If you’re like most nurse managers, preparing the nursing department annual budget is not your favorite part of the job. The budgeting process can make even normally calm, collected nurse managers resort to a few choice words as they struggle to create a budget that won’t shortchange patients and nursing staff.
These days, “budget cuts” is a common phrase among hospital administrators. Although running a lean organization is essential to the survival of your hospital, when cuts affect crucial services, it can be difficult to reconcile your facility’s mission to provide excellent care with cuts that surely will affect the quality of patient-centered care.
