Inclusive leadership: the best way to support progressive care nurses.

the care providers together. Instead of being distracted by the geography in which the care is delivered, one leadership team responsible for care delivery throughout the acute phases of cardiac care can take a more patient-focused approach to problem solving. When one director or manager is responsible for these 3 cardiac units, he or she can see the issues more globally and remove the “us/them” language from conversations. In effect, such an organizational structure helps to put the “we and us” back into the dialogue. This type of shared leadership structure can best support a philosophy of shared decision making, open dialogue, and mutuality. Instead of saying, “That’s how we do it in the CCU,” the conversation becomes more driven by what the cardiac patient and family need as they move through the continuum. The “dumping syndrome” is no longer acceptable when all nurses within the service are accountable to the same standards of practice and communication expectations, and to seeing the patient’s needs through to discharge. When nurses are all part of the same larger team, all reporting to the same leadership team, it can break down many of the barriers and obstacles that have fragmented patient care for too long.