NK3a
Research and Dissemination NK3
Provide one example, with supporting evidence, of how clinical nurse(s) disseminated the organization’s completed nursing research study to internal audiences.
Example a: Clinical Nurse Disseminates Nursing Research Study to Internal Audiences at CHI SVHS
Organization’s Nursing Research
Nursing research provides the scientific basis for the practice of the profession. Using multiple philosophical and theory-based approaches, as well as diverse methodologies, nursing research focuses on “understanding the symptoms of illness; preventing and slowing disease or disability; finding effective approaches to achieving optimal health; and improving clinical settings where care is provided” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2006, p. 1).
Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) St. Vincent Hot Springs (SVHS) clinical nurses are encouraged to continually grow professionally, including through involvement with nursing research studies. Clinical nurses are encouraged to inquire into opportunities for improvement in nursing practices every day at CHI SVHS.
CHI SVHS implemented an interprofessional shared governance model in 2017, as this is a best practice for creating a healthy work environment for nurses and other healthcare professionals in the acute care setting. As the hospital continues to strive toward excellence, the goal is to continually increase clinical employees’ professional control and governance.
As shared governance had been in place for five years, CHI SVHS wanted to examine current nurses and other healthcare professionals’ perceptions of professional governance and control and, based on the results, revise the shared governance model if necessary to increase clinical employees’ perceptions of professional control and governance. In June 2022, CHI SVHS nurses discussed a nursing research study to determine whether there were opportunities to improve the current shared governance model by surveying the nurses and other healthcare professionals.
The Effect of a Shared Governance Model on Perceptions of Professional Control and Governance study was approved by the IRB in October 2022. The study was completed in June 2023. The study used a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design. The Index of Professional Governance 3.0 (IPG) survey tool (Hess, 2017) was used to measure professional governance on a continuum range from traditional to shared to
self-governance. The tool focused on six domains:
- Control over Personnel
- Access to Information
- Influence over Resources
- Participation in Committee Structures
- Control over Practice
- Goal Setting and Conflict Resolution
Laura McAnally, BSN, RN, RN-BC, Magnet Program Director, Nursing Excellence Manager, and Allison Fitts, RN, CMSRN, Clinical Nurse, 4 East Medical/Surgical completed an IRB application for the nursing research study, “The Effect of a Shared Governance Model on Perceptions of Professional Control and Governance,” and submitted on October 21, 2022. (Evidence NK3a-1, IRB Application) The CommonSpirit Health Research Institute IRB reviewed and approved the nursing research study on October 27, 2022. (Evidence NK3a-2, IRB Approval Letter) The CHI SVHS co-principal investigators for the study were Teresa Lambert, MBA, BSN, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Assistant Chief Nursing Officer (role of CNO), McAnally and Fitts. The survey was launched in January 2023 and ran for six weeks, and the study was completed on June 1, 2023. All clinical employees were invited to participate in the survey. A total of 190 CHI SVHS employees completed the survey, for a 21% participation rate.
Findings of the Study
The statistical analysis for the nursing research study was completed on May 4, 2023. The CHI SVHS results fell into the Shared Governance range overall and in all six domains: Personnel, Information, Resources, Participation, Practice, and Goals. (Evidence NK3a-3, CHI SVHS Statistical Analysis Professional Governance Survey) Although CHI SVHS scored well on this survey, nursing leadership immediately discussed how there was still opportunity to improve. They decided to examine all the CHI SVHS councils at the July Nurse Executive Council meeting to identify opportunities to get more clinical bedside nurses on councils to have their voices heard throughout the hospital.
In addition, the director of marketing of the Forum for Shared Governance contacted CHI SVHS May 4, 2023 to encourage the hospital to apply for the Forum for Shared Governance accreditation.
Clinical Nurses Disseminate Research Findings to Internal Audiences
Fitts was instrumental in encouraging CHI SVHS nurses and other healthcare workers to complete the survey. She explained to them that completing the survey was one more way to get their voices heard, as CHI SVHS was going to review the results and look for opportunities to improve the shared governance model.
Fitts disseminated the findings of the completed nursing research study internally to the CHI SVHS Interprofessional Practice Council (IPC) on June 1, 2023 via PowerPoint. The IPC includes the Vice President Patient Care Services and Assistant Chief Nursing Officer (role of CNO), Clinical Directors of Nursing, Quality Director, Magnet Program Director, and chairs of all of the Specialty Councils, which are composed of the chairs of the Unit Based Councils (UBC). As the communication between these councils is two-way, presenting the nursing research at IPC results in it being disseminated to all the UBCs. Special internal guests were invited to join the IPC on this day, including all nurse managers and Douglas Ross, MD, FACEP, President of CHI SVHS and Chief Medical Executive of the SV Market. (Evidence NK3a-4, IPC Minutes, pg. 6, and Roster 6-1-2023) (Evidence NK3a-5, Professional Governance Research Study June 2023 PPT)
In addition, external guests were invited via Zoom after Fitts’ internal dissemination. Robert Hess, PhD, RN, FAAN, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Forum for Shared Governance, and multiple employees of the forum joined the IPC for a special award presentation to CHI SVHS. Hess presented CHI SVHS with the official Forum for Shared Governance Accreditation, joining an elite group of 40 other hospitals worldwide. Hess shared that CHI SVHS had the highest scores from this survey he had seen anywhere in the world. Hess gave the CHI SVHS team and leadership a huge kudos and recommended that CHI SVHS keep doing what it was doing. He also recommended to start involving physicians in all the shared governance work.
Fitts successfully disseminated the nursing research study and findings internally to the CHI SVHS President and CMO, nursing administration, nurse managers, and clinical nurses throughout CHI SVHS.