Shared governance and nurse satisfaction

Purpose:
Job satisfaction in staff nurses should be of great concern to any organization. Nurses hold the majority of positions in most health care settings, and replacement of any licensed personnel is costly and time consuming (Kanai-Pak, Aiken, Sloane, & Poghosyan, 2008).

Significance:
Improved nurse satisfaction is associated with improved recruitment, retention, and improved patient outcomes (Kramer et al, 2009). A supportive managerial style that encourages autonomy through shared governance at the unit level is thought to improve nurse satisfaction.

Strategy and Implementation:
The purpose of this retrospective pre/ post design study is to examine the relationship between implementation of shared governance at the unit level and registered nurse satisfaction and nurse retention on a neonatal intensive care unit.The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) data was used to compare differences in nurse satisfaction and nurse retention rates and nursing retention rates before and after implementation of shared governance. Nurse satisfaction data was analyzed by examining the variables of job enjoyment, tasks, decision making and satisfaction.

Evaluation:
Study results demonstrated percent increases in Job enjoyment 2.1%, Decision-making 12.4%, and Job satisfaction 4.7%. Task satisfaction decreased by 2.7%. Nurse retention rates improved from 83% to 97%.

Implications for Practice:
Information from this study can be used to promote the development of policies and programs that reflect the values of shared governance on individual nursing units to increase nursing satisfaction and enhance nursing retention.