less than half (47%) believed nurses were considered “important to creating revenue.” However, the survey indicates that new payment systems being implemented by Medicare will enhance the role of nurses as financial “rainmakers” for their hospitals, altering the way nurses are viewed by hospital executives. a direct impact on patient satisfaction. So, as patient satisfaction becomes a greater source of hospital revenue, the status of nurses as “revenue generators” is likely to rise accordingly. Indeed, 62% of CNOs surveyed indicated that patient satisfaction-based payment systems would enhance the status of nurses at their facilities. these professionals are viewed at their hospitals, 70% of CNOs said nurses will be considered more important as a source of revenue. This change in perception is good news for the nursing profession. It is hoped that nurses will benefit as their growing impact as hospital revenue generators is more widely felt. Never events In addition, CNOs were asked how Medicare’s 2008 Inpatient Prospective Payment System rules—which stipulate Medicare will not pay hospitals for care provided to patients as a result of various hospital-acquired conditions known as “never events”— will affect nurses’ status. Nurses are believed to be important in preventing the majority of these “never events” and by doing so can save their hospitals a considerable amount of revenue. Good news for travel nurses In particular, the survey asked CNOs to comment on their use of travel nurses. Over 62% of respondents said their hospitals had used travel nurses to supplement their staffs during the last 12 months. About 44% of CNOs indicated their facilities currently are using travel nurses. When asked to rate the quality of these mobile professionals, over 70% of participants rated travel nurses as either “excellent” or “good,” and about 28% rated them as “fair,” while less than 2% rated them “poor.” Additionally, CNOs cited the Number One benefit of using travel nurses was to “maintain quality of care.” Over 40% of CNOs agreed that their facilities “could not function” without these professionals. It is clear from the survey that travel nurses have built a positive reputation in the eyes of nurse managers and that they are filling an important role in many hospitals. HT Complete results of the survey are available at http://www.amnhealth care.com/services-products/white papers-surveys-casestudies.aspx. Marcia Faller, MSN, RN, is chief clinical officer and executive vice president with AMN Healthcare, based in San Diego, California. Patient satisfaction CNOs were asked about an ongoing Medicare effort to tie hospital reimbursement to patient satisfaction scores as tracked through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. HCAHPS will make it easier for patients to evaluate a given facility based on the assessment of patients who have been treated there. Those institutions with high patient satisfaction scores are likely to attract more patients and generate more revenue than those with low scores. It is clear that the availability, attitude, and care provided by nurses have 6 Healthcare Traveler January 2009 Seventy percent of CNOs said nurses will be considered more important as a source of revenue, thanks to new payment systems. According to a July 2008 study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, total costs for a surgery with an adverse event was $66,879 compared to $18,284 for surgeries without one. Not surprisingly, over 54% of CNOs surveyed said the new “never event” rules would enhance the status of nurses at their facilities. When asked in general how new payment systems will affect the way www.healthcaretraveler.com http://www.amnhealthcare.com/services-products/whitepapers-surveys-casestudies.aspx http://www.amnhealthcare.com/services-products/whitepapers-surveys-casestudies.aspx http://www.amnhealthcare.com/services-products/whitepapers-surveys-casestudies.aspx http://www.healthcaretraveler.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Traveler - January 2009

Healthcare Traveler - January 2009 Editor’s Desk Contents By the Numbers Paws for Thought Field Notes In a Flash Med Ec-cerpts Dream Destinations Nursing from the Heart Drug Update Professional Update Clinical Tips On Assignment Cityscape Name It Advertiser’s Index Contest Rules When In… It’s in the Bag Dot.com Tax Facts Big Deals Starter’s Kit Going the Distance Allied Corner Classifieds Tales from the Road

Healthcare Traveler - January 2009

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