A successful practice model for the OR

A practice model that combines shared governance and patient care teamwork to achieve optimal surgical patient care provided the framework for a successful Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations visit at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, a university-affiliated teaching hospital. This article describes ways to implement this practice model. Clinical practice, quality improvement, and development councils are explained, as well as membership criteria for the councils and how they function. The need for more sharing of such quality improvement data from other hospitals is needed to establish national standards for measuring nursing performance.