Building Nursing Unit Staff Champion Programs to Improve Clinical Outcomes

Building and mobilizing an overarching organizational strategy aimed to ensure positive patient outcomes in the midst of shrinking revenue and human resources is the challenge of healthcare leaders today. There is a palpable shift in care delivery as value replaces volume, quality trumps quantity, and safety pirouettes to the top of the “must have” list.1 Quality outcomes and positive patient experiences are now demanded by consumers, required by payers, and transparently reported to the public. What is unchanged is the fact that these same constituents—quality outcomes, patient satisfaction, and safe care—have always been intrinsic to the core of nursing practice on every level.2 A unified effort from nursing leadership and clinical nurses is required to meet today’s healthcare demands.