*TS: Stewardship as a Shared Mental Model for Health Care Management and Delivery, Part 2 (PDF/QV) [REF: GB, LDR, MD, RN] The Source, December 2015, Vol 13, #12, Pg 1 JCs1512_B2

If the path to the zero harm of high reliability requires a culture of safety then establishing trusting relationships within and between leaders and staff is an essential foundation and a “critical task for leaders”.  As the article points out, leaders must truly consider employees to be the organization’s most valuable resource and partner with them. The Stewardship Model advises this should be done in a manner characterized by “humility and benevolence” that builds trust and ultimately leads to the achievement of a shared mental model of staff abilities and the organization’s goals.  In addition, this installment of the 2-part article makes it clear that a health care steward is one who takes and promotes actions that “improve the patient’s situation”. As such, physicians are important stewards who must be committed to achieving good patient outcomes and cost effectiveness. Finally, the article reveals that stewardship is a “multilevel prospect” in which line staff need to become stewards (see definition in comment section of this summary) while leaders (including physicians) need to be their stewards and higher governing bodies/authorities (e.g., Central Office) needs also to be a steward of the stewards (particularly with regard to the policies they formulate, resources and information they provide).
Tip: See our ‘Comments’ for selected Stewardship references from this article for leaders, physicians and nurses.