MAGNET Designation

[kgg6]

Something interesting I learned in class today -- RNs at Magnet designated hospitals have lower job satisfaction rates than hospitals without that designation. We discussed possible reasons for this, and it seems like RNs at these hospitals are expected to 'jump thru hoops' so to speak. They have to do more education, modules, spend more time outside of their shift work doing extra activities. Which type of hospital do you work at? Would you still prefer to work somewhere with magnet designation or not?

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

I know of one hospital that got Magnet status last year and a few months later made the news because it was discovered that some of their nurses were using Lantus pens between patients (!!!)

Job satisfaction I'm sure took a plunge there somewhere ... :/

[AJJKRN]

I know of one hospital that got Magnet status last year and a few months later made the news because it was discovered that some of their nurses were using Lantus pens between patients (!!!)

Job satisfaction I'm sure took a plunge there somewhere ... :/

Hopefully they re-vamped/rehired their nurse educators! I think this unfortunately happened at quite a few places all over the US...

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I work at a Magnet hospital and I am involved in things. I think those that are unhappy either don't or won't get involved. We, as nurses, have great opportunities to give input to upper administration. I have been a nurse for less than three years and got to present to the highest and second highest nurse in the operation. (HUGE system).

I feel that apathy by nurses that have been in there a long time or have unrealistic expectations of what nursing is all about (brand new, younger nurses) are the ones that are unhappiest.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I work at a Magnet hospital and I am involved in things. I think those that are unhappy either don't or won't get involved. We, as nurses, have great opportunities to give input to upper administration. I have been a nurse for less than three years and got to present to the highest and second highest nurse in the operation. (HUGE system).

I feel that apathy by nurses that have been in there a long time or have unrealistic expectations of what nursing is all about (brand new, younger nurses) are the ones that are unhappiest.

I think reality is that you work in a good system that happens to be Magnet. I have been handed 3x5 cards with preprinted answers Magnet surveyors questions. The cards came with threat to our jobs if we didn't answer they way they wanted us too. At another Magnet hospital I arrived at work in the SICU to find our unit, typically staffed 1/3 to 1/2 travelers, to fully staffed by regular staff, about half of them on overtime. Some of the committees I served on disappeared Magnet was achieved, only to re-appear when re-certification time came around.

[Baubo516, RN]

Jadelpn - You make a good point about unclear policies. Let me be the first to admit that I am a new nurse, and so far my nursing experience has been in pediatric homecare and at a camp for youth with medical needs, both as an LPN. So...I have not had to manage IV meds yet, except in school clinicals. I will keep your thoughts in mind as I (hopefully) start my fulltime RN position next week! Still waiting to see if I passed boards...

[llg, PhD, RN]

See, this is where I feel that the faculty was probably already a great place to work at and had the capabilities to provide its patients with great care. It also probably chose that the cost to benefit ratio was worth it to take on and maintain Magnet status.

You are probably right -- and that is OK. That is how it is SUPPOSED to be. Becoming Magnet certified does not "make" a hospital better. It is an award for a hospital that ALREADY IS better. It also provides a framework to help hospitals that wish to become better -- a framework based on principles found through research of hospitals that were already reported as being better.

... and of course ... There are plenty of hospitals that invest in getting their Magnet certification that stop trying to be good before the ink dries on the certificate. The people who led the Magnet Journey move on to other things and those who remain don't care. So conditions deteriorate.

... and of course ... There are some institutions that only want the "blue ribbon" and don't care how good/bad things are behind the scenes. They run a scam and get the award without truly deserving it.

The world is made up of all kinds ...

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Everything about my job has gone downhill since we got magnet. I hate the term. I can't believe how much money we waste on it.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I work at a Magnet hospital and I am involved in things. I think those that are unhappy either don't or won't get involved. We, as nurses, have great opportunities to give input to upper administration. I have been a nurse for less than three years and got to present to the highest and second highest nurse in the operation. (HUGE system).

I feel that apathy by nurses that have been in there a long time or have unrealistic expectations of what nursing is all about (brand new, younger nurses) are the ones that are unhappiest.

You have the opportunity to give input to upper administration. That should be the norm everywhere, not just at Magnet facilities, because who knows what works and what doesn't but the nurses who actually DO it? And to present to the highest and second highest in charge--a amazing facility would be one where the highest and second highest in charge would be seen, known, and involved in the day to day of the units on which they are in charge of and listen to all of the nurses under their employ.

But I can't help but ask that after all of your work, your research, and your presentation, was what you presented adopted as policy? And if so, did you get full credit for presenting and making your idea into a policy?

That seems to be one of the general themes, lots of work from nurses, presentations that make sense to make changes, and they still have to be approved by an upper administration that have not one clue what it takes to be in the trenches in this day and age. And if they are approved, the nurse doing all of the leg work is conveniently never mentioned again.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I know of one hospital that got Magnet status last year and a few months later made the news because it was discovered that some of their nurses were using Lantus pens between patients (!!!)

Job satisfaction I'm sure took a plunge there somewhere ... :/

I know of a local non-Magnet hospital that they made the news for the exact same thing.

The positive and negative characteristics of my facility have little to do with its Magnet status.

I agree with PFMB, the single biggest predictor of nurse satisfaction is the presence/absence of a strong, high-quality union... not just a union, but an effective union.

Overall, I think Magnet is worthless, in and of itself. Hospital management can and do have effective shared-governance practices without having Magnet. Likewise, if the hospital's sole motivation for Magnet is another stamp to put on their website, no meaningful changes will occur.

What matters is the attitude and the culture, not the designation, and the two sometimes have no correlation to each other.

[toomuchbaloney]

But it is a way for someone somewhere to make $$ in healthcare...marketing special designations.

[AmeliasAunt]

For me, working at a Magnet facility has been a breath of fresh air. I know *I* am happier, and as a float nurse, most of the nurses I work with throughout the hospital are happy. However, I have friends who have worked at other Magnet facilities who absolutely hated it, said it was all too political, and they high-tailed it out of there. I'm not sure that being Magnet is the definitive factor. If a hospital has established a culture of shared governance, nurse empowerment, EBP, etc. it will be a great place to work. I don't think becoming Magnet automatically brings all of those things.