Nursing Professional Practice Model

The Nursing Professional Practice Model illustrates that Main Line Health nurses  are key partners in providing superior patient care, every day, through leadership, collaboration, best practices and professional growth.

What is a Professional Practice Model? 

A professional practice model is a system or framework that supports professional nurses in their everyday practice. This model supports our belief in the importance of superior patient care based on partnerships between nursing and other clinicians, patients, families and the community.

Why is it important to have a model?

A professional practice model defines the components of nursing practice in a way that brings significance to our daily work. At MLH, this professional practice model unifies nursing practice throughout the system.

What is Main Line Health’s Professional Practice Model?

The unifying acronym, PARTNERS, is the foundation for the MLH Professional Practice Model. Nursing, in partnership with patients and families, clinicians, administrators and educators, collaborate toward the common goal of providing a superior patient experience for patients every day.

Each component in the acronym is integral to professional nursing practice and depicts how nurses collaborate, communicate and develop professionally.  The model components are:  professional development, accountability, research (evidence based practice), nurses as teachers and leaders, exemplary professional practice and relationships with others. These key components are necessary to deliver superior patient care. 

Who was involved in the development of this model?

Nurses from all MLH hospitals were involved in developing this model. This included: staff nurse unit council chairs and Magnet ambassadors, patient care manager, educators and a nursing vice president.

How was the MLH system model developed?

The original model was based on Virginia Henderson’s definition of nursing because Henderson values the unique relationship between the nurse and patient as she addresses universal human needs. The new MLH model expands on Henderson’s definition by acknowledging that nurses use their knowledge and skills in partnership with others to provide the outcome of superior patient care.  

A taskforce was chartered in January of 2009, to research, brainstorm and design the new model for professional practice. Our Marketing partners provided support to assist our team in the design of the new model graphic and in the production of the MLH Professional Practice Model video.

What is the significance of the sun?

The rising sun represents a new day, every day, while the sun itself symbolizes comfort, energy, light and something that is ever present.