Health reform worldwide is needed due to the substantial aging population and increase in chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, asthma). To meet future needs, we must enable nurses to practice to the full extent of their skills. Nurses can help to improve health services in a cost effective way, but to do so, they must be perceived as equal partners in health service provision.
Some nurses are already working in entre- and intrapreneurial roles which demonstrate the positive outcomes that can be achieved when nurses meet their full potential. These nurses are working across the continuum of care. It seems obvious that entrepreneurial nursing roles are forging the way for this type of partnership by examples of nurses conducting clinics in primary and secondary care and as specialists to manage exacerbations of chronic illness in tertiary care settings.
Nurse intrapreneurs are, to a lesser extent, also being recognised as partners. Research on nurse-led initiatives within hospitals in particular is limited. Research that confirms the importance of these roles to provide improved health outcomes and to inform how this may be achieved practically is required.
We recommend several actions or strategies to promote entre- and intrapreneurship in nursing. These may include:
Nurse education that includes placement with a nurse entrepreneur and/or a business course to ensure that graduating nurses learn skills to lead, challenge, and be innovative.
Interdisciplinary learning so that allied health and medical professionals are introduced to the concept of nurses as equal partners in health care.
Greater opportunities of shared inter-disciplinary collaboration in research, education, and practice to foster cohesion and role familiarity amongst health professionals.
Health reform is increasingly targeted towards strengthening and expanding primary health systems as care is shifted from hospitals to communities. The renewed emphasis on prevention and health promotion is intended to curb the tide of chronic disease and sustain effective chronic disease management, as well as address health inequities and increase affordable access to services. Given the full potential scope of nurses' practice, the success of health system reforms (such as those in the United States and Australia) depend on a nursing workforce that is appropriately educated and supported for innovative practice roles in multiple settings.