OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop a valid, reliable instrument to measure the effectiveness of shared governance councils BACKGROUND The work of shared governance, that is, the decisions, takes place in its structures, notably, the councils. A literature search yielded no formal instrument for evaluating how these councils function. METHODS A 4-phase process was used to generate valid items to measure shared governance council effectiveness, including content validity by experts, a pilot for feasibility, a larger pilot for internal consistency, and an exploratory factor analysis to delineate a final instrument. RESULTS More than a dozen experts and participants from nearly 30 healthcare organizations contributed to the final development of the 25-item Council Health Survey instrument. Items for measuring council effectiveness at either the unit or division level were grouped in areas of structure, activities, and membership. CONCLUSIONS When evaluating shared governance, nurses should focus on councils themselves, in which much of the work of shared governance occurs.

An academic-practice partnership to recruit and retain nurses

In response to the call by both the Institute of Medicine and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for increased evidence-based practice (EBP) competence and activity by nurses, healthcare institutions worldwide face the challenge of including quality educative content for effective EBP training (Llasus et al., 2014). The purpose of this evidence-based improvement project is to investigate and address current levels of EBP skill and attitude among nursing professional development specialists in a Magnet hospital and provide data for continued improvement of EBP promotion initiatives for nurses. Conclusions synthesized from a review of literature highlight common barriers and facilitators to EBP implementation among nursing professionals and point to the importance of continued efforts to provide EBP instruction to nurses at all levels, emphasizing a need for institutional support and development of advanced nurses as EBP champions.Keywords: Evidence-based practice, EBP, EBP knowledge, EBP attitudes, EBP instruction