Reaching Magnet Status Of Nurses

In a profession where others' health and well-being are priority, there leaves room for neglect of those who are delegated to care for these people. As a professional nurse, there are many obstacles that arise and affect the care provided to a patient, as well as the livelihood of the nurse. The current deteriorating and unsafe staffing conditions in hospitals and other institutions prompts workplace advocacy as the universally appropriate concept for maintaining professional nursing practice.  Common

There is a shortage of all health care professions throughout the United States. One shortage in particular that society should be very concerned about is the shortage of Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses make up the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A registered nurse is a vital healthcare professional that has earned a two or four year degree and has the upper-most responsibility in providing direct patient care and staff management in a hospital or other treatment facilities (Registered Nurse (RN) Degree and Career Overview., 2009). This shortage issue is imperative because RN's affect everyone sometime in their lifetime. Nurses serve groups, families and individuals to foster

Workload was described to be heavy, stressful, increase in intensity and overtime hours. As a result 25.8% consider resigning, 20.2% consider retiring and 25.6% consider leaving profession. Another problem that was observed at individual level was poor commitment to care. One of the factors that often limited nurses to provide therapeutic care was the change in nurse to patient ratio. As nurses assignments increase with the increase in the number of patients (i.e. 1 nurse to 6-8 patients) the quality of care provided decreases. Nurses’ ability to maintain safe environment became challenging. As part of caring, nurses also showed decreased amount of time spent with their patient. This eventually led to nurses being less satisfied with their current job. Self – efficacy was often low. Nurses felt that they did not have enough knowledge and skills required for professional practice (Newhouse, Hoffman, & Hairston, 2007). This often led into stressful transition and the ability to care for a patient even harder. New graduate nurses often had difficulty maintaining leadership role. They often felt that they did not have the ability to self advocate and raise their voice to be heard by others. They often feared that they would be over heard and that no one would listen to them (Mooney, 2007).

When people think about nurses, many ideas come to mind. They think of the hideous old starched, white uniforms, a doctor’s handmaiden, the sexy or naughty nurse, or a torturer. The media and society have manipulated the identity and role of nurses. None of these ideas truly portray nurses and what they do. Nurses are with the patients more than the doctors. People do not realize how little they will encounter the doctor in the hospital until they are actually in the hospital. People quickly realize how important nurses are. Because nurses interact with their patients constantly, nurses are the ones who know the patients best.

Magnet asks healthcare organizations to define their philosophy because it is the leading resource for establishing effective and efficient nursing practices. (Magnet Monday, n.d.). This magnet is a landmark behind the success of certain hospitals with low turnover rates, better quality of care, decreased length of stay, and improved outcomes. (Magnet Monday, n.d.). American Nurses Credentialing Center for Magnet status is a prestigious award that not all hospitals attain. Those who are Magnet status have higher nurse retention and satisfaction, improved quality of care, less nurse burnout, and lower mortality rates

Forces of magnetism, nurse-sensitive quality indicators, which reflect elements of patient care that, are directly affected by nursing practice (Schmidt and McFarlane 2015). These indicators are said to reflect three aspects of nursing care: structure, process, and outcomes. The establishment of Forces of Magnetism (14) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) 2013 was created to provide the conceptual framework for the Magnet appraisal process. Must of the original design was to differentiated organizations best able to recruit and retain nurses during the nursing shortages of the 1970s and 1980s (Schmidt and McFarlane 2016 and Forces of Magnetism 2018).

Magnet recognition is a performance recognition that was started by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (Drenkard, 2010). The recognition is awarded to facilities who have applied and met the requirements (Magnet Recognition and Pathway to Excellence, 2018). The goals of the Magnet recognition are to improve positive patient outcomes while also providing an environment which promotes growth and safety for the nurses (Magnet Recognition and Pathway to Excellence, 2018). The opportunities for nurses that are provided by the Magnet recognition are continued education, promotion of growth by certifications and licenses, recognition of individual nurses, and staff satisfaction (Magnet Recognition and Pathway to Excellence,

The application process for Magnet recognition can take several years and involves the hospital as a whole. The application and appraisal process is evolved, lengthy and voluntary. It takes dedication from all involved with the institute, from the bedside nurse to the highest level of management. A facility begins the process years prior to the actual application time. During this year all in the hospital begin to implement and practice the fourteen forces of Magnetism. These forces center on nursing, from quality to leadership to monument to autonomy and even interdisciplinary relationships and professional development. (Association) Once a facility as met all of the application requirements, paid the fees, a site visit is arraigned. If all goes well, a hospital is awarded Magnet Recognition.

