Nursing involvement in hospital governance: 1990 and 1995.

The integration of nursing into organizational governance structures has been advocated to improve practice and enhance the quality of patient care. In 1990, department of nursing involvement in hospital governance occurred primarily through the activities of the CNE. Projections for 1995 suggest that both staff RNs and CNEs will be more involved in governing health care organizations.

An update on nursing involvement in hospital governance: 1990-1996.

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and extent of nursing involvement in hospital governance in 1994; compare the 1994 level of involvement to 1990 levels; compare 1990 projections for 1995 to the actual state in 1994; and examine CNEs' projections of the nature and extent of involvement in 1996. The database compiled in the study and the author's earlier work (Havens, 1990, 1992) will assist in efforts to monitor nursing's status in hospital policy-making as monumental structural changes take place in health care organizations.

Professional recognition and compensation for staff RNs: 1990 and 1995.

Hospitals are searching for means to attract and retain professional nurses. Professionally oriented recognition and compensation programs have been suggested. In 1990 programs relied heavily on basic, time-limited incentives such as educational leave and tuition reimbursement. Projections for 1995 suggest increased implementation of more motivational programs such as gain sharing and salaried compensation.

Is governance being shared?

Chief nurse executives from acute care general hospitals selected the "most professional/innovative" nursing unit in their institutions and indicated which level in the nursing hierarchy was responsible for selected activities and decisions about the content and context of practice on that unit. Responses from 220 executives raise interesting issues regarding the sharing of governance between administrators and staff registered nurses.

CGEAN: a resource for nursing administration.

In the last decade, CGEAN has expanded its membership to include more nurse executives, nurse researchers, and international members. CGEAN is also responding to changes in healthcare administration as it becomes more evidence-based and in faculty roles, which are increasingly emphasizing external research funding as a role expectation. This year 's forum on research development held during the business meeting at the NARC conference yielded several new initiatives to support faculty development and student training in research. We invite readers to join with us to implement these new initiatives.

Staff nurse work empowerment and perceived control over nursing practice, Conditions for work effectiveness.

Nurse administrators are seeking ways to create organizational work environments that empower nurses to exercise more control over the content and context of their practice. This study used Rosabeth Kanter's Structural Theory of Organizational Behavior to examine relationships between staff nurses' perceptions of work empowerment, and control over nursing practice, and subsequently, job satisfaction and perceived work effectiveness. Implications for nurse administrators are discussed.

The effect of workplace empowerment on staff nurses' occupational mental health and work effectiveness.

Occupational mental health has been linked to productivity and other desired organizational outcomes, such as commitment and satisfaction. Kanter's model of work empowerment was used to examine the relation between 62 staff nurses' perceptions of empowerment in their work settings and their occupational mental health. The authors discuss their findings and suggest organizational interventions that can be used by nurse administrators to ameliorate work stress and improve work effectiveness.

Nursing care quality: comparison of unit-hired, hospital float pool, and agency nurses.

As fiscal constraints and hospital downsizing become driving forces in the health care arena, nurse administrators are challenged to satisfy fluctuating staffing needs while ensuring high-quality care. Hospital in-house nurses and agency nurses are two solutions often used to supplement unit staffing. The article reports a study that examined the quality of care administered on one unit by unit-hired, float pool, and agency nurses through a comparison of the groups' documentation on nine clinical quality indicators. Findings suggested significant differences among the three groups on these indicators. Implications for nurse administrators are discussed.

Shaping systems to promote desired outcomes. The magnet hospital model.

The organization of nurses' work is a major determinant of patient and staff welfare. Magnet hospitals have demonstrated organizational attributes that enable nurses to fully use their knowledge and expertise to provide high-quality patient care. The empirical evidence that this type of organization produces better patient and staff outcomes is compelling. Therefore when reconfiguring the delivery of care, the organizational form found in the magnet hospitals should shape systems to promote desired outcomes.

Longitudinal nursing case management for elderly heart failure patients: notes from the field.

Longitudinal case management is an intervention delivered by professional nurses that involves following patients from the inpatient to the outpatient arena. The hands-on process of day-to-day case management of elderly persons with heart failure is presented. The issues associated with delivering this intervention to this patient population are examined, and implications for refining the case management process are discussed.