Organizational characteristics that facilitate the use of nursing diagnoses.

The effective use of nursing diagnosis is facilitated by an organizational structure that accommodates nursing professional autonomy and accountability. Nurse executives who plan for the implementation of nursing diagnosis should expect nurses to develop as an autonomous and accountable collective. There should be shared leadership to achieve mutual goals, make decisions about nursing practice, socialize its members, build and maintain effective communication processes, and use the process of change to effect and maintain the model of practice. When these structures and processes compose the organizational milieu, nursing diagnoses will be used and will promote the further development of nurses as autonomous and accountable professionals who develop and use knowledge to deliver quality client care.