title: Building a strong nursing organization in a merged, service line structure.
abstract: In an increasingly complex healthcare environment, the discipline of nursing is difficult to define. Although a designated "department of nursing" may be absent on the organizational chart, the functional elements of the discipline remain. Nursing leaders will benefit from a framework to define and operationalize the core elements of nursing. The authors offer a five-phase methodology to enable the creation of a strong nursing organization in the face of mergers, service lines, and complex reporting structures.
authors.affiliation: Patient Care Services QI, Mt. Carmel Health Care System, Columbus, Ohio, USA. mjfitzpat@ohiohealth.com
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McElroy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: DeWoody
mesh_terms: D006273:Health Facility Merger / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D015274:Interdepartmental Relations; D007587:Job Description; D007857:Leadership; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D009736:Nursing Process; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009820:Ohio; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D010934:Planning Techniques; D011357:Product Line Management / Q000458:organization & administration*