Think of all the changes the nursing profession has seen during your career. Now, consider the changes over the last 100 years. They are vast. However, one critical part of nursing hasn’t changed since it was first introduced in the 1930s — reimbursement from payers for the care nurses provide.

The current reimbursement model for nursing services in the acute care setting is nearly 100 years old and lumps nursing services into the overall hospital room rate, effectively making our contributions invisible. This outdated system devalues our expertise, stifles innovation, and hinders our professional growth.

However, the Commission for Nurse Reimbursement is working to change this. Let's explore how the current system affects your care and dive into three compelling reasons why changing nurse reimbursement structures should be our top priority.

Current Reimbursement in Action

The current reimbursement structure rolls nurses into the room rate. This means healthcare payers never pay the hospital for the skilled care you give patients. Instead, the hospital covers the care as an “overhead” cost similar to environmental services, dietary services, and administration. Yet, hospitals cannot function without nurses, and patients wouldn’t receive the life-saving care they need without you at the bedside.

So, how does this affect patient care when the hospital needs to cut back on spending? The hospital administration has no way to increase revenue from nursing services when they are billed as overhead. To save money, they reduce the number of nurses in each unit and increase the number of patients each nurse cares for. This method reduces overhead spending and increases the bottom line.

However, this cost-saving strategy leads to nurse burnout, unsafe staffing ratios, a shortage of nurses, toxic work environments, and poor patient outcomes. How do we address the root cause of the symptoms of a poorly designed reimbursement system? We advocate for changes to the reimbursement structure, making nursing a billable service, like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and social work.

Why Nurses Must Care About Nursing Reimbursement

We are leaving the bedside more than ever before in the history of modern nursing. Hospital administrators have very few functional strategies they can use to stop the leaky nursing pipeline. Instead, they offer bandaids to a gaping wound when they throw pizza parties, give bonuses, and use staffing pools. It’s time we tackle the root cause of the problem, offer an alternative payment method for hospital nursing, and recognize nursing care for its skill, expertise, and value.

Let’s review three reasons every nurse should care about modernizing nursing reimbursement.

1. Improve Nurse Empowerment and Recognition

Imagine a workplace where your unique skills and contributions are acknowledged and valued. A modernized reimbursement structure can make this a reality. By transitioning to a model where hospitals can bill directly for nursing care, we break free from being rolled into the room rate and step into our roles as autonomous, billable professionals. This shift not only empowers us with greater control over our practice but also sends a powerful message to administrators, colleagues, and patients that nursing is a distinct, specialized discipline deserving recognition and respect.

2. Fuel Innovation and Career Advancement

The current reimbursement model disincentivizes innovation in nursing care and safe staffing levels. Without a direct link between our services and reimbursement, there's little financial motivation to develop and implement new care models or invest in advanced training. This stagnation limits our ability to improve patient outcomes and hampers our career advancement opportunities.

Advocating for change opens up a world of possibilities. When nurses can bill for their services, we create a financial incentive to innovate. We can invest in continuing education, pursue specialty certifications, and develop new care models that improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance patient experiences. This change benefits our patients and propels our careers forward, opening doors to leadership roles and greater professional autonomy.

3. Reclaim a Unified Nursing Voice

The current reimbursement model silences our voices in critical financial decisions. When our services are bundled into the room rate, we lose the ability to advocate for resources and investments that directly impact our practice and patient care. This lack of transparency and control can lead to frustration, burnout, and, ultimately, a loss of talented nurses from the profession.

By changing the reimbursement structure, we gain a seat at the table. We can leverage data on the cost and value of nursing services to advocate for improved compensation, better staffing ratios, and investments in technology and resources that support our work. This not only improves our working conditions but also elevates the nursing profession as a whole, giving us a stronger voice in shaping the future of healthcare.

The Path Forward

The Commission for Nurse Reimbursement, founded by nursing leaders Rebecca Love and Sharon Pearce, leads the charge for change. Their mission is to break free from the outdated model and create a system that truly values nurses as skilled professionals.

This movement needs your support. As nurses, our voices are powerful. By joining this conversation, we can shape a future where nursing is recognized, respected, and fairly compensated. It's time to break free from the past and build a brighter future for our profession.