Shared Governance in Nursing

Models such as Shared Governance promote participation in leadership and decision-making processes. This contributes to reducing structural inequalities within organizations and supports a culture of diversity and inclusion.

Factsheet

  • Schools involved School of Health Professions
    Business School
  • Institute(s) Institute for New Work
    Nursing
    Academic-Practice-Partnership Insel Gruppe/ BFH
    Kompetenzzentrum Interprofessionalität
  • Strategic thematic field Thematic field "Caring Society"
  • Funding organisation BFH
  • Duration (planned) 01.01.2026 - 31.03.2026
  • Head of project Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Schmitt
  • Project staff Prof. Dr. Christoph Golz
    Prof. Dr. Mirjam Körner
    Prof. Dr. Sabrina Schell
    Prof. Dr. Anastasia Sapegina
  • Partner Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Martin, Careum Hochschule Gesundheit, 8006 Zürich
    Prof. Dr. Karin Peter, Careum Hochschule Gesundheit, 8006 Zürich
  • Keywords leadership,, collaborative leadership,, shared governance,, nursing

Situation

There is a pronounced shortage in nurses. To counteract this, approaches are needed that make working in hospitals more attractive retain employees for longer, and thus ensure the provision and quality of care. Collaborative leadership (shared governance, SG) is a relevant pillar in this regard. This requires adapting the hierarchical organizational structures that are common today to a collaborative leadership model in order to strengthen the opportunities for employees, such as nurses, of all qualifications to have a say and participate in shaping the organization. The introduction of SG is challenging and, in the current Swiss context, usually requires a cultural change.

Course of action

The extent of SG in different hospitals will be compared. The scope of SG in practice will be analyzed and factors promoting and hindering the successful implementation of SG will be identified in order to derive recommendations for the successful implementation of SG in future. The nursing profession is the focus of this project. However, the transferability of the results to other healthcare professions will also be addressed. The project combines quantitative and qualitative methods. Scientifically, it is based on implementation science approaches.

This project contributes to the following SDGs

  • 3: Good health and well-being