Shared leadership empowers nursing teams at hospital

At North Valley Hospital, the concept of shared leadership is an important part of the culture as a Planetree hospital. The Planetree philosophy of person-centered care at the hospital encourages communication between staff and administrators and collaborative problem solving. Shared nursing leadership is just one example of how innovative healthcare management models are being used at your community based hospital.

At NVH, staff, nurses, and physicians are included in creating procedural changes and their input and feedback is widely heard, accepted, and integrated. Participatory management has been part of healthcare organizations since the 1970s, acknowledging that staff provide valuable information to support leadership decisions from their direct patient care experiences. Since nurses are at the bedside every shift, they are in an ideal position to effectively innovate and improve the patient care process, understand department needs and objectives, and build collaboration between staff and leaders.

For nursing staff, shared leadership is an evidence-based framework which enables staff to manage and express their practice with the highest level of professional autonomy. The model is being formally integrated into the nursing practices at North Valley Hospital based on input from staff nurses and nursing directors finding additional ways to improve the patient experience and outcomes for patients. As part of the Planetree philosophy, continually improving patient experience and care is an integral part of the organization.

For the community served by North Valley Hospital, implementing shared leadership means that patients are confident that nurses directly involved in their care have a voice at the table, and are empowered to innovate and collaborate as experts in patient care.

There are four overarching principles of shared leadership: partnership, equity, accountability and ownership.

At NVH, this shared leadership model promotes a professional nursing environment and a culture of listening and empowering staff. Nurses at North Valley Hospital recommended formally developing the concept to build on the person-centered culture at the hospital by focusing on improved communication, autonomy, and a work environment promoting evidence-based, person-centered, high quality care.

Patient care is continually evolving and changing based on data, evidence, and innovation. North Valley Hospital strives to be at the forefront of changes in patient care and recognizes that open communication with staff and nurses is one of the best ways to ensure the organization is evolving as necessary. Shared leadership is an excellent example of hospital staff, nurses, and administration working together to continue to serve the community by providing the highest quality care.

Amy Vanterpool is the Chief Clinical Officer at North Valley Hospital.