Interdisciplinary Shared Governance in Ambulatory Care: One Health System's Journey

The implementation of shared governance structures in acute care has illustrated the positive relationship between shared decision making and nurse empowerment and positive nurse and patient outcomes. Little is known, however, about interdisciplinary shared governance, and even less is known about shared governance in ambulatory care. This article details one health system's experience with the implementation of an interdisciplinary shared governance structure in ambulatory care over a 4-year period. The authors report lessons learned, positive health system outcomes that resulted including improved communication, better preparedness for accreditation visits, improved assessment of fall risk, and a streamlined documentation system. Also discussed are mechanisms to enhance sustainability of the structure and discussion of future opportunities and challenges.