How Can an Organization Ensure Alignment for Effectiveness?

A Vice President of Nursing recognized that frontline nurses did not know the goals or values of the organization.  She was perplexed since there were structures for Shared Governance within her health care system.  Her leadership team were well informed and there were various forums to ensure communication among all employees. Based on our discussion, her dilemma was a lack of alignment among direct care nurses, council members, leadership, and the wider organization.

So what is alignment? 
Organizational alignment is both a process and an outcome to increase the chances that all components of the organization are aligned to optimally support the intent, goals and objectives of the organization. Building and ensuring organizational alignment requires focused action through ongoing engagement between the unit level, department level, and organizational level.

Is there a solution for alignment using Shared Governance?
Yes!

GEMS Shared Governance Self-Assessment (GEMS-SA), and the GEMS Toolkit.   GEMS is an innovative process for the vertical alignment of nursing leadership and nurse practice councils in organizations. To enable shared governance effectiveness, all levels of leadership (managers, directors, chief nurse officers, administrators, and the C-Suite) must provide frontline nurses and unit/practice councils with forums for communication, time, encouragement, information, and resources that are necessary for their effectiveness. GEMS-SA measures unit level effectiveness and level of alignment between the unit level, department level, and organizational level.  The GEMS Guide is an easy to use framework to accelerate nursing shared governance.

Reflections 4 Change

• Bogue, R. J., Joseph, M. L., & Sieloff, C. L. (2009). Shared governance as vertical alignment of nursing group power and nurse practice council effectiveness. Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 4-14.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2008.00954.x

• Joseph, M. L., & Bogue, R. (2016). A theory-based approach to nursing shared governance. Nursing Outlook, 64(4), 339-351.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2016.01.004

• Porter O’Grady, T. (2016, September 6). Re. Joseph, M. & Bogue, R. (2016). A theory based approach to nursing shared governance. 64. pp 339-351. [Letter to the Editor]. Nursing Outlook, p. 527-529.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2016.09.001

• Hess, R., Jr.  (2016, October 14). Shared governance. [Letter to the Editor]. Nursing Outlook, p. 530

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2016.09.009

• Joseph, M. L., & Bogue, R. (2018). Nursing leadership and the c-suite: Roles and competencies for shared governance. Journal of Nursing Administration 48(7-8),395-399.

https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/30028815

 For more information: email GEMS@courageoushealthcare.com or call 407-733-1448.

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