Should nurses receive bonuses due to the results of patients’ treatment?

Student
Professor
Subject
Date
Should Nurses Receive Bonuses Based on the Results of the Patients’ TreatmentPayment of bonuses to nurses regarding their performance as shown by the results of patient treatment has its pros and cons. Both the positive and negative impacts of rewarding bonuses to nurses regarding their performance are discussed below. As such through a thorough analysis and evaluation of both the positive and negative impacts of nurses receiving bonuses based on the results of the patients’ treatment, we will be able to have a robust standing on the matter.
Nurses should receive bonuses based on the outcomes of patient treatment because it helps put the focus, of both the nurse and the payer, on achieving high-quality patient treatment. The bonuses that come with better patient treatment will motivate the nurse since he/she understands good results will be rewarded. The payer, on the other hand, will be more comfortable using their resources on nurses who deliver. By so doing, the two parties will be coherently eyeing high-quality patient treatment. Result- oriented bonuses will be placed on set standards that should be achieved by nurses (Ryan & Rachel, 2). Due to the motivation that results from these bonuses, nurses will be highly focused on attaining these standards.
Rewarding of bonuses to nurses due to the outcome of patient treatment has its share of negativity as well. First, formatting a system of management that can uphold the required and ethical behavior as well as preventing unethical behavior by nurses could be cumbersome.

The need to earn the bonuses can make nurses engage in unethical behavior to influence positive results. This unethical behavior may include corrupting the results of patient treatment through various forms of cheating and avoiding taking responsibility for high-risk patients with a low likelihood of producing positive results. To curb this behavior, the management needs to develop a system that can equally handle the two edges of the sword, promoting ethical behavior while discouraging unethical behavior. This system which includes the standard performance requirements, the criteria and amount of rewarding bonuses, and accountability within the health organization can pose severe challenges to design (Ryan & Rachel, 2).
Second, rewarding of bonuses to nurses due to the results of patient’s treatment seems to disregard the nurse’s primary and most important responsibility. Provision of high-quality treatment for patients is the central role of all nurses (Ryan & Rachel, 1). The introduction of bonuses creates the notion that financial gains are the main reason why nurses attend to their patients rather than achieving the main responsibility of their profession which is ensuring quality treatment of all patients. Bonuses may also kill a nurse’s desire to counter suffering among patients. Bonuses, therefore, replace a nurse’s real motivations with financial desires which may limit good and ethical treatment of patients and foster cheating in the nursing system.
I must, therefore, conclude that it is pointless for nurses to receive bonuses due to the results of patient treatment. This is because these particular bonuses have more negative impacts on the nursing system than positive as follows. Awarding bonuses disregards the nurse’s primary responsibility, and it is challenging to devise a system of management that promotes the ethical operation of nurses as well as discouraging unethical operations in the event of introduction of bonuses due to the results of patient treatment. However, awarding bonuses due to the results of patient treatment helps streamline the focus of both the nurse and the payer towards achieving high-quality patient treatment.
Work cited
Ryan, Andrew M., and Rachel M. Werner. “Doubts About Pay-for-Performance in Health Care.” Harvard Business Review [Internet] (2013).