In today’s world, healthcare is under a microscope. Surveys are done, standards are set, and patients have the option to choose where they receive their care. Research is conducted on physicians, quality of care, and cost of care are becoming the main thoughts when choosing a hospital. When you hear “Magnet Status Hospital” (MSH) it immediately grabs your attention. What exactly sets an MSH on a higher level than one that’s not? More importantly, how does this affect the nurses? The purpose of this paper is to explain the increasing rise of MSH ‘s, why healthcare, specifically nursing, is trending in this way, how it affects nurses, and the benefits of attaining magnet status.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), through the Magnet Recognition Program aims to raise quality of patient care while utilizing evidence based nursing practice (Jayawardhana, Welton, & Lindroth, 2014). An article published in the Journal of Nursing Administration reports that “application fees, appraiser fees, site visit costs, and document preparation” can range from $46,000 to $251,000 depending on the institution. While there can be some drawbacks to the financial implications of obtaining a Magnet status, it is important to understand why such recognition exists in the first place (Drenkard, 2010). The Magnet certification of the ANCC, encourages nurses to utilize research and evidence base practice to improve the delivery

Nurses working for Magnet hospitals are encouraged to increase their professional knowledge. Nurses are encouraged to grow as a clinician by participating in clinical ladder programs, obtaining certifications, and pursuing advanced degrees. Magnet status is a designation for hospitals that wish to provide excellent patient care and promote nursing leadership. Many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement to encourage nurses to continue their education to pursue an advanced degree. Clinical ladders offer professional and monetary gains. A local Magnet hospital in Richmond, Virginia offers reimbursement for the cost of certification exams to help their nurses have an opportunity for certification in their specialty. McClure explains that magnet hospitals develop a culture of excellence by demonstrating best practices and involving nurses in decision making and policy development. There is a correlation between the nurse with a higher level of education and certifications in their area of expertise and positive patient outcomes. (McClure, 2005).

Many healthcare organizations worldwide are striving to achieve magnet designation. Having the magnet title is essential because it recognizes healthcare organizations that act as a “magnet” for excellence by establishing a work environment that identifies, rewards, and promotes professional nursing (ANCC Magnet Designation, 2012). A magnet hospital is considered to be one where nursing provides excellent patient care, where nurses have a high level of job satisfaction, and where there is a low staff

The magnet hospital model is an international design to provide optimal framework for nursing care and future research. The model is composed of transformational leadership, empirical outcomes, exemplary professional practice, structural empowerment, and new knowledge combined with innovations and improvements. Hospitals that participate in the model and were awarded the title are constantly looking to improve and expand. They strive to provide expert care globally. Scheduling and staffing are done in a way to keep nurses from burning out. The lower the burnout rate the higher the rate of satisfaction and overall health of patients. When nurses are not burnt out they work optimally and want to work with their patients and that creates

In the early 1980s it came to light that while the supply of nurses had reached a record high, only 80% of hospitals nationwide had adequate nurse staffing levels (American Nurse Credentialing Center, 2011, p. 8). To address this issue a taskforce was formed within the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). Through an initial study of 165 hospitals, the AAN determined the characteristics of healthcare organizations that were magnetically attracting and retaining nurses as employees (American Nurse Credentialing Center, p. 9). In this study the AAN found “Forces of Magnetism” that contributed to the high level of job satisfaction amongst nurses, superior quality of care, low job turnover, and high level of nurse involvement in leadership, decision-making, and research. In the early 1990s, catapulted by the findings of this initial study, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) developed the Magnet Recognition Program. The intention of the ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program was threefold: To reward hospitals that demonstrated “excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients;” to encourage quality in the nursing work environment to support practicing professional nurses; and to guide navigation for the dissemination of evidenced-based clinical nursing practice (American Nurse Credentialing Center, 2011, p. 14).

Magnet hospitals are named for their potential to attract and retain qualified nurses. Magnet hospitals are facilities that have been certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for promoting positive patient outcomes through best practices in nursing (Upenieks, 2003). The Magnet environment fosters autonomy and professional nursing practice. Research shows that Magnet hospitals have better work environments, a more highly educated nursing workforce, superior nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, and higher nurse satisfaction than non-Magnet hospitals (Aiken, Kelly, & McHugh, 2011). Implementation of that environment requires the ability to create trust, accountability, and open communication in changing times.