About Nursing Professional Governance
Nursing Professional Governance (NPG), or shared governance, allows nurses at the point of care to create change and impact decisions. The goal of professional governance is to position clinical nurses to drive decisions that impact their practice and their work environments in partnership with nurse leaders and patient advisors.
With this united front, nurses are empowered to have ownership in their practice. Not only does the council positively affect the overall patient experience through institutional shared decision-making, but it allows for nurses to gain professional skills. These professional development opportunities include learning how to conduct a meeting, how to manage conflict, how to get to an effective decision and how to make sure all voices are heard. These key skills provide support for growth in nursing.
Structure
Coordinating Council
This base council serves as a connection between all councils within our NPG structure, including unit and clinic nursing practice councils. The Coordinating Council is led by a clinical nurse, and is supported by formal leaders including our Chief Nursing Officer, Peg Gagne.
The Coordinating Council facilitates the integration of all NPG Councils and supports UVMMC’s Mission, Vision and Values in alignment with the Organizational and Nursing Strategic Plans. This council will be a forum for communication, collaboration, barrier resolution, and continuous monitoring and maintenance of the form and function of the Nursing Professional Governance model.
Global Councils
Members of these councils include representation from nurses in all areas of the organization.
- Ambulatory Care: The Ambulatory Care Council works to increase outpatient staff engagement through education, prioritization of workflow, and teamwork. The council fosters collaboration with practice supervisors in the outpatient setting to support participation in non-patient care activities (e.g. hospital committees, NPG, RN IV projects).
- Communications Council: The Communications Council promotes a culture of clear communication within our nursing team to promote nursing excellence. They are engaged in the development, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance of communication strategies in alignment with nursing and organizational strategic goals.
- Experience & Wellness: The Experience and Wellness Council supports the holistic wellbeing of members of the nursing care team, with a distinct focus on fostering healthy work environments, promoting meaningful recognition, and the retention of professional nurses and nursing support staff.
- LNA: The Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) Council is to support and encourage our nurse assistants to provide exceptional care, improve the patient and professional experience, and foster growth and development while supporting a healthy work environment.
- Night Shift Council: The Night Shift Council will work to advance night shift nurse engagement through mentorship, education and effective collaboration.
- Nursing Practice: The Nursing Practice Council utilizes available data and evidence based practices, in alignment with regulatory agencies and professional nursing organizations, to review and refine processes and policies that drive nursing best practice.
- Patient & Family Experience: The Patient and Family Experience Council empowers nurses to provide holistic care throughout the continuum in partnership with patients and families.
- Professional Development & Scholarship: The Professional Development and Scholarship Council is accountable for recommending and supporting programmatic needs specific to orientation and role transition, competencies of nursing practice, continuing education, and professional growth; in alignment with nursing and organizational strategic goals.
- Technology & Informatics Council: The Technology & Informatics Council works to increase safety and efficiency using innovative evidence-based technology. They will leverage expertise from professional nursing organizations and best practices to reduce documentation burden while ensuring compliance with regulatory agencies.
Unit and Clinic Based Councils
Unit and Clinic Practice Councils are composed of members of our nursing team: registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, licensed nursing assistants, and nurse leaders from the unit/clinic area. This group is accountable for resolving issues and/or facilitating change that ensure best outcomes within their unit/clinic area and are in support of nursing and organizational strategic goals.
Nurse Management Council
This council serves as advocates, to make sure the resources needed to make change are available.
Get Involved
Our annual NPG membership drive occurs through the month of October. Applicants will be notified of their council placement by the end of November and all council appointments will begin the following January.
- Apply during the month of October to join one of our global nursing professional governance councils for 2024! Apply using the 2024 NPG Membership Application.
- Talk with your leader if you are interested in joining your area’s Unit or Clinic Practice Council.
- View Jobs
- We are looking for patient advisors to join our councils. Learn more by contacting Lisa [dot] LeBlanc
UVMHealth [dot] org (Lisa[dot]LeBlanc[at]UVMHealth[dot]org).
