From Brownie et al. (2017):
Healthcare access impacts almost every human indicator including maternal/child mortality rates, rates of preventable infectious and noncommunicable disease, employability, gender equality, workforce productivity, trends in mortality rates and more…
Several hospital-based studies can be cited to illustrate nursing impacts; for example, increasing the ratio and educational level of nursing staff in European-based inpatient contexts is reported as having a positive impact on patient 30-day readmission and mortality rates…
American states employing nurse practitioners and supporting practice to full capacity report lower hospitalisation rates and improved community health outcomes compared with states which do not employ nurse practitioners or which unnecessarily restrict practice…
Each of these examples illustrates impact within the secondary-level healthcare economy and supports the notion that the impact of nursing is broader than healthcare impacts alone.
On Labor Day, let’s be sure to celebrate our nurses, physicians and other health care staff!