Advancing Professional Governance to Improve Health Outcomes.

Developing the skills and behaviors needed for nurses to lead in professional governance has long been a priority at the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL). The annual AONL Professional Governance Leadership Conference is an important part of advancing nursing professional governance, convening nurses in all roles to discuss professional governance concepts and leadership practices. AONL has produced publications and podcasts exploring the professional governance foundations, roles, and behaviors, available on its website. This article discusses AONL's partnership in the development of a new book, Professional Governance for Nursing: The Framework for Accountability, Engagement, and Excellence, edited by AONL faculty and former staff.

Unprecedented Leadership: How Nurses Responded to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

An inquiry was posed to nurse leaders in December 2020 by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) as the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic peaked. More than 100 responses were received and organized into themes based on problems, solutions, and unique innovations that were employed. These themes included a return to team-based care, redeployed providers, work design, space accommodation, technology applications, provider support, and the advancement of community-based partnerships. Four exemplars highlight these themes.

Data-Based Self-awareness as the Foundation for Effective Leadership.

The AONL Nurse Executive Fellowship supports nurses who are new to an executive role in developing critical executive competencies. Participants engage in an in-depth specialized assessment process to help them understand themselves and the impact on their leadership. Learnings from the 1st 2 cohorts of fellowship participants provide insight into challenges faced by new executives and how self-awareness can improve performance to address those challenges.

Leveraging Professional Governance During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Dynamic nursing leadership and engagement of nursing at all levels are critical to effective care delivery. During the COVID-19 crisis, many organizations suspended non-COVID-related meetings, including professional governance councils where practice decisions are made. This article highlights how shared or professional governance was leveraged during this global pandemic at a large academic medical center and community hospital effectively sustaining autonomous nursing practice while responding to a rapidly changing environment and impacting quality patient care.

Collaborations and Connections: The Value of the AONL Nursing Executive Fellowship.

In 2019, American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) instructed its 1st cohort of Nurse Executive Fellowship participants in response to a need in the field to support nurses new to executive positions. This aligns with the AONL mission to shape healthcare through innovative and expert nursing leadership.

Developing new nursing leaders.

This is the fourth article in a series on leadership, coordinated by the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), highlighting topics of interest to nurse managers and emerging nurse leaders. The AONE provides leadership, professional development, advocacy, and research to advance nursing practice and patient care, promote nursing leadership excellence, and shape public policy for health care.

The nurse manager: change agent, change coach?

Change in today's health care landscape is a daily, if not hourly, reality. The nurse manager must have strong leadership skills to navigate through change with a focus on the patient and the provision of safe and reliable care. The historical term for those leading change is "change agent." In this article, the authors introduce the idea of a change coach, building on the nurse manager foundational skill of coaching and weaving this concept into the manager's role in change. A change coach uses the coaching behaviors including guidance, facilitation, and inspiration to inspire others toward change, altering human capabilities, and supporting and influencing others toward change. An exemplar of the nurse manager's role as a change coach in practice is provided using American Organization of Nurse Executives' Care Innovation and Transformation initiative. It is the agile manager that is able to successfully move between the roles of change agent and change coach to continuously transform the environment and how care is delivered.

Keeping in touch. Cell phone use in people with schizophrenia disorders.

There is limited research exploring telephone intervention for psychiatric clients; no studies specific to cell phone use have been conducted. This pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of cell phone use in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). Ten outpatients with SSDs were provided with previously activated cell phones for 5 months; trained nurses contacted participants weekly. Seven participants completed the 5-month follow-up period. A minority of participants reported difficulty retrieving messages and answering or charging their phone. These preliminary findings indicate the majority of individuals with SSDs are willing to use this method of communication and are able to do so with few problems. Possible barriers to the use of cell phones with this group include lifestyle factors and poor decision making. Future investigations should examine the use of cell phone access to foster personal safety, gain a sense of connectedness to others, and enhance quality of life.