SDM 101
The core belief of SDM is that decisions should be made by _______.
Who are those closest to the work?
The UPC wants to revise how hourly rounding is done to prevent falls. Is this in scope?
What is in scope — it's a nursing practice change.
After the meeting, the leader should do this with the chair to maintain momentum.
What is debrief and celebrate progress or coach challenges?
If your UPC solves something awesome and doesn’t tell anyone… did it even happen?
What is no — communicate, celebrate, and share the impact!
This means info flows up and down from unit to system and back (not just into a black hole).
What is bi-directional communication?
True or False: If a UPC wants to improve snack quality in the break room, it’s totally valid.
What is True — snack satisfaction is a nurse engagement initiative! 😄
Leaders help chairs align council work with these two key things.
What are unit goals and strategic priorities?
Instead of reinventing the wheel, your UPC could benefit from doing this with another unit.
What is collaborate or borrow best practices?
This is what you’re doing when you coach, encourage, and uplift your chair like you’re their leadership hype squad.
What is transformational leadership?
The UPC requests a $40K vitals machine upgrade and wants to vote on it. Is this in scope?
What is out of scope — capital equipment decisions are not within UPC authority.
The leader should connect with the chair prior to each meeting to do this.
What is review the agenda and provide prep support?
Your UPC led an EBP project that didn’t achieve the outcome you hoped for. Should you still share it?
What is: Yes — sharing EBP outcomes, even when unsuccessful, builds a culture of transparency, learning, and improvement in SDM.
This short post-meeting summary does more for visibility than a bulletin board covered in glitter.
What is the Top 5 Takeaways?
Your UPC wants to evaluate onboarding practices for new staff and propose changes.
What is in scope — it's related to professional development.
A strong leader ensures the UPC meeting is seen as a priority by doing this.
What is protecting time and promoting staff attendance?
Someone says, “We tried that before.” You say…
What is, “Let’s try again—with a new approach.”
These documents help define the council’s purpose, membership, and goals.
What are the charter and bylaws?
The UPC decides to “abolish all dress code rules” on their unit.
What is out of scope — policy changes must go through leadership/system governance.
Leaders should work with the chair to ensure progress is made on action items by doing this.
What is follow up, track accountability, and remove barriers?
This type of communication works best for Gen Z nurses and QR code lovers.
What is digital/visual communication (text, app, QR bulletin, etc.)?