Do you work in a "Magnet" hospital?

Nurses General Nursing

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I started working at Sarasota Memorial a few weeks back as a health unit coordinator (unit secretary), and I'm loving it. I'm working on a med/surg unit that also deals with respiratory issues. The nurses have a 1:4 ratio and about 90% of all the PCAs going to nursing school or headed that way. The team approach is amazing and moral is pretty high.

If you work in a Magnet hospital, can you share your experiences. I know with SMH, it is very important for them to keep their status and I find them very nurse friendly. I was wondering if this was the same with other magnet hospitals.

Kris

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

I worked for a magnet hospital in 2003, and thought it was awful. It's good to know the magnet hospitals vary place to place, and that there are some who live up to the magnet reputation.....whatever that is. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in ER.

I work for the first magnet hospital in my state, and it is great!! The most nurse friendly place ever I think!! I am sure there are problems and there are people who will gripe about there job no matter where they work. I could work at a hospital closer to home but I chose the one I am at partly because of its magnet status.

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Our hospital attained Magnet status in 2003. We worked very hard and made a lot of changes. We have good benefits and I think we are a little more respected by the doctors now because of the Magnet status.

However I wish marketing would explain Magnet status more to the public. Doctors admit patients to the hospital, but whY? Because they need NURSING care. If we are to work as a team the nursing staff should be advertised. A lot of patients don't pick their doctors and patients can't pick their nurses... so we should be equally recognized for what we do!

Morale isn't the greatest lately... our pay has not kept up with some of the other (Magnet) hospitals in the state... but I enjoy what I do and what I am capable of doing. Will soon be changing roles, and I am glad to have the great nurses I work with supportive of my change@!!

Are there any out there who tried, but failed, to get Magnet status???

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This is a great discussion and I enjoy reading the posts. Our facility which is part of a big hospital chain is working toward magnet status. Our wages are average to below average in our area. The psych unit where I work staffs 3 nurses for every 10 patients. There is mandatory overtime occuring about once a month per nurse. We only have one weekend off per month. Right now we have been assigned a research project (administrator picked the subject) and we talk about this at the monthly meeting. The morale is rather low here and the most recent staff survey reflects these feelings. Is it possible that this facility can obtain magnet status under these conditions? Thanks!

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Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.

we are in the processing of trying to obtain Magnet, we are supposed to know around sept. I know everyone has worked very hard for it. I don't know that I have seen alot of changes they have increase our tution reimbursement some, but I still don't think it is very good. We are just now getting paid time and a half for Holidays. Pay is competitive (sp?) Julie

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This is a great discussion and I enjoy reading the posts. Our facility which is part of a big hospital chain is working toward magnet status. Our wages are average to below average in our area. The psych unit where I work staffs 3 nurses for every 10 patients. There is mandatory overtime occuring about once a month per nurse. We only have one weekend off per month. Right now we have been assigned a research project (administrator picked the subject) and we talk about this at the monthly meeting. The morale is rather low here and the most recent staff survey reflects these feelings. Is it possible that this facility can obtain magnet status under these conditions? Thanks!

The surveyors talk to "selected" staff nurses during the survey, with no nurse managers or administration of any kind. They will tell you they already know not everyone likes tsome work conditions; they ask what is good and bad about the hospital and examples of how nurses have made strides to improve pt care. This is the time to tell them your research wasn't picked by you and that there are concerns re: wages and benefits. You tell the truth. In my focus group benefits were discussed and related to overall status of the RN.

I'm not telling you this so you can sabotage your Magnet status, just telling you that they get a sense of how people feel about their workplace. Although a lot is sent in on paper, they have to see it and feel it in order to believe it. We almost did not get Magnet status (had 1 or 2 things to fix).

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Well we are all willing to do what it takes to make positive changes in the work place. Rather than wait for a gripe session i would like to be armed with the knowledge of what makes a magnet hospital attractive for nurses. For example, I read on a web site somewhere that at most magnet hospitals, nurses aren't forced to cover most weekends. At magnets they have weekend nurses who work 12 or 16 hour shifts. Is this mostly true? Does mandatory Ot occur occaisionally at a Magnet? What are the things that Magnet hospitals have in common?

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

The one I work in has a very low vacancy rate for RN positions and it is actually pretty competitive to get hired there. Nurses are treated very well - not perfect, but better than in alot of places. The pay is lower than surrounding hospitals, but that is probably b/c the ratios are lower, too, and no cancelled shifts. Also, b/c of the lower ratios, there are fewer CNA's and support staff, so the low ratios may be somewhat misleading - havent quite figured that one out yet.

I know several RN's who have moved here from other states, picking this hosp. to work at solely based on the magnet status, so I guess that contributes to the low vacancy rate.

And in response to the questions in the above post, in this facility, no mandatory OT and yes, there are baylor positions - RN's work the weekends - 24h a week and get paid for 32.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

I work at a magnet facility and the only good it has done is that we aren't allowed to mandate anymore. It is the same crap as before. It hasn't done anything for staffing issues, etc. The other magnety hospital in the area is the one that closed it's OB unit without telling the staff, who found out about it thru the media. Basically, you are sucking up to get the status. My friend works for a place that is being interviewed last month, they are being forced to submit a "magical moment" for a scrapbook, they have reheorificed things to say when asked certain questions (they are NOT allowed to say that they used to mandate and don't now...why, it is the truth.) They want these people to think that it has always been wonderful and that this will add to the wonderfulness. Last week, they were short three nurses and it was like, oh well, have a nice night. Nope, personally, magnet has done nothing here. It is good to know that some places are really benefiting from it though :)

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Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.

That doesn't seem right that they are told what they can say, we were told just tell the truth and have fun talking to the surveyors (sp). We are waiting to see if we will get magnet.

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