Partnership economics: nursing's challenge in a quantum age.

While the task of ascribing economic value to human caring is incredibly complex, Eisler (1998) reminds us that economic systems can and do change--and all our economic institutions are human creations. Humans can create new economic rules that recognize caring as the most foundational economically productive work (Eisler, 1998). In selected situations, the work of nursing has enormous economic value and new research continues to emerge which support our intuitive beliefs about the economic value of nursing's work (Levinson, Roter, & Frankel, 1997; Revans, 1964; Salmond, 1972). The future of health care requires that this work continues. The value of developing conscious economic inventions for nursing has the potential to assist nursing in its cost-effectiveness analysis, document the economic value of caring behaviors, inspire recruitment, and decrease the number of nurses leaving the profession. Nursing is challenged to shift its consciousness to one that is based on the value equation of quality, cost, and service. We are challenged to recognize the need to build a more equitable and humane economic system that gives real value to the work of caring, and to partner with other health care leaders, policy analysts, and economists in the process. Ultimately, developing economic measurements for the redefined work in nursing will require significant changes in economic measurements, institutions, rules as well as social norms, customs, and laws to quantify those goods not traditionally valued. The focus and energy of the nursing profession must move beyond overwhelming notions of loss and change; to challenging leadership to actively write and produce a better script for health in America beyond what we have developed over the past century. Indeed, this work is the requisite for the profession if what our children receive is the next level of enhancement from that which this generation obtained. It is no longer an option in creating a preferred future, it is nursing's mandate.