Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Welcomes New Faculty Economist, Dr. Olga Yakusheva

Economist Olga Yakusheva, PhD will join the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing on July 1. She is an internationally recognized expert on the economic value of nursing and its contribution to patient, societal, and organizational outcomes.

“Nursing is the core service of the entire health care system” says Dr. Yakusheva. “Much of our health care infrastructure would not be possible without nurses, and patients seek out hospitals and health care facilities primarily for nursing care.”

“Dr. Yakusheva is a powerhouse creator of timely research that harnesses the full potential of nursing,” said Dean Sarah Szanton. “Her work will drive the transition to a health care system that prioritizes person-centered care, data-driven decisions, and value-based practices.”

Olga Yakusheva, PhD joins the School of Nursing from the University of Michigan where she was a Professor of Nursing and Public Health. Dr. Yakusheva has led multiple research studies, which currently include large, federally funded projects that aim to inform hospital strategies for nursing workforce development that will achieve optimal nurse and patient outcomes. She is the Economics Editor for the International Journal of Nursing Studies, the leading international nursing research journal, and a standing member of the “Healthcare Safety and Quality Improvement Research (HSQR)” study section of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She is an economic advisor to the ANA Enterprise, a member of the ANA Enterprise Research Council, and The Joint Commission’s Nurse Stakeholder Committee. Additionally, her work on the economic value of nursing across the care continuum is funded by the American Nurses Foundation.

Dr. Yakusheva’s professional motto is “Nothing about nurses, without nurses.” The majority of her research, scholarship, and teaching is a result of collaborations with nurse researchers, educators, policy makers, and students. Dr. Yakusheva co-led with Dr. Marianne Weiss the national ANA Enterprise Institute for Nursing Research and Quality Management Summit to Re-Imagine the Economic Value of Nursing. She also co-directs the initiative, “Framing and Articulating the Economic Value of the Nursing Profession.” Dr. Yakusheva is the lead author of a recent six-part series in Nursing Outlook titled “Value-informed nursing practice and leadership,” and of several recent publications in Health Affairs and JAMA proposing alternatives payment models for nursing reimbursement. In 2023, she was inducted as an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing—a distinct honor granted to small group of scientists who are not nurses but made extraordinary contributions to nursing and health care. 

Dr. Yakusheva is a first-generation immigrant from Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country. She earned her BS in mathematics from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and master’s and PhD in economics from the University of Illinois, specializing in economic theory and methods, and big data analytics. She completed post-doctoral training in health services research at the Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health.

 “The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is at the forefront of reimagining health care and empowering nurses to practice at the top of their preparation,” says Dr. Yakusheva. ”I believe a diverse, thriving, and valued nursing workforce is a key upstream determinant of the U.S. health system’s ability to deliver high-quality, equitable, whole-person care. I feel honored and energized to continue my work as an ally to nurses in strengthening and elevating the nursing profession through health economy and policy.”

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Located in Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is a globally-recognized leader in nursing education, research, and practice. In U.S. News & World Report rankings, the school is No. 1 nationally for its DNP program and No. 1 (tied) for its master’s. In addition, JHSON is ranked as the No. 3 nursing school in the world by QS World University. The school is a five-time recipient of the INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award and a four-time Best School for Men in Nursing award recipient. For more information, visit www.nursing.jhu.edu.