THE NURSE LEADER AS ECONOMIST
What do a parking place, a picture of two men playing cards, a bird feather, and an old automobile have in common?
Surprisingly, each of these items are on the list of the most expensive items in the world. A parking spot in New York City, a painting titled “The Card Players” by artist Paul Cezanne, a feather from the extinct huia bird, and a 1963 Ferrari GTO will each set you back more money than most of us care to spend in a lifetime, let alone in a single purchase.
There is another characteristic that these items share, and it helps explain the price tags. Each of these items is rare; so rare that they are difficult to find. Their low supplies drive their demand and, subsequently, their prices. This relationship between supply, demand, and price is a fundamental economic concept.
For this Discussion, you share thoughts about prevalent healthcare financing concerns and consider how these concerns are impacted by economic principles such as price, supply and demand, and need.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
TO PREPARE
Research current healthcare financing concerns prevalent in the United States.
Reflect on these or any other healthcare financing concerns that you have observed and/or that your healthcare organization currently experiences.
Consider how these concerns relate to fundamental issues of economics, such as “price,” “supply vs. demand,” “scarcity of resources,” or “needs and wants.”
Consider how these concerns relate to the healthcare product or service solution you have proposed for your organization.
BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 3
Post an explanation of what you believe to be the three most important healthcare financing concerns in the United States today. Be specific and provide examples. Then, explain how these three concerns relate to fundamental economic issues, such as “price,” “supply vs. demand,” etc. Explain how any of these concerns relate to the healthcare product or service solution you have proposed for your healthcare organization in Module 1.
BY DAY 6 OF WEEK 3
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days by suggesting a possible strategy that their organization might pursue to address the stated economic concern(s). Be specific and provide examples.
