Ditching hierarchy in nursing: does shared decision-making work?

Shared professional decision-making promotes leadership at all levels and empowers healthcare staff to initiate change at work – and it is gaining popularity

• Traditional NHS hierarchies can be frustrating for front-line nurses who want to initiate and drive improvements for staff and patients
• Shared professional decision-making is being introduced in some UK hospitals as part of the US Magnet programme with trusts setting up councils of staff from all levels
• Tips for implementing shared professional decision-making in your organisation and reports of nurses’ experiences of the model

Listening to the voices of nurses working closest to patients and supporting them to implement positive change is a way to flatten traditional NHS hierarchies.