Learning Objective #1: Discuss the use of outcome measurement to demonstrate the impact of nursing care

Learning Objective #2: Identify how measuring the outcomes of nursing care highlights the unique roles of nurses

---

Background: Nurses make substantive contributions to patient care and patient outcomes. Yet, care provided by nurses has often been “invisible” despite the fact that their contributions are significant. On a daily basis, nurses are impacting the management of patient health care conditions, promoting patient adherence to health promotion and disease prevention plans, and providing education to patients and family members. Focusing on measuring the outcomes of nursing care can help to highlight the unique role aspects of nursing.

Purpose: The purpose of this session is to discuss the use of outcome measurement to demonstrate the impact of nursing care.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted utlizing Ovid-Medline, Pubmed, and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature(CINAHL) databases from 1996 through December, 2007.

Results: Over 100 studies were identified that addressed the measurement of nursing outcomes. The literature was reviewed and the following aspects of each study were identified: purpose, sample, study design, aims, methods,outcomes assessed, and results. This session will discuss the results of the systematic literature review, highlighting implications for nursing practice.

Conclusions: The measurement of nursing outcomes can help to provide important information on the impact of nursing care.