Do you have a Unit Council??

[sockov, ADN, ASN, BSN, CNA, LVN]

Hi

I have been elected president of my unit council. I work in a very busy SICU.

The goal is to have a self governing unit by the staff, with elected people on the committee.

Anyone have experience in something like this? If you do, can you share with me the information on how it all works? (that is if you have such a thing).

Thank You Lots!

[McGyverRN]

My unit just started Shared Governance. We have 3 subgroup- Quality Improvement, Research and Education, and Clinical Practice. Each group has had 1 meeting. Every employee on the unit is required to be in one group. I am in the Clinical Practioce group, and so far I like it. We have started with small issues. For example, the nurses aids have developed working timelines for other aids that are pulled to our unit. When someone is pulled to our unit, we show them the timeline so they have a guideline for what needs to be done. This will work well in our facility because each unit operates differently and each unit has different requirements of their nurses aides. Of course, every change has to be approved by our leader. Let me know how yours goes.

[DhornRN]

My unit just started Shared Governance. We have 3 subgroup- Quality Improvement, Research and Education, and Clinical Practice. Each group has had 1 meeting. Every employee on the unit is required to be in one group. I am in the Clinical Practioce group, and so far I like it. We have started with small issues. For example, the nurses aids have developed working timelines for other aids that are pulled to our unit. When someone is pulled to our unit, we show them the timeline so they have a guideline for what needs to be done. This will work well in our facility because each unit operates differently and each unit has different requirements of their nurses aides. Of course, every change has to be approved by our leader. Let me know how yours goes.

Shared governance is something that I would LOVE to participate in; However, There's just something about 3 to 1 ratios that ruins my attitude towards leadership in general.

[catlunde]

Yes this is the second year for the floor unit, originally called TAC(Team Actualization Committe, but now the floor councils are called UBC..Or Unit based councils, there has been a hospital wide one for 4 years...We have nurses, a socialworker, a Dr. and a secretary on the UBC..Overall it's a good thing..Some acocmplishments include Peer reviews, Patient reviews, which the Dr. is in involved in, handling visiting hours, updated teaching materials, precepting guidelines..getting vending machines on the floor that offer free coffee etc..to visitors..sometimes things cannot be fixed or changed,, so you move on...to something else. We try to work on tasks and not make it a complaint session..It's still a work in progress...