A national model for participative management and policy development

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Administration
• Nursing Policy
• Organizational Models

Background:

• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) faces challenges in addressing national nursing policy.
• A need exists for innovative administrative structures to manage complex healthcare initiatives.
• Existing models may not adequately leverage dispersed expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the virtual application of an innovative administrative model for national nursing policy.
• To detail the constituency center model's structure and function.
• To evaluate the initial 18 months of the model's implementation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a constituency center model, drawing national nurse and interdisciplinary experts.
• Experts collaborated virtually across clinical, education, administration, research, and informatics domains.
• Projects were managed to align with the national nursing service strategic plan.

Main Results:

• Successfully applied a virtual administrative model to national nursing policy issues.
• Developed example products and explored key areas of interest.
• Initial 18-month evaluation provided insights into model effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The constituency center model offers a viable virtual solution for national nursing policy management.
• This innovative approach facilitates collaboration among dispersed experts.
• The model demonstrates potential for addressing strategic healthcare initiatives within large organizations.