Shared Governance & Nursing Councils

We work together to make decisions that affect nursing practice and patient care. The tenets of our shared governance model include:

• Accountability in practice that includes professional practice standards, quality job descriptions, care delivery systems, and nursing participation on committees.
• Safety and quality are enhanced through evidence-based mechanisms for quality improvement, utilizing data from trusted sources, measurable evaluation criteria, a distinct evaluation process, peer review, and research.
• Professional development includes an ongoing needs assessment process, and incorporation of new standards of practice and the adoption and commitment to evidence based practices.
• Management responsibilities include provision of resources, implementation of council recommendations, interdepartmental problem solving, facilitating staff problem solving/decision making, and authentic leadership.
• A department based on individual integrity, shared beliefs, risk taking, innovation, and values individual contributions.
• Maximum productivity results when organizational and personal values are congruent.
• Involves staff in leadership, education, quality, and practice issues.
• Supports an organizational culture with strong relationships built on effective communication and collaboration.
• Committed to the development of resiliency where healthy nurses possess the ability to return to a state of normalcy or to “bounce back” from adversity or trauma and remain focused and optimistic about the future. Resilience is an imperative quality for nurses to possess because of the stressful nature of the profession of nursing. BMC provides opportunities for nurses to develop the qualities of resilient nurses.

We are committed to interprofessional collaboration focused on the primacy of patients. Institutions that utilize shared governance at the organizational, departmental, and unit levels experience decreased turnover rates, and increased nursing satisfaction. Learn about our Nursing Councils below.

Nurse Practice Council

• Promotes the development of nursing practice that is evidenced-based and congruent with nationally recognized standards of professional practice
• Directs formation of task forces/ subject matter groups for in depth study of specific nursing practice issues
• Oversees development, review, and revision of policies and procedures
• Develops and participates in writing new policies or procedures
• Evaluates nursing practice based on established quality outcome measures.

Nurse Informatics Council

• Participates in the design of data capture methods that take place into consideration of critical workflow, evaluation, and measurement.
• Promotes improvements in the delivery of patient care through the use of information technology.
• Provides a forum for communicating suggestions for changes in existing information systems.
• Aligns with other hospital initiatives for clinical informatics and informational systems.

Integrative Nursing Council

• Promotes integrative health self- assessment for BMC nurses and provides opportunities to support nursing self -care.
• Composes and reviews integrative nursing policies and guidelines to prepare for submission to Nurse Practice Councils.
• Identifies the need for and facilitates offerings of educational initiatives on integrative nursing topics to improve both nursing and patient satisfaction in addition to the quality of patient care (reiki, aromatherapy, and guided imagery).
• Acts as a resource to nurses who aim to implement integrative nursing practices in their clinical areas.
• Shares integrative nursing projects, policies, and initiatives with BMC nurses throughout the council representatives.
• Establishes a task force for planning the annual BMC integrative nursing conference; the task force should include one of the committee co-chairs, one clinical educator, one manager or one associate chief nurse, at least two staff nurses, one or more advanced practice nurse, and the liaison from the integrative medicine service.

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Council

• Identifies the need for and facilitates offerings of staff professional development educational initiatives
• Implements process improvement activities
• Trains staff to assess for and respond to substance use disorders
• Recommends and implements evidence-based changes to policy and procedure, and patient care at BMC
• Establishes appropriate subcommittees as indicated
• Shares BMC SUD committee initiatives at the local BMC and national level

Nurses Improving Care of Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) Council

• Addresses the needs of hospitalized older adults and works to ensure that adults age 65 and over receive care that promotes function, autonomy and dignity.
• Leads nurse-driven programs designed to address the complex needs of older adults
• Provide professional development opportunities for nurses to receive their certification as a Geriatric Resource Nurse

Unit Based Councils

Nursing shared decision-making through our Unit-Based Councils (UBC) provides direction and support for the professional practice of nursing at BMC. This allows nurses to have an active voice on vital and necessary changes that occur throughout the organization as well as share ideas and achieve outcomes through effective and innovative methods.

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