Enhancing shared governance for interdisciplinary practice

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has a strong history of embracing staff empowerment and shared decision making. Shared governance for nursing was implemented in 1989; a separate allied health structure was created in 1999. The two operated in parallel with few occasions for interface, and with little collaboration. With the beginning of the medical center's efforts to pursue perfect patient care in 2002, there was a marked increase in the frequency of interprofessional initiatives and collaborations in the organization. By 2005, this increase in collaborative practice precipitated discussions questioning the purpose and efficiency of two separate structures. Over the next two years, planning ensued to merge these structures to better reflect the current interprofessional reality. The enhanced shared governance structure at Cincinnati Children's was launched in 2008. Each discipline now governs its own practice, but as patient care issues overlap, there is a structure in place to resolve patient issues that cross disciplines. The new Patient Care Governance Council includes physician and family representatives.