My Classmate's Post About An Article Summary

This Is My Classmates Post About An Article Summary Article Attached

This is my classmate's post about an article summary (article attached). Please respond with a page, this is a discussion post Healthcare organizations imported the terms “productive” and “nonproductive” from manufacturing. Unfortunately, this has meant that only time spent in direct care at the bedside is considered productive. Time required to assess, plan, and evaluate care is deemed nonproductive, as is time away from the bedside for education and committee work. Organizations increasingly focus on managing resources and decreasing nonproductive time to lower costs while trying to enhance care quality.

A business definition of productivity is “a measure of the efficiency of a person, machine, factory, system, etc. in converting inputs into useful outputs.” Nonproductive time is defined as “time not directly associated with manufacturing operations or performance of a job or task.” What if we considered productivity more broadly? What might this yield in the quest to improve patient outcomes and reduce reimbursement losses for hospital-acquired conditions?

Is there really such a thing as nonproductive time for nurses? As the nursing profession evolves beyond the confines of unifocal, traditional bedside practice to include the creation of new knowledge, research by nurse scientists, and cultivation of nurse-driven leadership initiatives, there's a call to expand the current notion of productivity to include not only intervention implementation, but also the assessments, planning, and evaluations crucial to the successful provision of quality patient care.

When colleagues meet to plan current unit-based initiatives, identify needs, modify program strategies, and evaluate outcomes, they aren't being nonproductive. Florence Nightingale's singular leadership extended beyond direct bedside care to create previously unavailable opportunities in health advocacy, policy, and journalism. Her successes aren't measured by the hours she spent “on the floor,” but by the countless hours she spent “off the floor.” It was through her myriad contributions that she inspired a profession of leaders who care, heal, and further the betterment of human dignity. Never, in any regard, has Nightingale been referred to as “nonproductive;” rather, she's heralded as a visionary.

As nurses embody Nightingale's principles on a more professional and global scale, a vision will reemerge to create the possibility that nurses are productive whenever and wherever they act in the art and science of their discipline. Nonproductive time, which is sometimes called indirect care, supports the mission of those at the bedside taking care of patients. This means nonproductive time is, in fact, productive because it leads to undeniable positive patient and clinical outcomes by contributing to the primary mission of patient care and advancing nursing practice.

Nurses have the potential to be leaders throughout their work communities—from the bedside to the boardroom and from professional organizations to policy and advocacy forums. The challenge is to ensure that nurses have the skills and knowledge to fulfill leadership roles.

In response to the IOM report's vision and recommendations, the AACN created the CSI Academy to empower clinical nurses and support their vital role in the transformation of healthcare. The program was designed specifically for clinical nurses because they're astutely aware of the clinical obstacles impeding the achievement of optimal patient outcomes. However, they often lack the leadership, advocacy, and financial skills to drive effective solutions. The AACN CSI Academy is a hospital-based nurse leadership and innovation training program. Its goal is to assist clinical nurses in strengthening their skills and influence as clinical leaders and change agents to affect positive change and leverage the clinical nurse's expertise to enhance patient care and improve fiscal outcomes.

Academy participants gain essential skills in leadership, project management, social entrepreneurship, quality improvement, data and financial analysis, and stakeholder engagement, as well as education regarding how healthcare policy impacts the nursing profession and how nursing care affects a hospital's bottom line. The program helps participants guide their peers in creating unit-based change that's easily scaled across the entire hospital, expanding opportunities for nurses to lead and diffuse collaborative improvement efforts. For 16 months, a team of up to four nurses works with program faculty, an internal mentor, and the CNO to identify issues related to patient care, develop and implement unit-based projects, and evaluate results measured by quantifiable improvement in patient outcomes and decreases in hospital expenses.

The program is conducted in the hospital where the nurses work so learning can be integrated into existing patient care responsibilities. In summary, the teams obtain pre- and post-outcome data, develop and implement a unit-based project, and calculate the fiscal impact of their project on their units and institutions, thus reframing these activities as “productive.” The impact of the AACN CSI Academy projects to date has resulted in more than $28 million of estimated savings for participating hospitals. Outcomes include, but aren't limited to, increased early mobility; prevention of delirium; and decreased pressure ulcers, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonias.

