In spite of the fact that some hospitals have failed to implement shared governance, while others have seen it fall apart due to takeovers or makeovers. Administrators are also tired of attending meetings. In the healthcare environment, nursing shared governance can be a valuable resource. In addition to empowering nurses, the nursing council and shared governance model also ensures that work flows smoothly and that decisions are made in a proactive manner. The organizational structure of nursing share governance will be discussed in this paper.
The structure of shared governance in nursing is crucial. The purpose of each council is to serve the needs and wants of the hospital, or company where they work. Five unit councils will be used as examples. The number of councils can vary depending on the organization’s needs. The different councils are displayed below in the form of “Practice”,”Quality”,”Education”,”,Management”, and “Coordinating”. The central council for operations is where information, ideas, and problems are brought together. This allows them to be discussed and distributed amongst all people involved.
The unit councils can make decisions for their own units and are also part of other shared governance councils. The various councils are responsible for addressing issues directly related to their area of expertise and designation. The Education committee or unit, for instance would be responsible for addressing the need of training and education. The coordination committee may take over the scheduling or activities. It would benefit from input from the Management Committee. All committees can work independently but also coordinate with each other. Information and decisions are sent to the Operations Council. Shared governance is a model of organization that allows nurses to influence their administrative and clinical areas. (Hess 2014)
Councils are similar to the government in that there are specific committees and councils that work on certain processes. The nurses may also serve on a designated committee. This is a system designed by nurses for nurses. The senior management or staff approves the final decisions. In the councils, it is up to the chairperson and co-chair. Staff members can address their concerns to the appropriate committee or council, depending on what the concern is. Shared governance can be a great way to boost productivity and morale. The nurses have more power to speak up and they can influence the direction of their department, how they care for patients and practice their skill set.
