One lens with which to view the advancement of the nursing profession is the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) Triple Aim Initiative. This framework describes three domains for delivery of care: 1) “Improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction)”, 2) “Improving the health of populations”, and 3) “Reducing the per capita cost of health care” (IHI, 2016).

One especially important function of nurses related to quality and satisfaction of healthcare is effective communication. This is evidenced by the efforts of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) to gather data on such measures. Specifically, the CAHPS Items Set for Addressing Health Literacy may be used, “to measure, from the patients’ perspectives, how well health information is communicated to them by health care professionals in outpatient settings” (CAHPS, 2014, p. 1).

Not only does the Washington Center for Nursing’s video center on Bachelor’s-degree-prepared nurses being able to improve patient care by training registered nurses in effective communication, but is also argues that BSN graduates are trained in research, ethics, and interdisciplinary work. Certainly these skills, in addition to nursing skills, prepare nurses in the IHI’s first domain. In terms of improving population health issues, BSN education also prepares nurses in leadership, critical thinking, and social justice. These skills prepare the BSN graduate to move from a focus on community care to that of global and population health, the second domain of IHI’s Triple Aim.

The final domain of the IHI’s Triple Aim is to address the increasing cost of healthcare in America. One of the participants in the Washington Center for Nursing’s video argues that there is an inverse relationship between the percentage of Bachelor’s-prepared nurses and the length of stay, readmission rate, and mortality rate of patients. All three of these factors contribute to rising healthcare costs. Because BSN graduates are trained in Evidence-Based Practice, nursing care is always evolving and improved with ongoing research.

RN to BSN programs bridge the gaps in providing essential nursing skills with enhanced clinical knowledge and practice. This advances the nursing profession as a whole, as BSN graduates can continue education with graduate programs, which in turn promote advancements in research and Evidence-Based Practice. In turn, advancement within the nursing profession serves to improve healthcare delivery to patients. Likewise, improved delivery will lead to improved patient outcomes. Finally, improved patient outcomes are ultimately the goal for every person entering our profession.

References

Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS). (2014). About the CAHPS Item Set for Addressing Health Literacy. Retrieved from: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zccmby6l83qpy3c/About%20the%20Health%20Literacy%20Item%20Set.pdf?dl=0%3E%5Bclick

Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2016). The IHI Triple Aim. Retrieved from: http://www.ihi.org/engage/initiatives/tripleaim/pages/default.aspx