Question

What are your suggestions to help reduce the cost of health care without compromising patients' health and safety? List at least three (3) suggestions. Thinking as a nurse leader, remark on how you could/would help institute your suggestions.

Answer 1

Reducing hospital cost is a all time need, as hospital costs will perish the financial status of a person. Without compromising the quality of care, we have to reduce the cost of hospital stay or health care.

1. Minimise staff turnover: Recruiting and training new staff is expensive. Maintain the existing staff by providing competitive pay packages and hikes, easing the work load, offering rewards and recognition. All the above, treating employees with respect is very important.
2. Eliminate or cut down overtime: Staff overtime should be cut down to the minimum, even if it is not possible to completely wipe it off. The staffing methods and timings will ensure this. Overtime is expensive plus the staff also will suffer physically.
3. Automate repetitive administration tasks: nurses and other staffs are using more than 50% of their time to do the administration work related to patient care, which reduces the patient care timings and quality of care as well. Streamlining manual processes with automated machine work wherever possible, will reduce this time loss.