Magnet hospitals

history:

the initial proposal of the magnet program was for the magnet hospital recognition program; this was approved by the board of directors of the american nurses association (ana) in december 1990. the proposal indicated that the program would build upon the 1983 magnet hospital study conducted by the american academy of nursing (aan) , and that the baseline for its development would be the standards for organized nursing services and responsibilities of nurse administrators across all settings (ana, 1991).

since its inception in 1896, ana has clearly defined its responsibility regarding the standards for the practice of nursing. this responsibility is demonstrated through determining:

1. the scope of nursing practice;

2. the education for nursing practice;

3. and the continuing competency for nursing practice.

the ana certification program established in 1973 furthers the nursing profession's commitment to the american public to assure that the practice of nursing is based on a sound foundation of academic and experiential knowledge. this program is the only national system for accreditation and approval of continuing education in nursing and thereby supports a philosophy of continued competency in nursing practice.

in 1982, the american academy of nursing's task force on nursing practice in hospitals conducted a study of 41 hospitals to identify and describe variables that created an environment that attracted and retained well-qualified nurses who promoted quality patient care through providing excellence in nursing services. these institutions were called "magnet" hospitals and served as "magnets" to attract and retain professional nurses who experienced a high degree of professional and personal satisfaction through their practice. over the past decade, hospital nursing service utilization, of the results of the 1982 magnet study, has been evident in many creative changes and innovations in nursing systems.

it is now time for nursing service systems to receive national recognition for their endeavors to attract and retain professional nurses and thereby provide quality patient care through nursing excellence. the development of a national program that recognizes excellence in the provision of nursing services provides the mechanism to acknowledge those institutions committed to the delivery of quality nursing services. the overall goal of the program is to identify excellence in the provision of nursing services and to recognize those institutions that act as a "magnet" by creating a work environment that recognizes and rewards professional nursing.

in 1998, the magnet nursing services recognition program was expanded to include a component that would recognize nursing excellence in long term care facilities. this program is now fully operational.

full info can be found at:

http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/magnet.htm

the magnet recognition program for excellence in nursing service affords important national recognition to health care organizations that demonstrate sustained excellence in nursing care. this prestigious program is administered by the american nurses credentialing center (ancc), the nation's largest and foremost nursing accrediting and credentialing organization.

whether a health care organization is large or small or in a metropolitan or rural community, achieving magnet designation will serve as a "magnet," attracting a reputation that is among the finest in the nation.

"(the magnet nursing services recognition program) is designed so that an organization, large or small, can meet the standards and gain recognition at a national level. most importantly, the designation is supportive of nursing, the nursing profession, and how nursing plays such a large part in patient care."

-toni fiore, vice president for patient care and chief nursing officer, hackensack university medical center, hackensack, nj

why was the magnet nursing services recognition program developed?

the magnet nursing services recognition program for excellence in nursing services was developed by the american nurses credentialing center in 1994 to recognize health care organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and uphold the tradition within nursing that supports professional nursing practice. the program also provides a vehicle for the dissemination of successful practices and strategies among nursing systems.

the magnet nursing services recognition program is based on quality indicators and standards of nursing practice as defined in the american nurses association's scope and standards for nurse administrators (1996). thus both qualitative and quantitative factors of nursing services are measured.

recognizing quality patient care and nursing excellence, the magnet nursing services recognition program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care they can expect to receive. as a natural outcome of this, the program elevates the reputation and standards of the nursing profession.

objectives of the magnet nursing services recognition program

*recognize nursing services that utilize the scope and standards for nurse administrators (ana, 1996) to build programs of nursing excellence in the delivery of nursing care to patients;

*promote quality in a milieu that supports professional nursing practice;

*provide a vehicle for the dissemination of successful nursing practices and strategies among health care organizations utilizing the services of registered professional nurses; and

*promote positive patient outcomes.

what is involved in the application and appraisal process?

the foundation of the magnet nursing services recognition program is the american nurses association's scope and standards for nurse administrators. the applicant heath care organization provides documentation and evidence that support and verify implementation of these standards throughout the nursing service. (publication no. ns-35)

to apply for the program an applicant must purchase the manual, the magnet nursing services recognition program for excellence in nursing service, health care organization, instructions and application process, available from the american nurses publishing. (publication no. magman00)

both of these publications are available[insert] through american nurses publishing at 1-800-637-0323.

eligibility criteria

the health care organization must meet the following eligibility criteria:

the applicant nursing service system exists within a health care organization.

the health care organization nursing service includes one or more nursing settings with a single governing authority and one individual serving as the nurse administrator.

scope and standards for nurse administrators (ana, 1996) are currently implemented by the nursing system.

in the five years preceding application, the applicant nursing service must not have committed an unfair labor practice as determined in a fully and finally adjudicated proceeding before the national labor relations board (nlrb) or other grievance resolution body, and/or a reviewing federal, state or international court. if an unfair labor charge or grievance is pending before the nlrb or other appropriate governing body at the time an application is being processed, no action will be taken on the application until the nlrb or an appropriate governing body finally resolves the dispute.

applicants for magnet recognition are required to participate in ana's national database of nursing quality indicators (ndnqi). this project addresses the issues of patient safety and quality of care arising from changes in health care delivery.

http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/magnet/about.htm

Susy K:

When the Magnate Reviewers came to your facility, did they have an open interview with the staff? Did they walk the floors at all

or was it a paperwork review? Were the staff included in planning activities, like for JCAHO review?

NJ has the highest number of Magnet designated facilities.

I only know from talking with nurses at St. Francis in Trenton and I believe Hackensack at inservices I've attended, that their conditions were better than surrounding hospitals.

In my area, Fox Chase Cancer Center Phila, just received recognition this year. When I attended pain mgmt inservice there,they also state conditions better than surrounding facilities

Were the Continuing Ed classes stopped before or after the Magnet designation?

Thanks.

Info not apparent during review period can also to sent to the Magnet Program from links at the website.