Journey of Excellence: Implementing a Shared Decision-Making Model.

Research has shown that nurses who participate in shared decision making (SDM) have more control over their practice and greater job satisfaction, and hospitals that have instituted SDM have lower rates of nurse turnover and better patient outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation of an SDM structure at a pediatric hospital. The hospital's chief nurse officer charged a group of nurses with developing SDM guidelines to outline the purpose, structure, and function of unit councils.