OhioHealth nurses develop system Professional Practice Model
When OhioHealth Nursing introduced the Nursing Professional Practice Model (PPM), it marked a significant step toward a unified nursing vision across all care sites. The model, finalized in 2024, serves as a guiding framework for nurses, reinforcing their commitment to patient care, professional growth and system-wide collaboration.
Jodi Patterson, BSN, RN, a clinical educator at OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital and OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, was closely involved in the model’s development. According to Patterson, the model represents OhioHealth nurses’ commitment to their patients and provides a foundation for how nursing is practiced throughout the system.
A collaborative process
The journey to create the system-wide model began in 2022 with a retreat for members of the OhioHealth Nursing Practice Advisory Council (OHNPAC). Each care site had its own professional practice model, and the goal was to establish a unified vision that encompassed the best aspects of each.
“We put up each care site's professional practice model around the room, and then we broke up into groups and we broke down what we liked about them and what we would change,” Patterson said. “Then we came back as a group and we mocked up we would want to see as a professional practice model for the system.”
After multiple iterations and refinements over several months, the final model referred to as the “hands model” was approved by the group. Patterson emphasized that the process was deliberate and methodical, ensuring that the model aligned with OhioHealth’s nursing strategic plan and the needs of nurses across different care sites.
The importance of a unified model
For Patterson, the move toward a single professional practice model was initially met with some skepticism.
“In the beginning, that was my worry,” she admitted. “I thought, ‘Why are we doing away with each care site’s model?’ But it helped me see the bigger picture. We all need to work together for one common goal, which is the patient and their families. That’s why we’re here.”
Having a unified model also strengthens continuity of care, especially for patients who receive treatment at multiple OhioHealth facilities.
Patterson said, “Having one model ensures that nurses across OhioHealth’s care sites are all working toward the same goals, no matter where the patient receives their top-notch care.”
Looking ahead
Patterson hopes to further develop the model’s components, including foundational values, practice and empowerment, and growth and integration.
“We went through COVID and now our population has turned into young nurses,” she said. “We need to really get the confidence in them and empower them to show them they can do this, and they can have a voice.”
The initial response to the model has been overwhelmingly positive. When OHNPAC members presented it to OhioHealth’s chief nursing officers, the reception was enthusiastic.
“They were so excited about it and clapped about it,” Patterson recalled. “We worked so hard, and we presented this and they loved it, and it just – it was a very good feeling.”
Among frontline nurses, the model is gradually gaining traction.
“It’s starting to get out there and take grasp,” she said. “We just had a retreat here in Marion and we shared it and talked through it and the faces were all smiles. The model is a good reminder for nurses, ‘This is where I am, and this is where I can go.’”
A model for the future
For Patterson, the professional practice model is not just a framework. It’s a reflection of what it means to be an OhioHealth nurse.
“Being a nurse is about compassion,” she said. “This model helps set our nurses up for success by showing them the different paths they can take. Showing, ‘That's why I'm here and I know that Ohio Health stands behind me.’”
As OhioHealth continues to build on this foundation, the Nursing Professional Practice Model serves as a testament to the strength of a shared vision, one that keeps patients and families at the center of care while empowering nurses to lead at every level.