Christopher Parker, chief nursing officer at Shore Health System, saw a need for collaborative decision-making among staff nurses. To address this need, he created a Shared Leadership Global Team — consisting of staff nurses in 2002. Parker thought the team would help with retention efforts because participating nurses would feel more involved as stakeholders within the health system. Parker envisioned the team eventually adding representatives from other departments to become a multidisciplinary team.

In 2006, the Shared Leadership Global Team took a step towards this goal by expanding to include staff from Human Resources and Case Management. According to Parker, the addition of HR was important because that department works with issues that directly affect nurses’ satisfaction and working conditions, such as scheduling and pay. In short, HR plays a large role in nurse retention.

The team holds meetings once a month that last from four to five hours. Parker explained that the one-month gap between meetings gives the team members ample time to follow up on projects and assignments.

Since the team was created, it has sponsored and implemented numerous policies and practice enhancements which have helped it live up to the mission of cultivating a caring environment for nurses, staff, and patients. For instance, the team reviewed and revised clinical communication, chart-check, blood transfusion, latex allergy, and lab specimen labeling policies in order to increase staff and patient safety. The team also made recommendations for developing an electronic version of the Medication Administration Record and developed laminated guides outlining the steps of SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) so nurses may better communicate with physicians. Additionally, the team drafted, piloted, and approved a peer evaluation policy, which includes input from co-workers who have first-hand knowledge of a nurse’s working characteristics.

The team has been successful in achieving many of its goals but has also faced its share of challenges. According to Parker, the creation and implementation of shared leadership global teams is costly with regard to money and time. Additionally, he found it can take time to mentor and empower team members, since many of them do not have experience in leadership positions.

Shore Health System recently secured funding so that nurses serving as the Global Team chairperson can equally divide their hours between clinical staffing and team leadership responsibilities. This taste of leadership empowers staff members to take on management roles they originally would not have considered. According to Parker, “[the] previous chair of the global team was a staff nurse in the ER who is now participating in an entry-level management program.”

By giving policy-making responsibilities to nurses and other non-managerial staff, Shore Health System boosts nurse retention rates and betters the environment for nurses, staff members, and patients.

Contact:
Christopher Parker
Chief Nursing Officer
Shore Health System
410-822-1000 ext.1000

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