Impacts of Shared Governance on Ambulatory Nursing Engagement

An ambulatory shared governance program was initiated in an outlying location of a large academic hospital to evaluate the impact on engagement, process improvement, and safety event reporting. Shared governance led to improvements in engagement, empowerment, and autonomy. Although the impact of shared governance has been evaluated in inpatient settings, there is a paucity of evidence evaluating the impact in ambulatory settings, specifically clinical care centers in outlying locations. Clinically significant findings were noted, including increase in staff involvement in shared governance initiatives, involvement in institutional changes and quality improvement related to submissions, and leadership growth.