About the Department

Professional Nursing Organization

The purpose of the PNO is to provide a structure and system for the shared decision making of the nursing staff. The structure organizes the activities and committees of nurses into four domains – Clinical Practice, Clinical Quality, Research and Innovation, and Professional Development – that are designed to support decision-making and improve communication. The PNO:

• Empowers staff to guide professional practice
• Increases staff accountability
• Improves communication and consistency
• Enhances collaboration between units
• Increases nurse satisfaction
• Improves patient care

The model of the Professional Nursing Organization is illustrated below:

Professional Model of Care

Our professional model of care, Patient and Family Centered Care, embodies an important element of nursing practice that is grounded in the principles of shared decision making. The shared decision making framework places the authority, responsibility and accountability for professional nursing practice with the clinical nursing staff.