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Evidence for Shared Governance in Academia: Applying the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Framework of Leadership Improvement to an Academic Department of Nursing

Thursday, 15 July 2010: 4:05 PM

JoAnn D. Long, RN, PhD, NEA-BC1
Cindy Ford, PhD, RN, CNE1
LaNell Harrison, RN, MSN, PhD(c)1
Beverly Byers, EdD1
Steve German, PhD2
Rod Blackwood, PhD3
1Department of Nursing, Lubbock Christian University, Lubbock, TX
2Dean, B Ward Lane College of Professional Studies, Lubbock Christian University, Lubbock, TX
3Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Lubbock Christian University, Lubbock, TX

Learning Objective 1: Evaluate the evidence for a shared governance model of leadership in an academic department of nursing.

Learning Objective 2: Discuss implementation of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Framework for leadership improvement in the restructuring and business plan development in an academic department of nursing.

Purpose: There is a global shortage of nurses (Buerhaus, 2008; International Council of Nurses, 2004).  Evidence suggests nursing leaders in academia experience high turnover (Mintz-Binder, 2009).  Leadership characteristics associated with shared governance (SG) play a role in establishing and sustaining healthy work environments (Aziz, 2005; Shirey, 2006); however, SG models have not been widely applied to nursing academia.  The need for transformation of the systems in which individuals work is pivotal to improved performance and organizational quality (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2001). The Institute of Healthcare Improvement [IHI] supports a framework for building a leadership system capable of meeting the IOM challenge (IHI, 2006). This project evaluates the evidence for a SG model of leadership and discusses application of the IHI’s Framework for leadership improvement in the restructuring and business plan development in a nursing education department. 

Methods:

A literature review conducted from 1985-2009 with PubMed, CINAHL, and Education databases using the study keywords yielded 47 articles. The articles were evaluated using the Stetler Strength of Evidence Scale.  The research questions were: 1) “What is the evidence for SG in nursing academia?” 2) “What are the fiscal, policy, and human resource outcomes associated with implementing a framework for leadership improvement, restructuring, and business plan development in a department of nursing?”

Results:

All existing literature was at levels V and VI using the Stetler Scale.  Evidence suggests utilizating SG in the workplace.  A comparative analysis of the financial, policy, and human resource outcomes when applying the IHI model of leadership improvement suggests the utility of this framework in facilitating leadership improvement in nursing academia.

Conclusion:

There is limited application of SG models in nursing academia.   Application of the IHI framework for leadership improvement may contribute to SG and healthy work environments in nursing academia and merits further study.

See more of: Nursing Leadership Strategies
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