Nursing

Unit managers: The forerunners of shared governance

Nurse Leader Weekly, July 17, 2006

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One key component of successful shared governance is the staff, who play a crucial role in organizational decision-making. But just as vital as staff involvement is that of the unit manager, who is central to educating staff, executing the design, and ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

That's why it's necessary for managers to understand their role and institute strategies for optimizing shared governance at their facilities, said Anne Jadwin, RN, MSN, AOCN, CNA, director of nursing at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, a facility in which shared governance has served as the model of decision-making for more than 15 years. Jadwin spoke in May during HCPro's Magnet Resource Center Workshop in Las Vegas. "Nurses should take care of patients, and managers should take care of nurses," said Jadwin, who noted that a manager's role in shared governance is that of facilitator, integrator, and coordinator of processes.

Plant the structural seeds

In a facility where shared governance is the primary structure of decision-making, the manager's first task is to ensure that the four guiding principles of shared governance-partnership, accountability, equity, and ownership-are actually in effect, Jadwin said.

Once a manager is certain that these principles are being applied in practice, he or she should continue to monitor the environment to ensure that

  • nurses at every level are governing their own practice
  • nurses are included in decisions that affect their practice
  • quality partnerships among staff are being cultivated
  • there's a distribution of influence among staff and managers

Allow for growth

Even with a shared governance structure in place, it's important to remember that transforming your organization's culture doesn't happen overnight.

"You need to give shared governance time to become part of your institution," said Barbara Hannon, RN, MSN, Magnet coordinator at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, who spoke with Jadwin during the workshop.

Hannon explained that shared governance is one of the key gaps that must be closed before pursuing Magnet designation. To do this, she suggested establishing empowered committees or councils and nominating key individuals to spearhead them.

Editor's Note: This excerpt was taken from Magnet Status Advisor, July 2006, HCPro, Inc.



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