N.C. nurse sees rewards of putting professionalism first

We need more people like him in hospital administration! I have worked in a facility that tried to achieve Magnet status and failed.... Eddie Beard was taught that "You look after your nurses so they can look after the patients." If more of our administrators only understood that concept, maybe ALL hospitals could be Magnet hospitals.

No kidding, midlife...I work at a facility that had Magnet and lost it. Mostly because the administration failed to realize it is a NURSING designation and not and ADMINISTRATION designation. They were happy to tout the status, but they did nothing to make nurses want to work for it. In fact, they tried to underhandedly keep the designation by eliminating open positions so it looked like we were close to fully staffed. They had a "manditory request" (of certain nurses they felt would blow smoke up the investigating Magnet team tails) for a breakfast with Magnet Designation Team members where they could tell the investigator how great everything really is.
I have worked in Magnet facilities that truely earned it, and that have faked it...it's a noticable difference in the work environment and the morale of the nurses.