The Magnet Recognition Program Is The Highest Level Of Nursing Excellence

The framework of clinical excellence in the organization begins with a structure that supports the process (Porter-O’Grady, 2016 et al p. 327). Building excellence into the fabric of an organization requires support and engagement of nurse leaders and their followers to the work of healing, in a work environment where effective communications occur and healthcare providers (including nurse leaders) are acknowledged for their positive behavior and negative behaviors are addressed quickly (Porter-O’Grady, 2016 et al p.

The Institute of Medicine’s 2010 report on The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health acknowledges the changing healthcare sector in the US and describes future vision of healthcare and the role of nurses to fulfill that vision. The United States always strives to provide affordable and quality healthcare to the entire population of the country. In order to achieve this goal an overall restructuring of the healthcare system was necessitated. Nurses are considered to be the central part of the healthcare system to provide high quality and safe patient care. Nursing in the US is the single largest segment of the healthcare workforce with almost 3 million nurses working in different areas across the county. The changing

The Magnet Status refers to “a status given to a hospital that meets a set of criteria aimed at measuring its strength and quality of nursing (Nurses, 2015).” Some of the reasons why hospitals want that Magnet status were to create the quality of care back to nurses, making their services important, and investing in them. The Magnet philosophy is about the right staff acuity, nursing skills, and clinical environment. Continuing to strive for excellence is one of the main goals. According to an article, to be a magnet status hospital, you must have nursing resources such as higher education for nurses (Nurses, 2015). This concept benefits nursing positions, the hospital, and patient care.

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,

After looking through the different websites, and considering what qualities I am seeking in my future profession as a nurse, I found they all hold values I want to experience in my practice. However, the one that caught my attention foremost is the ANCC’s magnet status. According the ANCC’s website, “Magnet Recognition is an organizational credential awarded to exceptional health care organizations that meet ANCC standards for quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice” (Magnet Model, 2015). Receiving Magnet recognition is not an easy task seeing as only 82 hospitals are recognized. The “magnet model”, a guideline for achieving status as a magnet hospital, includes the components of transformational

Great post! I agree with you as well regarding the nursing shortage. All through nursing school as well and through out my career it has been a constant struggle. When you become overworked there is a constant strain, stress, and burn out. All thos things can lead to job/career dissatisfication. It is also importnt that each nurse knows their rights as well, including the Safe Harbor laws. This is not only to protect the nurse but to protect the patients and make sure they are receiving the quality are that they deserve.

In the ever changing world of healthcare, healthcare organizations in order to be the most efficient in their delivery of healthcare, streamline their organizational structure to stay competitive, while providing the best patient care possible. This process can place increasingly undue stress onto its staff resulting in nurses having to do more with less available resources which ultimately increases their workload, has them working longer hours due to staff shortage, which contributes to an increase in the nurse burnout rates. This eventually filters down to the patient’s level of care and means less time spent on each

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.

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

Background: The Magnet Recognition Program? was established to recognize health care organizations that promote nursing care excellence and patient care excellence. Hospitals must meet the standards set by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to receive the Magnet? designation. These standards contain the elements that enhance job satisfaction.

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).

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ACNN) sponsors the Magnet Recognition Program, which focuses on the development of nursing practices and evaluates the environment where nursing is practiced. This program is well recognized by organizations throughout the country, as the Magnet Journey and is considered to be one of the highest achievements that organizations can obtain (Broom, & Tilbury, 2007). Organizations that strive to achieve the Magnet designation, acknowledge the link between a healthy work environment and the development of an organization of nursing excellence. Hospitals utilizing the Magnet concept demonstrate the following characteristics; (a) authentic leadership, (b) skilled communication, (c) effective decision making, (d) quality patient care processes, (e) collaboration and teamwork among all healthcare workers, (f) professional growth and accountability, (g) clinically competent staff and (h) adequate staffing levels (Shirey, 2006). All the above components

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.

The researchers surveyed 3186 nurses on staff at 56 hospitals; 52 academic hospitals and 4 non-academic hospitals. The researchers compared the results of the nurses’ surveys with information about the location of the hospital (rural or urban), the hospital environment (managerial support, good relationships among team members, the nurses’ involvement in decision-making), the nurses’ educational levels, and the staffing (nurse:patient ratio). The researchers also interviewed nurse managers and leaders to evaluate their input on nurse retention and nursing shortages in a qualitative portion of the study. In the article “Effective strategies for nurse retention in acute hospitals: A mixed method study”, the researchers state “the results show that nurse staffing and the quality of the nurse practice environment (i.e. managerial support of nursing care, good relations between doctors and nurses, nurse participation in decision-making and organizational priorities on quality of care) are significantly associated with intention-to-leave the hospital” (Van den Heede et al., 2013, p. 192). This association is related with increase nurse satisfaction with environment and staffing is related to decreased intention to leave the hospital, or an inverse relationship. These researchers also shed light on the fact that Magnet hospitals have far better nurse retention and nurse satisfaction. Thus, focusing on and achieving a Magnet status can be an effective

In the early 1980s there was a significant nursing shortage and high turnover at hospitals. Research by the American Academy of Nursing recognized forty-one hospitals that attracted nurses to work at their location because of their more collaborative and supportive work environments. These hospitals were more effective with filling nursing job vacancies compared with similar hospitals. The American Nurse’s Credentialing Center (ANCC), an organization of American Nurses Association developed a voluntary recognition program to formally credential Magnet hospitals, and the first Magnet hospital was credentialed in 1994 (Kelly, 2011). ANCC review certain criteria that are design to measure the quality and strength of nursing practice at the hospital. Nurses who work at these Magnet hospitals have higher job satisfaction and reports that they have better communication between the nurses and other healthcare team. Most importantly, Magnet hospitals have high quality nursing care, better patient outcomes, and high patient satisfaction.