AMB-BC Practice Test 2026 – Complete Exam Prep for Ambulatory Care Nurse Certification

Shared governance is a decentralized way of making decisions in which frontline nurses are empowered to shape nursing practice through autonomy and accountable action. It means decisions about patient care standards, policies, and quality improvement come from those who deliver care, in collaboration with leadership, rather than being dictated from the top. Nurses participate in professional practice councils and committees, develop and uphold evidence-based standards, and are trusted to apply professional judgment within established guidelines. This structure supports professional autonomy while maintaining accountability for outcomes, aligning practice with current evidence, and improving both care quality and job satisfaction.

This differs from a centralized, top-down approach where management makes decisions without frontline input, a scenario where work assignments are dictated strictly by a supervisor leaving little room for nurse autonomy, and situations where patient care is managed by external parties, which removes internal professional governance.