How would you describe Shared Governance? Shared governance is a shared decision-making model that offers those who are doing the work a way to influence their professional practice and the quality of care or work, while building leadership skills. Shared Governance is a means to implementing Patient and Family Centered Care at HMSL. To be effective, Shared Governance requires a formal structure, as well as the processes that support the structure. Several structures that lead to successful Shared Governance councils include electing a chair and co-chair; creating a council charter; setting annual measurable goals; identifying and distributing a 12 month meeting schedule so that everyone knows when the meetings will take place; creating a monthly agenda; keeping minutes so that progress and accountability can be tracked; and distributing the work of the committee to all members of the unit/department. Share some examples of your Shared Governance council’s success.
Janet Leatherwood, CNO