By Rachel E. Start, Beverly J. Hancock, Tim Porter-O'Grady

Nurses are professionally accountable to improve the health of patients and populations alike. Sustaining behavioral change is impossible unless structural change enables it. A common professional framework is needed in all practice settings to formalize the voice of nurse’s ownership and accountability for practice decision-making related to clinical problems and solutions, forming practice policy, and pursuing solutions affecting health outcomes and advancing the quality of healthcare. Published in partnership with AONL, Professional Governance for Nursing: The Framework for Accountability, Engagement, and Excellence expertly covers concepts, roles, application, and demonstration of professional governance that facilitates the nurse’s role in advancing the impact and value of nursing care across all health settings. This nursing book informs and deepens understanding of the centrality of nursing professional governance in addressing contemporary issues affecting nursing practice. The editors and contributors utilize their extensive scholarship and experience as nurse leaders to provide examples of professional behaviors that exemplify the importance and impact of nursing professional governance across all clinical settings and roles. This unique text also equips organizations with professional governance strategies and tools to achieve exemplary, ongoing practice transformation, with tactics to support innovation and programs of excellence. With a focus on effective management and clinical leadership behavior Professional Governance for Nursing: The Framework for Accountability, Engagement, and Excellence provides the necessary tools for nurse leaders to create an environment in which nurses can practice with expertise, accountable to advance care and collaborate in the continuing transformation of health care. In today’s high stakes health care environment, the path forward for nursing must be to realize full power to lead and improve service.