Nurse Leaders’ Influence: Implementing a New Model of Care Involving Geographic Clustering of Patient Care Assignments

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the nurse leader’s role in implementing a new evidence-based nursing care delivery model utilizing geographic clustering of patient care assignments to improve patient safety and patient experience. Nurse leaders on 2 inpatient units from an academic medical center supported and encouraged staff to develop and initiate similar care models; one unit focused on fall reduction, the other focused on improving patient experience. The transformational nurse leaders empowered key stake holders to implement a new and creative care model that resulted in favorable outcomes for both patients and staff, while fostering accountability for the practice change.