Over the last decade, there has been a substantial investment in holding health care providers accountable for the quality of care provided in hospitals and other settings of care. This investment has been realized through the proliferation of national policies that address performance measurement, public reporting, and value-based purchasing. Although nurses represent the largest segment of the health care workforce and despite their acknowledged role in patient safety and health care outcomes, they have been largely absent from policy setting in these areas. This article provides an analysis of current nursing performance measurement and public reporting initiatives and presents a summary of emerging trends in value-based purchasing, with an emphasis on activities in the United States. The article synthesizes issues of relevance to advancing the current climate for nursing quality and concludes with key issues for future policy setting.
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