LINKING OUTCOMES TO NURSES ROLES IN HEALTH-CARE

As the health care industry refines quality assurance and quality impr ovement standards, the accountability of individual care providers is intensifying. Care providers work within a system of interdependent ro les and functions and collaborate to attain the common goal of quality care. A conceptual model was developed which relates the achievement of specific outcomes to nurses' independent, dependent, and interdepen dent roles and functions. Empirical literature was used to identify ou tcomes associated with nurses' role functions. Outcomes associated wit h nurses' independent role functions included the prevention of compli cations, clinical outcomes, knowledge of diseases and treatments, sati sfaction, and cost outcomes. Outcomes associated with nurses' dependen t role included adverse incidents which caused problems or prolonged h ospital stays. Outcomes associated with nurses' interdependent role in cluded interdisciplinary team functioning.