Enablers and barriers of implementing shared governance in nursing departments: a case study from the United Arab Emirates

Abstract Objective The literature provides evidence about the positive impact of shared governance implementation in nursing departments and units, as well as on several aspects of nursing practice, including nurse empowerment, engagement, well-being, job satisfaction, retention, and positive outcomes in direct patient care. Accordingly, many nursing departments of United Arab Emirates (UAE) hospitals have implemented shared governance in their units. However, the success of implementation varies among these hospitals. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the progress of shared governance implementation in hospitals, identify the enablers and inhibitors of implementing the model, and produce a recommendation to help the nursing departments of hospitals to overcome challenges and accelerate the implementation process. Methods The study used an inductive, qualitative case-study research method and semi-structured in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 15 nurses working in various units in a tertiary hospital in UAE. The authors used a thematic data analysis approach to find the results. Results The results identified immediate manager understanding and support as a significant enabler and lack of senior management support, nurses’ attitudes and behaviors, and time as the main barriers. The study highlights that nurses are positive and enthusiastic about improving the current situation of shared governance by providing several suggestions and strategies. Conclusions The study highlights that senior nursing managers should re-evaluate shared governance implementation and modify the strategies accordingly.