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Inside scoop from our experts: Should managers and patient care technicians vote?

HCPro's Weekly Update on the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®*, July 1, 2008

This week, a reader asks if patient care technicians and managers should be allowed to nominate and vote for new council members. Read the response from our advisor Meryl Montgomery, RN, MSN, director of the learning center and ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® project director at Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, GA.

Q: Should patient care technicians and managers be allowed to nominate and vote for new council members?

A: The RNs who constructed our governance model at Medical Center of Central Georgia (MCCG) wanted to be sure all disciplines represented on the unit councils had equal voting rights, which they do. However, a majority of unit council members must be RNs. The chair and co-chair must be an RN, as well. If there is work being done related to nursing practice or patient care issues outside the scope of the medical receptionist or patient care technicians, they are not included in the voting for that particular issue, but they do provide feedback where appropriate.

Managers may not participate in any council at MCCG other than operations, which is a monthly meeting for the nursing directors to address and assure support of the Magnet Recognition Program® environment and shared governance. They serve an advisory role only and may come in for the beginning or the end of the meeting to bring information, answer questions, etc. We believe when managers are included in shared governance it changes the dynamics and violates the foundations of governance. This was not easy for all managers to “let go” when we first began governance, but it has improved over time with changes to job descriptions, peer support, unit council success, and the strengthening of unit council chair leadership.

Editor’s note: Do you have a question for our experts? If you'd like us to consider your query for publication, please send it to associate editor Cameran Erny at cerny@hcpro.com.

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