Magnet designation- what’s the big deal? This article, written from a staff nurse perspective in a hospital which just recently achieved “Magnet”, takes a look at what hospitals must do to achieve Magnet designation, and discusses the major benefits of this voluntary hospital designation while recognizing some of the common concerns and criticisms Nurses General Nursing Article
Simply put, Magnet designation symbolizes "nurse-driven excellence in patient safety, quality outcomes and patient satisfaction" 1. So what exactly does this mean? To better understand the meaning of nursing excellence and the value of Magnet designation, it helps to also take a look at some of the groundbreaking research by Linda Aiken 2-7. Aiken, an internationally recognized nurse scientist, has been involved in numerous studies linking nursing excellence to patient outcomes. The results of her research have led to a greater awareness of how variables such as nurse work environment, nurse education and nurse empowerment to innovate affect a multitude of outcomes including patient satisfaction scores, mortality rates and failure-to-rescue rates. Improvements in these variables also affect hospital reimbursement 8. It is no surprise that, given this magnitude of evidence which demonstrates the value of nursing excellence, more and more hospitals are striving to become Magnet designated. Below are what organizations must do to achieve magnet.
(#1-#3 are based upon information obtained the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) website's "Journey to Magnet Excellence"1):
Programs such as shared governance, nursing research and evidence-based practice councils, and peer review are just some examples.
Achieving and maintaining Magnet designation is a lot of work for the hospitals and for the nurses who work there. But in my experience, the personal, professional and work-based benefits are worth the effort. Most importantly, our patients are worth the effort. In my hospital, achieving magnet designation has already helped bring about a very positive culture change.
References
1. American Nurses Credentialing Center (2015). Journey to Magnet. https://www.nursingworld.org/magnet
2. Aiken, L. H., Shang, J., Xue, Y., & Sloane, D. M. (2013). Hospital use of agency-employed supplemental nurses and patient mortality and failure to rescue. Health Services Research, 48(3), 931-948. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.12018
3. Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Bruyneel, L., Van den Heede, K., Griffiths, P., Busse, R., . . . RN4CAST Consortium. (2014). Nurse staffing and education and hospital mortality in nine european countries: A retrospective observational study. Lancet, 383(9931), 1824-1830. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62631-8
4. Kutney-Lee, A., Sloane, D. M., & Aiken, L. H. (2013). An increase in the number of nurses with baccalaureate degrees is linked to lower rates of postsurgery mortality. Health Affairs, 32(3), 579-586. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2012.0504
5. Kutney-Lee, A., Stimpfel, A. W., Sloane, D. M., Cimiotti, J. P., Quinn, L. W., & Aiken, L. H. (2015). Changes in patient and nurse outcomes associated with magnet hospital recognition. Medical Care, 53(6), 550-557.
6. Lasater, K. B., Sloane, D. M., & Aiken, L. H. (2015). Hospital employment of supplemental registered nurses and patients' satisfaction with care. Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(3), 145-151. doi:10.1097/NNA.0000000000000174
7. Stimpfel, A. W., & Aiken, L. H. (2013). Hospital staff nurses' shift length associated with safety and quality of care. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 28(2), 122-129. doi:10.1097/NCQ.0b013e3182725f09
8. New York University (2015). Nursing Research: Magnet hospitals have better overall patient experiences which may positively enhance reimbursement for hospitals. NYU News. 10/07/2015. Nursing Research: Magnet Hospitals Have Better Overall Patient Experiences Which May Positively Enhance Reimbursement for Hospitals