A Unique Model of Shared Governance

Abstract

385 L ike the aroma of a first-rate cup of coffee, a special blend goes a long way in getting your day off to a good start. The same could be said of working with a team of nurses who blend knowledge, experience, and clinical expertise with passion, dedication, and motivation to empower nursing staff to be their best while elevating the level of care for patients and families with cancer. Such a collaboration can be seen in action by the oncology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and oncology nurse manager (NM) on the oncology unit at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, NJ. Collaboration, by definition, is to work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort (American Heritage Dictionary®, 2005). The definition implies that participants are interdependent. Recognizing their interdependence, team members can combine their individual perceptions and skills to synthesize more complex and comprehensive care plans (Forbes & Fitzsimmons, 1993). The American Nurses Association ([ANA], 2003) recognized that high-quality care depends upon collaboration with a common focus, a recognition of each other’s expertise, and an appreciation for the skills and knowledge shared across disciplines. With this type of practice model, the CNS and the NM combine the spheres of management and clinical care to bring about a culture of excellence for nursing staff through role modeling, smart allocation of resources, and the development of standards of excellence. The collaboration capitalizes on the strengths of the CNS and the NM to achieve mutually agreed upon goals for the advancement of oncology nursing practice. In our clinical practice, this approach focuses on professional development and advancement of RNs, shared governance, increased autonomy, and use of evidence-based practice and research to advance the care of patients with cancer.