Good Samaritan Hospital Establishes Shared Governance Councils for Nurses
Councils kick off move toward magnet certification for nursing.
Suffern, NY (PRWEB) November 9, 2006
Good Samaritan Hospital is pleased to announce that it has established Shared Governance Councils for its nursing staff. The four councils – in the areas of clinical practice, culture of safety, professional development and research, and quality – are designed to increase shared decision-making among hospital nursing staff.
Shared Governance is a method of decision making where staff nurses are involved at all levels with nursing leadership. While this is a positive move for the nursing staff, Shared Governance is advantageous for all departments in the hospital.
According to Lori Perlstein, Magnet Project Coordinator and a Staff Development Educator, "The advantage of Shared Governance is to give nurses the ability to participate in decision making and to give them an active role in decisions about their nursing practice. It's going to raise the bar for nursing practice that much higher, which benefits not only the nursing staff but also has advantages for physicians, hospital staff, patients, visitors, and the community as a whole."
Shared Governance allows Good Samaritan's nursing staff to continue with their focus of caring for patients by:
Committing to excellence in collaborative care Aligning nursing practice with future trends Reaching the highest standards of professionalism Encouraging an environment of compassion and healing
Establishing Shared Governance is part of a larger goal of the hospital – to achieve Magnet Certification for nursing excellence. There are just over 200 hospitals in the country with Magnet Certification, and Good Samaritan has recently begun the 4-year process to become certified. Magnet Certification recognizes quality patient care and nursing excellence, which translates to excellent recruitment and retention of nursing staff, as well as knowledge for patients in the community that they are receiving the best nursing care available.
Good Samaritan Hospital is a member of Bon Secours Health System, Inc., one of the nation's leading Catholic healthcare systems. It is also part of the regional Bon Secours Charity Health System, which includes St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, NY and Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, New York. Additionally, Bon Secours Charity Health System provides the services of a Certified Home Health Agency, two long-term care facilities, an assisted living and adult home facility and several other medical programs. For more information about this or any hospital program, contact Good Samaritan Hospital at 845-368-5000, or visit www. GoodSamHosp. org.
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