DQ: Your staff have come to you with several requests for new equipment for the nursing unit

 Staff have amazing ideas and always want the best for their patients, and bring products forward they have seen in other facilities, on social media sites or online they believe will increase the quality of patient care. A Capital purchase is a large purchase or special purchase that most likely has not been budgeted for in the annual budget. As indicated in our textbook many organizations create a special purchase budget, this is a budget created for special produces or programs that may occur during the year that are not planned (Penner, 2016).  Other times a capital budget is for long-term investments that are at high-cost Capital budgets can be large items from building to equipment for a unit. When a decision is being made for capital items to be purchased for a unit a nurse manager should receive input from staff to help triage the items to be purchased as well as involving the nurses in the grant writing process to create some ownership (Penner, 2016).  Many factors need to be taken into consideration when a capital purchase is being made, especially when finances are tight, this is where politics and great communication come in.

First the review of the product for quality, safety and cost effectiveness and if the purchase is very necessary for the functioning of the unit.

Second the reduce of impact on the unit and or return on investment should be investigated, is a capital item will save time, improve quality or have the ability to bill for the process can aid in offsetting the cost of the item.

Third a business case can be developed to present these factors to senior leadership on improvement this item will have for the organization.

Nurses should be included in the budgeting process; this helps prevent the manager from carrying the burden of saying no. Through Education to the staff of the process, what is entailed in the capital process as will involving them in the process. Helping nurses understand the magnitude of the capital process and expenditures can emphasize the need to nurses of the process and the implication this purchase can print is a leadership skill that helps serve the nurses and organization to how the process affects every aspect of the organization (Murray, 2017).

Murray, M. E. (2017, April 20). Budgeting, productivity, and costing out nursing. Nurse Key. https://nursekey.com/budgeting-productivity-and-costing-out-nursing/

Penner, S. J. (2016). Economics and financial management for nurses and nurse leaders, third edition (3rd ed.) [e-book]. Springer Publishing LLC.