A fundamental requirement of an organization with Magnet designation is to have an effective shared governance structure.
Shared Governance is a decision-making model focused on empowering the nurses who care for the patients, the front line of decision making.
The Shared Governance councils are comprised of clinical nurses, clinical nurse educators, clinical mentors and clinical nurse specialists with representation from each nursing unit.
Inova Loudoun Hospital’s shared governance structure consists of five councils. These councils meet each month and are led by members of our clinical nursing team. The councils are the decision-making bodies in which our clinical nurses participate to determine goals, process improvement and other patient care and professional practice objectives. These initiatives are then brought back and shared with our patient care units through established unit based councils (UBCs).
The UBCs provide an additional decision-making resource at the unit level, encouraging all clinical nurses to participate in improving and developing their professional practice. The five Inova Loudoun Hospital shared governance councils have specific areas of focus:
The clinical excellence and patient satisfaction council analyzes and disseminates quality data and indicators, process and policy feedback and improvement, and UPC briefings.
The professional development council promotes professional growth, education and development.
The care site council communicates and coordinates the work of the councils that report on a rotating basis, as do all nursing units and departments in the organization. It also communicates and coordinates the dissemination of information from the Inova Health System Nursing Congress and provides oversight for all local shared governance activities.
The night council’s overall goal is to support patient care on the night shift, to promote the job satisfaction of nurses who work on night shift and to improve the nurse practice environment. It is composed of representatives from all practice areas throughout the organization.
The research and evidence-based practice council supports and facilitates the initiatives of Inova Loudoun Hospital nurses who are undertaking evidence-based projects and research.
During the clinical excellence and patient satisfaction council meetings, clinical nurses review and evaluate nursing quality data to maintain and improve quality patient outcomes. We continue to strive for excellence by keeping our patients safe during their stays.
Our professional practice council hosted its fifth annual Innovation in Healthcare Conference. The 2024 conference offered presentations and panel discussions on nursing ethics and legalities. This year’s conference aimed to identify and address the evolving challenges that many nurses encounter in their clinical practice. In addition, this council coordinates and manages both our nursing and support team recognition programs, the DAISY Award and the PEACH Award.
Members continue to promote professional practice opportunities including certification, advanced degrees and participation in the ADVANCE Clinical Ladder:
Inova Loudoun Hospital’s night council has demonstrated exceptional collaboration and performance. Our night council has invited other operating units to speak at night council meetings, encouraging the sharing of ideas and improvements. The council also initiated fun activities on night shift with senior leadership. This council identifies patient safety trends unique to the night shift and reviews patient experience data. In 2024, the night council’s accomplishments included:
The nursing research and evidence-based council continues to grow, with strong representation from staff nurses, nurse educators and nurse leaders. We remain dedicated to our professional development by incorporating an educational component in every meeting, focusing on appraising research articles, writing abstracts and developing project goals to advance evidence-based practice. Additionally, we actively support research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement projects throughout the hospital to drive meaningful change and improve patient outcomes.