This study used the cost per nursing intervention
driven by path coefficients and the number, rather
than types, of complications. The number of complications
was used because there was too much diversity
in types of complications in the patients in this
study. A further CEA that includes actual cost per
nursing intervention and different types of complications
will provide information about which intervention
is most cost-effective and sensitive to which
complication. This will require a larger sample of
patients. In addition, if there are data on the time of
onset of complications, the distribution of each nursing
intervention over the hospital stay can be considered;
interventions may be provided before, during or
after complications develop. Nursing-sensitive complications
can be clearly identified, and improvements on
quality of care can be made by nurses practicing in
this specialty.