Central phenomenon, concepts, or variables under study
The central phenomenon for this study is the concept of shared governance in clinical practice and especially in the nursing profession. This concept adopts a model that underscores the role of shared decision-making amongst all health professionals. In addition, “the model is based on the principles of partnership, equity, accountability, and ownership” (Anderson, 2011, p. 200). The tool adopted for the aforementioned model in this study is the RN-focused Index of Professional Governance (IPNG).
The healthcare profession has been facing challenges of staff shortage. However, reports indicate that the available workforce is mismanaged and underutilized. Therefore, this tool seeks to highlight the best way to apply the concept of shared governance in a bid to address the management problems facing the nursing profession.
The study purpose and the research questions or hypothesis
The study purpose of this research was to validate IPNG further by exploring the construct validity. The general hypothesis tested was, “the construct of shared governance depends mainly on the leadership and the mission of the institution and not on the individual who assesses the level of governance” (Lamoureux, Judkins-Cohn, Butao, McCue, & Garcia, 2014, p. 71). The IPNG gives room for group scoring by unit, and thus the researchers used this aspect to include a validity hypothesis, which stated, “Units with intrinsic differences in their governance would score differently on the IPNG” (Lamoureux et al., 2014, p. 71).
A review of the related literature
The researchers used numerous sources of related literature review. Even though the researchers did not place any section under the title “literature review”, they quoted many sources to support their arguments. They used seventeen sources for their literature review. Out of the seventeen sources, fifteen were scholarly journals, while two were from reliable departments, viz. the International Council of Nurses and the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The available literature indicated that whereas there is a record of 13 million nurses across the world, the nursing profession continues to face workforce shortage due to mismanagement and underutilization of the available nurses. However, given that IPNG is considered as “the most reliable and valid tool for measuring governance as a multidimensional concept” (Anderson, 2011, p. 201), the problem of mismanagement can be addressed effectively.
The theoretical or conceptual framework
The researchers used theoretical framework in this study. According to Masters, (2012), the theoretical framework is “an explanation of a phenomenon or an abstract generalization that systematically explains the relationship among given phenomena for purposes of explaining, predicting, and controlling such phenomena” (p. 67). The theoretical framework in this case sought to highlight the different theories surrounding the shared governance. The researchers noted that despite having over 13 million nurses across the world, the problem of nursing shortage is still prevalent. Therefore, the theoretical framework addressed this discrepancy between the two variables, viz. the existence of over 13 million nurses and nurses’ shortage.
The significance of or the need for the study
The study was significant due to several factors. Primarily, scholars and researchers have neglected the area of governance in the nursing profession for a long time. Therefore, due to this aspect, the available literature on the subject is minimal, which necessitates the need for this study as it adds to the much-needed literature on the issue.
In addition, the challenge of workforce shortage in the nursing profession is baffling given the over 13 million nurses across the world. This aspect underscores a gap in governance, and thus this study is pertinent as it addresses this dilemma. By using IPNG, the available nurses in the nursing profession can become effective, and thus reduce the workforce shortage experienced across the world in the profession.
References
Anderson, F. (2011). A Case For Measuring Governance. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 35(3), 197–203.
Lamoureux, J., Judkins-Cohn, T., Butao, R., McCue, V., & Garcia, F. (2014). Measuring perceptions of shared governance in clinical practice: psychometric testing of the RN-focused Index of Professional Governance (IPNG). Journal of Research in Nursing, 19(1), 69-87.
Masters, K. (2012). Framework for professional nursing. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.