7 Key Strategies for Effective Resource Utilization in Nursing Practice


Written By: Darby FaubionDarby Faubion RN, BSN, MBA

Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Darby lives in Louisiana and loves exploring the state’s rich culture and history. Darby has a passion for caring for veterans and a special interest in those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. In her quest to make a difference for veterans, she founded a non-profit called “Operation Battle Buddy.” Read Full Bio »»
RN, BSN, MBA

You don’t have to be a manager or administrator in nursing to feel the effects of supply and demand or to know that there are times when making resources stretch is challenging. In times like this, effective resource utilization is crucial. Resource utilization in nursing refers to the way we effectively and efficiently use therapies, procedures, and services to provide safe, high-quality patient care. When used correctly, resource utilization can help reduce the cost of healthcare, which benefits everyone. Depending on what type of nursing position you hold, you may wonder, “What are the key strategies for effective resource utilization in nursing practice?”

Having been a nurse and worked in healthcare leadership, I can tell you that I believe we all can take part in implementing strategies to utilize resources responsibly. In this article, I will share 7 key strategies for effective resource utilization in nursing practice and provide some insight into how these strategies helped me and my team and could benefit you, as well.


What Are The Key Strategies For Effective Resource Utilization In Nursing Practice?

(The following are the 7 key strategies for effective resource utilization in nursing practice.)


STRATEGY #1: Focus on Patient-Centered Care

Patient-centered care is important on so many levels. It promotes better communication and stronger nurse-patient relationships, makes patients feel engaged and empowered, and improves patient satisfaction and health outcomes. When you prioritize patient-centered care, you focus on your patient's preferences and needs and implement interventions that align with them. This is important because patients who are involved in their care planning are more likely to be compliant, which means there is a decreased risk of wasting resources that the patient does not want as part of their care.


STRATEGY #2: Leverage Available Technology

The healthcare industry today is filled with all types of technology that can significantly enhance resource utilization in nursing practice. Some of the common top technologies in nursing are things we can utilize to make the best use of our resources, which will positively impact patients, our teams, facilities, and the healthcare industry overall.

For example, a few common types of technology we use that help with resource utilization are telemedicine, mobile health apps, smart devices, and electronic health records. Telemedicine makes it possible for nurses to provide remote care, which reduces the need for in-person patient care visits and optimizes the use of healthcare facilities for acute needs. Mobile health apps can do everything from facilitating communication among team members, which reduces delays in patient care, to providing quick access to dosage calculations and patient education materials. Electronic health records streamline everything in the documentation process, improving access to patient information and helping promote better care coordination.


STRATEGY #3: Participate in Interdisciplinary Collaboration

One of the simplest yet most important strategies for effective resource utilization in nursing practice is utilizing interdisciplinary collaboration. Interdisciplinary collaboration helps improve patient care coordination, which helps ensure that resources are used more efficiently. Additionally, interdisciplinary collaboration helps promote enhanced communication, leading to timely and appropriate use of resources. Additionally, by leveraging the diverse skills and competencies of team members, patients receive appropriate care from qualified professionals, resulting in optimized use of resources. It is a win-win for everyone!


STRATEGY #4: Help Promote Adequate Nurse-Patient Ratios

One thing I loved about clinical nursing was the time I spent interacting with my patients. Unfortunately, when healthcare facilities are short-staffed, nurses are faced with caring for more patients than is usually considered acceptable or safe. Not only does it take time away from individual patients, but it can have an impact on the way resources are utilized. It takes an understanding of the impact of unsafe or inadequate nurse-patient ratios to appreciate how adequate ratios can help promote effective resource utilization.

When nurses have less time to spend with patients, the risk of missing important signs or symptoms increases, the likelihood of errors increases, and patients are less likely to communicate their concerns. Having adequate nurse-patient ratios helps ensure nurses can spend more time with patients, which means changes in patients' statuses can be detected in a timely manner, and there is a reduced risk of errors. Also, nurse-patient ratios affect patient satisfaction, and when patients are satisfied with care, they are more likely to follow prescribed treatment plans and less likely to experience complications and hospital readmissions or require additional resources.


STRATEGY #5: Use Evidence-Based Practices to Guide Decision-Making

Evidence-based practices involve using the most current research and clinical experiences to make guided decisions about patient care. EVP is an essential part of effective resource utilization in nursing practice because it helps ensure that resources are allocated based on proof that they are effective. Another benefit of using evidence-based practices is that they reduce the risk of health complications and hospital readmissions, which helps reserve resources, reduce waste, and cut costs.


STRATEGY #6: Avoid “Stashing” Supplies

I remember very well the days of arriving at work to find I had more patients than I thought I could handle. Then, there was the rush of trying to gather all the supplies I thought I would need for the day and tucking them away on my nursing cart or in my bag to carry down the hall with me as I did med passes or wound care. While being prepared and taking supplies with you is a good thing, effective resource utilization requires us to carefully consider what supplies we really need and to take only those that are necessary.

In most healthcare facilities today, every transaction involves scanning barcodes. If you need tape or IV supplies, you scan them, and they are automatically charged to your patient's account. When you take supplies that are charged to a patient but unused, you may not be allowed to return them to stock, depending on your facility's policies. While you may not be able to foresee every circumstance or know how many of each supply you will need during your shift, you can get a good idea by arriving early for your shift and finding out what patients you have and what their specific needs are. A few minutes of your time could save a lot of time and resources in the end.


STRATEGY #7: Patient Education

Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge advocate for education. Not only do I believe that we, as nurses, should be continuously involved in learning, but we should also educate our patients. Education is empowering, and when we provide appropriate education about our patient's conditions, the importance of compliance with treatment plans, and anticipated outcomes, we help them make smarter decisions. Patients who understand the rationale behind their treatment plans and how resources are used to provide care are typically more mindful of how they use those resources.


My Final Thoughts


To provide high-quality nursing care, it is essential that nurses promote effective resource utilization, and it is important to understand that effective resource utilization is every nurse’s responsibility. If you want to make a difference and cut costs, it is only natural to wonder, “What are the key strategies for effective resource utilization in nursing practice?” In this article, I shared 7 key strategies for effective resource utilization in nursing practice. By implementing a collaborative approach to implementing these strategies, nurses can enhance the efficiency of the healthcare services provided and contribute to the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems, which leads to improved patient, organizational, and professional outcomes.


List Of Sources Used For This Article


1. “20 TOP Technologies in Nursing + How They’re Making a Difference” (nursingprocess.org)


Darby Faubion, RN, BSN, MBA
Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Her work history includes clinical experience in pediatrics, mental health, addiction and behavioral disorders, geriatrics, wound management, and communicable disease. Darby has worked in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health and hospice agencies. Darby also has experience as a nursing and allied health educator at both community college and university levels. Her love for nursing and nursing education led to her becoming a test-taking strategist and NCLEX prep coach.