At Memorial, our nurses are empowered by our shared governance structure, which includes nurses at all nurses including those in the Advance Practice level as well as nurses in the Ambulatory and Medical Practice settings of the organization. We have achieved top decile inpatient patient experience results through the work of their unit councils, including dramatic improvements in the results of the medication domain on the HCAHPS survey.
We have implemented an Interdisciplinary Research Council that is complementary to our Evidence Based Nursing Practice Council. Our nurses were involved with a multi-hospital nursing research study on Nurse Resiliency. These groups also hosted an interdisciplinary poster fair to disseminate the findings from the various projects that have been conducted this year.
Shared Governance is a partnership between clinical nurses and leadership where nurses are empowered to utilize their clinical knowledge and expertise to impact decision-making. Examples of nursing driven shared governance councils that meet on a regular basis include:
Nursing Practice Council
The Nursing Practice Council (NPC), composed of clinical nurses from throughout the organization, defines, approves, implements, and maintains standards of practice in which clinical excellence and optimal patient care are promoted through shared governance. The NPC is involved in developing and implementing the Nursing Strategic Plan. The Nursing Practice council works to ensure all practice and patient-care decisions are consistent with evidence-based, professional standards, and our hospital mission.
Evidence Based Practice Council
As a component of Nursing Practice Council, the Evidence-Based Nursing Practice Council (EBNPC) is responsible for ongoing literature review, evaluation of available best practice and practice based evidence, and implementation of evidence into nursing policy/practice as appropriate. The EBNPC works to ensure all council decisions and/or recommendations are consistent with current evidence, professional standards, and our hospital mission, vision, and values.
Interprofessional Research Council
The Interprofessional Research Council (IPRC) serves as an advisory body to review research proposals and to foster the advancement and utilization of interprofessional performance improvement (PI), evidence-based practice (EPB) and research at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center. Guided by the Mission, Vision, and Values of MHHCC, the IPRC will endeavor to integrate evidence-based practice and research into the clinical and operational processes of the hospital.
Department/Unit Council
The Department/Unit Council is composed of clinical nurses and other disciplines from the department/unit that defines, approves, implements, and maintains standards of practice in which clinical excellence and optimal patient care are promoted through shared governance. The Department/Unit Council works to ensure all practice and patient care decisions are consistent with evidence-based practice, professional standards, and the hospital missions.
Advanced Practice Nurse Council
The Advanced Practice Nurse Council (APNC) defines, approves, implements, and maintains standards of practice in which clinical excellence and optimal patient care are promoted through shared governance. The APNC works to ensure all practice and patient care areas covered by APNs are consistent with evidence-based practice, professional standards, and the hospital mission. The council provides a forum for issues relevant to advanced practice and whereby other hospital groups can communicate. It is a support group and arena for information sharing and will serve as a mentoring network.
Medical Practice Management Council
The Medical Practice Management (MPM) Council is composed of clinical nurses and other integral staff from the provider clinics that defines, approves, implements, and maintains standards of practice in which clinical excellence and optimal patient care are promoted through shared governance. The MPM Council works to ensure all practice and patient care decisions are consistent with best practice, professional standards, and the hospital mission.
Night-shift Council
The Night Shift Council is a multidisciplinary group that work to define, improve and implement standards of care for patients and care givers that routinely impact the night shift. The other function of NSC is enhance caregiver satisfaction by evaluating feedback, making recommendations and implementing change. The NSC vision is to ensure all decisions and/or recommendations are consistent with evidence and our hospital's mission, vision, and values.
Professional Development Council
The Nursing Professional Development Council is responsible for ongoing data review, evaluation of processes, promotion of offerings, recognition of growth, implementation of new/revised processes, and marketing/educating MHHCC nurses on Nursing Professional Development (NPD) at MHHCC. The NPD Council works to ensure all council decisions and/or recommendations are consistent with current NPD standards, professional standards, and hospital mission, vision, and core values.
Other Nursing Involvement in Decision Making
In addition to the formal shared governance structure in departments that employ clinical nurses, clinical nurses serve on a number of organization-wide committees and task forces. Examples include but are not limited to: Quality Council, Ethics Committee, Strategic Plan 90 Day Teams and Task Forces, LEAN Teams, Medication Safety Team, Trauma Committee, Employee Advisory Committee, Recognition and Retention Council, and FUN Team.
