Dropping Magnet

Nurses General Nursing

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I found this interesting. One of this regions largest health system's flagship hospital has dropped it's Magnet certification. They have been certified since 2004 and was the first hospital in the state, outside the state capital, to recive Magent certification. They have a reputation of being an early adopter of technology and practice changes.

They have been struggling with profitability the last 3-4 years and have layed off around 200 people across the system, including all of their clinical nurse specialists and a bunch of managers.

Cost savings is the reason given to staff. Bedside nurses are pretty much indifferent and the public doesn't seem to know or care that they had a Magnet hospital in their town.

I wonder if this is an isolated case or if it will be a trend, or partial trend.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I am furiously making notes...for the future, of course. Here in the South there are no Unions and nearly all hospitals are religious-affiliated.

*** Right, I know. Exactly why I choose not to live there. That and the very low pay and not so low cost of living. may not be as high as NY but about the same as many other areas that also offer high pay relative to cost of living.

One thing I have noticed. If you want to make good money, be treated decently, have good benefits, and enjoy a reasonable cost of living, you are going to have to learn to like snow.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I have worked at several magnet hospitals (as a traveler and full-time RN), and I find them to be the best places to work. The facility I currently work at is trying to become magnet and I can tell you the process is very long and does include implementing many changes. Magnet required Evidence Based Practice, goals, nurse career ladders, nurse certification, BSN nurses, and many outcome measures that are compared to a national data base.

*** Or at least the appearance of those things. I have seen all those things come, then see them go away again as soon as Magnet is achieved, only to reappear again 4 years later.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

*** Or at least the appearance of those things. I have seen all those things come, then see them go away again as soon as Magnet is achieved, only to reappear again 4 years later.

That's a fauxMagnet hospital. They are trying to "keep up with the Jones', lol.

I never been employed at a Magnet Hospital or facility that does that. EBP is used so much, in each step, it becomes so ingrained, you see it in your dreams, lol...:wacky:

I've also worked at facilities that were not Magnet, and had the same practices go on. At this point, providing a standard of care is becoming more related to CMS and nursing outcomes. I really don't think it will be something that a hospital will have to invest into in the future.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
That's a fauxMagnet hospital. They are trying to "keep up with the Jones', lol.

I never been employed at a Magnet Hospital or facility that does that. EBP is used so much, in each step, it becomes so ingrained, you see it in your dreams, lol...:wacky:

I've also worked at facilities that were not Magnet, and had the same practices go on. At this point, providing a standard of care is becoming more related to CMS and nursing outcomes. I really don't think it will be something that a hospital will have to invest into in the future.

*** Faux Magnet, or all of the 6 or 7 Magnet hospitals I have worked in in 3 states. With the exception of BSN nurses my current hospital employs all the things you mentioned and they are not only NOT Magnet, but have never had any intention of being so.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Liked the visual, Weeping. :)

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I found this interesting. One of this regions largest health system's flagship hospital has dropped it's Magnet certification. They have been certified since 2004 and was the first hospital in the state, outside the state capital, to recive Magent certification. They have a reputation of being an early adopter of technology and practice changes.

They have been struggling with profitability the last 3-4 years and have layed off around 200 people across the system, including all of their clinical nurse specialists and a bunch of managers.

Cost savings is the reason given to staff. Bedside nurses are pretty much indifferent and the public doesn't seem to know or care that they had a Magnet hospital in their town.

I wonder if this is an isolated case or if it will be a trend, or partial trend.

...said CNS' were also told that writing the Magnet document for re-certification was how they would spend their last 30 days after being told their job was eliminated. Not fun writing glowing exemplars about an organization that basically said we don't need you, but make us sound fabulous.

"Cost savings is the reason given to staff."

Last I knew it was about 250K year and 500K for certifying.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
...said CNS' were also told that writing the Magnet document for re-certification was how they would spend their last 30 days after being told their job was eliminated. Not fun writing glowing exemplars about an organization that basically said we don't need you, but make us sound fabulous.

"Cost savings is the reason given to staff."

Last I knew it was about 250K year and 500K for certifying.

*** Wow! What a kick in the teeth. Sorry they did that to you. This particular hospital is filled with fantastic nursing staff and great people to work with. However it is a difficult organization to work for if you expect to be treated decently.

I see they just spent $5 million on new beds.............

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Knowing Magnet's background sheds light on today's program and healthcare reorganization occurring today:

ANCC: History of Magnet Timeline

Advance CEU Article:

Magnet Research: Raising the Bar

Almost 30 years of evidence documents the program's mission.

Many nurses remember the nursing shortage of the 1980s. Introduction of diagnostic-related groups helped lead to Medicare funding reductions, hospital budget shortfalls and large-scale nurse layoffs, a first in the U.S. Nurses who received pink slips discovered there were other careers open to women, and many never came back to nursing, even when hospitals offered cars, vacations, bonuses and money for advanced nursing education.

In the late 1990s, another national nurse deficit was gaining momentum. A number of critical factors were linked to this exodus of nurses: the "graying of nursing" in practice and academia, decreased nursing school admissions and nurse dissatisfaction in the workplace.

However, as a result of the 1980s nursing shortage, a number of innovations and programs were in place to address the crisis of the 1990s. None was more evident than the Magnet Recognition Program.

The scope of this article is limited to the research conducted and applied to nursing practice in Magnet hospitals. It does not describe the Magnet journey hospitals take to meet the requirements to achieve first-time designation by the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program. The designation is good for 4 years, but the Magnet program is dynamic and planning for re-designation begins long before the initial designation period ends.

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Karen so good to see you are still here :)

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
We had one hospital in Syracuse, that had magnet status, they have since lost the certification. They continue to have heart surgeons that are well known, and it's the hospital my parents go to if the need arises. No difference when they had it, or now.

That is because Magnet is recognition for nursing excellence. It takes time to change culture after it is lost, but it will change.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Oops I already said that a long time ago. Carry on, nothing to see here.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
That is because Magnet is recognition for nursing excellence. It takes time to change culture after it is lost, but it will change.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

I'd describe more as a recognition of an environment that is conducive to nursing excellence, rather than nursing excellence itself. It rewards hospital administrators, nursing staff support, etc for facilitating good nursing practice. I find it's often mistaken for being a an award for bedside nurses, which isn't really accurate.

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