Working together to advance the practice of nursing
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland nursing governance councils work together to meet health care challenges and advance the practice of nursing. The nurses on our councils are engaged in:
- Nursing practice
- Work environment
- Care delivery
- Professional development
- Our communities
They share a common goal of delivering patient- and family-centered care across MaineHealth Maine Medical Center (MHMMC) Portland, and in our communities. Our councils embrace the challenges of an ever-changing health care environment and work collaboratively across all disciplines to move nurse practice and the organization forward. Nurses are integral members of interdisciplinary teams and their input is sought after by other team members—making our shared governance model, truly shared. Our councils have 200 plus nurses from around the hospital representing nursing in all areas of practice.
Nursing Executive Council
The purpose of Nursing Executive Council is to coordinate, communicate, and integrate the work of the nursing councils. This council conducts business that provides the necessary environment to maintain excellence. These individuals shall be identified as the officers of the nursing staff.
Clinical Nurse Advancement Program Council
The purpose of the Clinical Nurse Advancement Council is to formally recognize and reward increasing levels of clinical expertise and commitment to patient care. Members review staff applications monthly, as needed, and make recommendations on advancement of peers. Council members also ensure the integrity of the program and make changes to the program as appropriate.
The implementation and maintenance of the Clinical Nursing Advancement Program enhances the hospital's ability to recruit and retain professional nurses who, in turn, contribute to the achievement of quality patient outcomes.
Interprofessional Research & Innovation Council
The Nursing Research & Innovation Council aims to be the driving force that fosters advancement of nursing scholarship through the promotion of Evidence-Based Practice within the many levels of interdisciplinary partnerships. We collaborate with other councils to ensure evidence-based care for patients.
We encourage the use of COMET (Collaborative Model for Evidence-Based Translation) between the Research, Practice and Quality Councils to promote partnership in disseminating EBP (evidence-based practice). We educate, support, and mentor our colleagues in the research process. We maintain, support and enhance the Knowledge Bank, which raises awareness and understanding of the MHMMC Portland nursing research culture. We encourage renewal of the professional spirit through curiosity, reflective thinking and passionate practice.
Clinical Ethics Committee
The Clinical Ethics Committee is an interdisciplinary, hospital-wide committee. One-third of the members are nurses. The committee meets monthly with an annual, all-day ethics retreat for all MaineHealth affiliated health care providers. The committee is involved in policy development, leadership in end of life care, Living Kidney Donor Advocate Program and civil liberties.
Nursing Professional Excellence Council
The Nursing Professional Excellence Council promotes a culture of nursing professional excellence and to enhance the shared governance model that enables professional nursing staff to provide high quality patient and family-centered care. The council is responsible for ongoing community service, health education, peer-to-peer reviews and nursing rewards and recognition. The council is also responsible for DAISY Award and PETAL Award (for nursing support staff).
Nursing Practice Council
The purpose of the Practice Council is to develop and approve policies, procedures, and standards of care that reflect evidence-based practice, regulatory standards, and federal and state law. The Practice Council acts as professional practice safety champion in monitoring practice, policies, and procedures for safe practice.
The Practice Council also supports and guides staff who are seeking implementation of innovations which enhance quality of care and the ongoing growth of professional nursing practice.
Interprofessional Quality & Safety Council
The purpose of the Interprofessional Quality Council is to identify and monitor the value of patient-centered nursing care. The goal is to achieve optimal patient outcomes and safety while maintaining patient satisfaction and keeping costs to a minimum. The council is responsible for monitoring, and implementing best practices related to nurse-sensitive clinical indicators, patient satisfaction, and patient safety.
Nursing Informatics Advisory Council
The Nursing Informatics Advisory Council supports and guides the delivery of safe, effective and efficient patient-centered care throughout all clinical areas by:
- Ensuring that all clinical practice components of the electronic medical record support evidence-based/best practice model
- Working collaboratively with providers, clinical support services and IS to develop the best solution for all care providers using all technology systems