Nursing Economic$

The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) Board of Directors appointed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force, and charged them with engaging the AAACN membership in a larger DEI conversation and creating a safe space for open discussion and education. The task force administered a survey to give voice to and gain understanding of the current state of member demographics and opinions on the topic of DEI. The survey was developed using an evidence-based approach to collecting diversity information in a non-confrontational, open, and honest way. Using results of the survey, the task force has taken steps to build an initial platform for DEI dialogue and education.

The "Future of Nursing Report 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity" presents an overarching framework for advancing health equity over the next decade. Given their knowledge and experience, ambulatory care nurses informed the report development; however, they must embrace opportunities for further action. Examples of ambulatory care nurses' innovative work and practice are showcased as they lead efforts across diverse settings with multiple partners. Ambulatory care nurses have the expertise, tools, and leadership for decisive action. They must continue to activate other nurses, their organizations, and collaborators to achieve the report's vision.

Payment for primary care remains predominantly fee-for-service. Billing regulations are complex and often not a part of nursing curriculum. This leads to confusion and a lack of understanding. When nurses are employed by primary care practices, their nursing services that contribute to context, as well as the systems they serve and impact the RN’s billable services, are not clearly identified. This article describes frequently used codes, regulatory requirements for use, and opportunities for future payment models.

This article describes findings from an extensive literature review and subject matter expert survey. Barriers to successful partnerships and strategies for success are highlighted, and examples from different types of successful partnerships are provided.

Development of academic-practice partnerships (APPs) provides the foundation to build a sustainable partnership between academia and practice settings. APPs provide academic, practice, and mutual benefits to advance ambulatory care nursing. Those who engage in partnerships can achieve mutual respect and understanding, a shared vision with mutual goals and outcomes, and agreed-upon evaluation strategies. Part 1 of a 3-part series.

Academic practice partnerships play a key role in preparing nurses to care for diverse patients in clinical settings. Evidence-based academic practice partnership guidelines for ambulatory care were created to facilitate student clinical placements that ensure competency of new nurses entering ambulatory care settings.

As health care shifts from an acute, disease, and episodic-based model to one of health, community intervention, and continuum focused interventions, the ambulatory care nurse is essential in this transformation and its success. Leveraging the ANCC Magnet® Model as a blueprint to improved patient outcomes and care of the nursing workforce can ensure that transformation is achieved.

Case management has been effective in improving cost and quality outcomes for at-risk populations. The majority of case management studies have been performed on older Medicare populations and lacked standard financial outcome estimates. A telephonic case management program’s clinical and economic effectiveness was assessed on a commercial population, including return on investment (ROI). The centralized program resulted in statistically significant lower emergency department visits and inpatient admissions with a significant ROI.