Professional governance at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco continued to grow in strength and consistency throughout 2025. Collaboration across departments and a shared sense of purpose fueled new ideas and initiatives, reinforcing the value of nurse-led decision-making. Looking ahead, the Professional Governance Council has selected enculturation of the Professional Practice Model (PPM) as a key goal for 2026. This project is designed to deepen nurses’ sense of purpose and strengthen their connection to practice, ensuring alignment between daily work and the values of nursing excellence.
In addition to advancing council priorities, KP SFO welcomed new structures to broaden engagement. The Patient Care Coordinator RNs established a unit council with the support of their leadership team, led by Chair Gianel S. Rhoades, RN, and Secretary Alex Ryvkin, RN. This council provides PCC RNs with a formal platform to share ideas, collaborate, and drive improvements in patient care.
The Professional Governance Council is also expanding its membership. Beginning in 2026, nurses from the PCCM group, Interventional Radiology (IR), and the Emergency Department (ED) will join monthly meetings. Their participation will bring diverse perspectives and strengthen collaboration across specialties, further embedding professional governance into the fabric of the organization.
The Magnet Ambassador Committee focused on educating staff about the Magnet Model and celebrating nursing excellence. Key accomplishments included launching monthly newsletters, achieving a 62% RN Excellence Survey response rate, and hosting Nurses’ Week events. Current priorities include rounding on all shifts and expanding recognition programs through centralized intranet and Yapp App resources.
The Professional Governance Council (PGC) strengthened two-way communication between frontline nurses and leadership. Highlights included performance improvement advisor training, multiple Daisy and Petal awards, and sending 25 RNs to the Magnet Conference. The council revised its project tracker to improve collaboration and is preparing 2026 goals to further integrate the Professional Practice Model.
The Quality & Safety Core Council advanced patient safety initiatives, focusing on fall reduction, wound care documentation, and emergency escalation policies. Current work includes infection prevention rounding and addressing PIV insertion and maintenance concerns through data collection and staff surveys.
The Professional Development Core Council promoted certification and clinical ladder advancement. Achievements included certification awareness campaigns and clinical ladder education. Next steps include rolling out the ANCC Success Pays Program to reduce financial barriers to certification.
The Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Core Council expanded EBP education and support. Accomplishments included rounding during Nurses’ Week, surveying staff for project ideas, and increasing attendance at UCSF workshops. Current focus is on improving access to resources and supporting RDO submissions.
The Care Experience/Caring Science Core Council worked to enhance patient experience and embed caring science principles. Efforts included peer feedback training, identifying key driver questions, and educating staff on care experience data. Next steps involve developing education plans around Caritas Processes and Caring Science.
Looking ahead to 2026, councils will focus on increasing RDO submissions, sustaining RN Excellence Survey education, and aligning unit and council strategic plans with the hospital’s 2026–2028 Nursing Strategic Plan. Lastly, the Professional Governance structure will expand to include a Nursing informatics Committee.