Nurse-driven initiatives have decreased patient length of stay, catheter days, and ventilator days. Hospitals that have participated in the program report sustaining projects, translating projects to other clinical areas in the hospital, and adopting additional projects initiated by neighbor hospitals. The AACN CSI Academy demonstrates that clinical nurses provide a remarkable, measurable contribution to patient and financial outcomes when given the time and skills to do so. It also shows that nonproductive time supports innovation. Florence Nightingale stated, “Never lose an opportunity of urging, a practical beginning, however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself.” In other words, innovate by every means possible.

The current healthcare system as we know it is transforming, providing numerous opportunities to innovate and allowing the vision of nurses and nursing to become a reality. Let it never be overlooked or doubted: Nurses are innovators in the truest sense, transforming our reality and impacting patient outcomes.

Paper For Above instruction

The reinterpretation of productivity within healthcare, particularly in nursing, presents a powerful paradigm shift that can significantly influence patient outcomes and organizational efficiency. Traditional views have narrowly defined productivity as solely the direct care provided at the bedside, often disregarding the critical roles nurses play beyond direct patient interaction. Recognizing nonclinical activities such as assessment, planning, education, policy advocacy, research, and leadership as productive processes aligns more accurately with the evolving scope of nursing practice and the ultimate goal of enhancing patient care quality.

Florence Nightingale’s legacy exemplifies the importance of viewing the contributions of nurses holistically. Her leadership extended beyond direct care, focusing on systemic reforms, health policy, and advocacy, which have had lasting impacts on healthcare. Nightingale's work underscores that activities often considered nonproductive, like documentation, research, and leadership, are essential to improving health outcomes and advancing the nursing profession. Reassessing what constitutes productive work encourages a broader appreciation of nurses as vital contributors to healthcare systems.

Recent initiatives, such as the AACN’s CSI Academy, demonstrate how empowering nurses with leadership, project management, and financial skills can generate tangible improvements in patient outcomes and hospital savings. The projects undertaken by participating nurses yielded an estimated $28 million in savings, illustrating that investment in nurse development translates into measurable economic and clinical benefits. These efforts include reducing patient length of stay, preventing infections, and improving mobility, all of which are critical factors in quality improvement and cost containment.

Healthcare transformation driven by such nurse-led innovations exemplifies the vital role of nurses as changemakers. Developing leadership capacities and strategic skills equips nurses to advocate for policies and initiatives that foster sustainable improvements across clinical settings. Incorporating activities traditionally labeled as “nonproductive” into the definition of productivity can motivate nurses to engage more deeply in systemic issues, ultimately culminating in better patient care and organizational efficiency.

Furthermore, broadening the definition of productivity aligns with Florence Nightingale’s pioneering philosophy—seeing nursing as an art grounded in science and leadership. A shift in perception encourages nurses to value their assessment, planning, education, and advocacy efforts, recognizing these as integral to their professional and organizational success. Such an inclusive view fosters innovation, enhances job satisfaction, and supports the development of future nursing leaders committed to advancing healthcare.

In conclusion, redefining productivity beyond traditional bedside care into a comprehensive understanding encompassing all activities that contribute to patient outcomes and system improvement is crucial. It challenges outdated notions, aligns with contemporary nursing roles, and promotes a culture of innovation and leadership. Recognizing the true scope of nursing practice as productive work not only honors the historical contributions of leaders like Nightingale but also empowers nurses to shape the future of healthcare with confidence and strategic foresight.

References

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2015). AACN CSI Academy Program Overview. https://www.aacn.org
• Benner, P., Sutphen, M., Leonard, V., & Day, L. (2010). Educating nurses: A call for radical transformation. Jossey-Bass.
• Finkelman, A., & Kenner, C. (2017). Professional nursing concepts: Competencies for quality leadership and patient safety (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Nightingale, F. (1859). Notes on matters affecting health, 2nd ed. Harrison & Sons.
• Institute of Medicine. (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. The National Academies Press.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2012). Eliminating health disparities: The role of nursing leadership. RWJF.
• Chaboyer, W., et al. (2014). Leadership and professional development in nursing: Building competency in clinical leaders. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 46(4), 331-338.
• American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). ANA.
• Williams, R. L., et al. (2014). Measuring and improving nursing productivity. Nursing Economics, 32(1), 21-28.
• Cummings, G. G., et al. (2018). Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work environment: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 85, 19-60.