New Roles for Nurses in a Changing Health Care System

Description/Overview: The Affordable Care Act and incentives for health care organizations to pursue the “Triple Aim” of better care, better health, and lower costs are spurring significant changes in the financing and organization of health care services in the United States. Greater demand for health care services, particularly primary and ambulatory care, and new payment models are placing pressure on health care organizations to increase the value of the services they provide and to reduce costs. What is the role of RNs in these new care models, and in ensuring access to care for the newly insured? The workshop will begin with a review of key components of the ACA and the current state of ACA implementation. Participants will engage in an interactive activity about the details of the ACA, including how some components are likely to be modified due to administrative decision-making and new legislation. Then, the projected impact of the ACA on employment of nurses and other health workers will be examined, drawing from published research. Workshop participants will learn of several new studies that have projected the impact of the ACA on demand for health care services and the subsequent demand for health care workers. They will engage in “table sharing” activities to discuss how their organizations are facing new demand for services due to the ACA, and also due to the changing demographics of the U.S. population. The last component of the workshop will focus on emerging roles of RNs in Accountable Care Organizations, care management, cost-saving programs, and other new models of care. The skills required of RNs to optimally fill these new roles will be examined. Workshop participants will engage in brainstorming and other activities to link educational and training needs to the competencies required for RNs to play an optimal role in the future.