Moving Shared Governance to the Next Level: Assessing Council Health and Training Council Chairs

Area of Science:

• Nursing Leadership
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Shared governance, a professional practice model, promotes positive nursing work environments and patient outcomes.
• Clinical nurse engagement in unit councils is crucial but often difficult to achieve and maintain.
• Effective shared governance is essential for nursing professional development and quality patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the health of unit-based councils within a large healthcare system.
• To identify areas for improvement in shared governance structures and practices.
• To implement targeted interventions to strengthen clinical nurse involvement and shared governance.

Main Methods:

• A large healthcare system with approximately 650 beds across 5 hospitals participated.
• The Council Health Survey was used to evaluate the effectiveness of unit-based councils.
• Interventions included enhancing unit council structures and providing training for chairs and leaders.

Main Results:

• The Council Health Survey provided data to guide organizational improvements.
• Specific interventions were developed and implemented based on survey findings.
• Efforts focused on strengthening shared governance through structural enhancements and targeted training.

Conclusions:

• Assessing unit council health is vital for improving shared governance.
• Targeted interventions, informed by data, can enhance clinical nurse involvement.
• Strengthening shared governance positively impacts nursing practice and patient care.