COLLABORATION IN RESEARCH - TESTING THE PIPC MODEL ON CLINICAL AND NONCLINICAL OUTCOMES

This outcomes research used a collaborative framework between a colleg e oi nursing and a medical center to test the effects of the Partners in Patient Care delivery model (PIPC) on clinical and nonclinical outc omes. An experimental pretest-postest design was used to compare selec ted nonclinical outcomes and clinical outcomes oi care in two patient units. Results showed that there were significant differences between units in the nonclinical outcomes of nurse satisfaction, salary costs, supply costs, and productivity as measured by documentation time. In addition, there were significant differences in the clinical outcomes of care in terms oi patient satisfaction. No significant differences w ere found in number oi falls, medication errors, and intravenous infec tions; however, when ratios oi these indicators were examined in relat ion to patient days, significant differences in the medication error r atio and the :all ratio were revealed. The results indicate that the P IPC delivery model did have positive effects on patient satisfaction a nd nurse satisfaction but that there were increased costs and increase d time spent in documentation on the pilot unit.