Shared Governance

[VickyRN]

This is another one of those hot "buzzwords" in hospitals, especially those seeking Magnet status. Has anyone had actual experience with this concept? And (most importantly) in facilities in which "shared governance" has been touted, has it truly made a difference (resulted in increased collaboration between nurses and physicians and an increased "voice" for nurses in their practice environments)? Or, is this just another form of empty administrative "newspeak" that has made absolutely no difference in the practice environment of the bedside nurse?

[tmathis]

I have been a bedside nurse for twenty years and now I am a nurse manager. I have participated in shared goverance for many years and have started a nursing practice council on my unit. Like anything in life you only get out of it what you put into it. I can tell you my staff glows when they problem solve and implement processes that make their job easier and patients more satisfied. They love the autonomy and satisfaction of having a voice.

[LouisVRN, RN]

I recently implemented a shared governance team on our unit (in June-July). We have already piloted our first idea, have had fantastic results and are looking in the next few months to take it hospital wide and change the current policy. Nurses now know where to go and who to talk to if they want something changed or have an idea of how to make something better - I consider it to be a success :heartbeat

[maleRNmanager]

I have been a RN for over 15 years and a manager for over 4 years. Both facilities I have been a manager have used nurse councils or unit boards. What others have said is very true - you get out of shared governance what you put into it. Staff must be involved, attend, and be a part of the process for shared governance to be effective. While our institution has many units with great unit boards, others are manager lead or social gatherings and not shared governance. The true strength of shared governance is making sure all stakeholders are involved - our unit board has care partners (CNAs), medical receptionists, and RNs as active delegates for groups of their peers. A unit consensus is reached on each topic or if not, that idea is tabled and taken back to the group for more work. Building a good unit board takes work, I has worked with our current board for 2 years to get it to the state in is currently in...for those of you just starting hang in there. For those of you who think this is just a "paper" process - change it into a real one and watch what happens!

[Zookeeper3]

it's an absolute crock where I work, the shared governance meetings are all during the day, set in by managers, or orifice kissers, and no one that is bedside that can be allowed the time from staffing to participate. These old biddies... just run amouck with the mandates being passed down from upper management. Never discuss the impact of nursing or how care will be affected because they have no idea.

So obviously in other institutions this works, in mine... it is a set up, and I know this because I've gone through three meetings to be shut up, put down and put in my place and never, ever wasted my time on it again.

For this to work, it has to REALLY be accepted facility wide, not just one that plans on implementing it just to try for magnet with no plan or ability to follow through on the real core thesis of shared governance.

Allow me my personal gripe, I'm sure I'm not alone... but I seriously doubt anyone that has been through what I have even will waste the bandwith to reply... as it is a waste of time..

There are facilities that present the false pretense of this and then have the gall to act surprised when magnet doesn't pass. I work for one of those... just food for thought on the other dimension of nursing.