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Shared Governance in the Context of Nurses' Professional Practice: A Scoping Review
João Miguel Almeida Ventura-Silva1, Carla Maria Freitas Costa Freire2, Samuel Spiegelberg Zuge3
1School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Northern Health School of the Portuguese Red Cross, Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal; RISE-Health, Porto, Portugal (Dr Ventura-Silva).
Background:
Shared governance is recognized as an organizational strategy that strengthens nurses' participation in decision-making, supports professional autonomy, and sustains nursing practice in complex care settings.
Objective:
In this study, we aimed to identify, describe, and synthesize the available evidence on shared governance in the context of nurses' professional practice.
Methods:
This scoping review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses from database inception to January 31, 2026.
Results:
Twenty-nine studies published between 1994 and 2025 were included. Five categories were identified: (1) organizational structure and governance processes; (2) leadership, empowerment, and accountability; (3) organizational culture, communication, and collaboration; (4) education, training, and competency development; and (5) evaluation, outcomes, and the impact of shared governance.
Conclusions:
Shared governance strengthens nurses' professional practice when participatory structures, facilitative leadership, supportive culture, competency development, and evaluation align. This review shows interactions and highlights uneven implementation across settings.
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