from the pages of HCPRO'S WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE ANCC MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM®*

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Strategies for Nurse Managers

This week, a reader asks how to efficiently coordinate the work that moves between shared governance councils. Read the response below from our advisor Barbara Hannon, RN, MSN, CPHQ, coordinator for the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, IA.

Q: How can we efficiently coordinate the work that moves between shared governance councils?

A: All shared governance structures need a governing council to coordinate the work of the committees. At the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), we have four shared governance councils and nine sitting committees at the departmental level that need coordination. We have one governing council called (the?) nursing leadership council that meets every other month. All the council chairs (or their designee) must be at the nursing leadership council meeting, which is chaired by our CNO. Each council chair discusses its committee’s work and may ask for help with any problem areas they are facing.

After the monthly nursing leadership council meeting, we have a shared governance newsletter that is put together from the nursing leadership council meeting and is posted on UIHC’s shared governance intranet—a site where all our committees post agendas, minutes, attendance, etc. The newsletter is also sent out electronically to all committee members and chairs.