RESUMEN
AIM: To examine the nurse manager perspective surrounding implementation of unit level shared governance in one Veterans Health Administration facility. BACKGROUND: Nursing shared governance is a formal model allowing nursing staff decision-making input into clinical practice, quality improvement, evidence-based practice and staff professional development. Unit level shared governance is a management process where decision authority is delegated to nursing staff at the unit level. METHODS: Convenience sampling was used to recruit ten nurse managers who participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using content analysis and constant comparison techniques. Demographic data were described using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The participants included seven female and three male nurse managers with seven Caucasian and three African American. Participant quotes were clustered to identify sub-themes that were then grouped into four global themes to describe unit level shared governance. The global themes were: (1) motivation, (2) demotivation, (3) recommendations for success, and (4) outcomes. CONCLUSION: These research findings resonate with previous studies that shared governance may be associated with increased nurse empowerment, self-management, engagement, and satisfaction. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: These findings reflect the need for nurse managers to promote and recognize staff participation in unit level shared governance.