Preparing Clinical Nurses for Shared Governance Leadership Roles

Shared governance structures have had a significant impact on the empowerment of clinical nurses in shared-decision making. Increased staff engagement, staff satisfaction, professional accountability, and improved patient care outcomes have all been documented as benefits of shared governance.1, 2 Shared governance has been described as “both a philosophy and a structure for professional accountability that helps an organization achieve high-quality, patient-centered care.”2 In addition, shared governance provides a unique opportunity for clinical nurses to develop leadership skills such as interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and computer skills.3 Leadership opportunities in shared governance have allowed hospitals to develop future nurse leaders within their own organization.3