shared governance

shared governance

 an organizational model used on nursing divisions, consisting of a decentralized system of management in which all of the nurses make decisions. Managers advise, consult, coach, mentor, and may or may not have veto power. This mandates collaboration among the nurses on the unit and a high degree of autonomy.

shared gov·er·nance

(shārd gŏv'ĕr-năns) A nursing model in which staff nurses share responsibility and accountability for all aspects of patient care within the confines of the health care agency.

shared governance

A model of nursing management in which the staff nurse shares responsibility and accountability for patient care with the clinical agency management. Shared governance assumes a participatory style of management and aims to achieve a high quality of patient care and professional nursing practice. Shared governance differs both from self-governance and from the traditional bureaucratic model of nursing management. See: self-governance