Magnet hospital

allnurses Guide · Feb 25, 2005

No. We Americans think sometimes we have to enjoy our jobs. But it would be nice to go home with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment every once in a while wouldn't it?

You know, you are right... sometimes, even though my job is hard, I think to myself "You know, maybe I'd have more fun at some job where the work is much less stressful but I'd have more time to laugh and joke with my coworkers... but you know something... I wouldn't have the satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment that I feel a lot of times when I leave here."

I know I'm going off the subject at hand... but I know that I have a lousy attitude towards my job at times, and this morning I had a nice conversation with one of my coworkers, and it got me thinking about how much better a nurse I really could be if I would just try harder. If I could just improve my attitude. And, if I could just decide once and for all, am I happy in med surge or do I want to move to a new specialty. Do I want to pursue my BSN, MSN? Basically, WHAT the heck do I really want to do?

Indecision has been the story of my life. :)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2005

You know, you are right... sometimes, even though my job is hard, I think to myself "You know, maybe I'd have more fun at some job where the work is much less stressful but I'd have more time to laugh and joke with my coworkers... but you know something... I wouldn't have the satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment that I feel a lot of times when I leave here."
I know I'm going off the subject at hand... but I know that I have a lousy attitude towards my job at times, and this morning I had a nice conversation with one of my coworkers, and it got me thinking about how much better a nurse I really could be if I would just try harder. If I could just improve my attitude. And, if I could just decide once and for all, am I happy in med surge or do I want to move to a new specialty. Do I want to pursue my BSN, MSN? Basically, WHAT the heck do I really want to do?
Indecision has been the story of my life. :)

I hear you. Sometimes, it's hard to keep the attitude positive and patient focused in the current med-surg environment, so don't be hard on yourself. Besides, if we were happy pollyanna's then management would think everything was o.k. when it's not. But somehow, we have to find the peace to go on. It doesn't mean we have to be "happy", but it doesn't mean we have to be negative and miserable. Finding peace and balance, while continuing to be patient and nurse advocates is a challenge.

Good luck where the future leads you. Get your BSN. Why should I be the only one miserable going to school and working in med-surg?? LOL

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 25, 2005

Thank you for that information, Karen. Sure clears some things up here, and separates what ideals are needed to achieve Magnet Status, versus what ideals we hold ourselves. They don't always mesh, but at least now I understand more clearly what this all means. What I think is sad, is all facilities don't strive for these reasonable standards already, without having to appear 'above and beyond" doing so. Guess you can call me a dreamer, too.

miss viv · Mar 5, 2005

I would also like to hear from nurses who are working at magnet hospitals. I'm a nursing student doing a presentation on magnet hospitals. If you work at a magnet hospital please let me know what you think. Are nurses treated better? Do patients get better care? Any input would be helpful.

Thanks.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2005

We found out this week that we were denied renewal of our Magnet status. So after five years, I no longer work at a magnet facility. It's because in some areas we didn't show improvement. Apparently when you renew you have to do better than you did the time before. So it's not a certification that can be bought by prettying up the facility.

mugwump · Mar 6, 2005

I'm just curious since I started this thread. Is ANYBODY happy with their ratio's??????

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 6, 2005

i've worked in magnet hospitals and non-magnet hospitals. i can't say there's any big difference between them in turns of staffing ratios, self-governence or how nurses are treated. in fact, in my 27 years as a nurse, the only thing i've ever seen make a big difference is a strong union!

Nesher, BSN, RN · Mar 6, 2005

Yes I am happy with ratios - other hospitals in the area suck ratio wise...

I have 1:2 (no CNA help) or 1:3 with a CNA's help. I work in a special area - but house wide is still better than other Seattle hospitals...

JRRN · Mar 16, 2005

Are there any nurses out there who work for Magnet Hospitals. Do you sense a diffrent or a sense of Pride??

While I worked for an entire hospital system, they were applying for Magnet status, which they received after I moved. At the time I was very unsatisfied with how they did things overall, but there were some good things. After moving and working at the local hospitals in my area I was ready to go back to the Magnet hospital. That Magnet hospital wasn't perfect, but nurses had much more say in the making/revising of policies. Education was always available and encouraged. Nurses were allowed to be do their job with quite a bit of independence. Here at the local hospitals - nurses are the doctors handmaidens. They aren't trusted to make decisions and there are few protocols set up for nurses to be able to use their judgement and follow because the doctors want to micromanage EVERYTHING. Education opportunities here are a joke. The morale is definitely worse and nurses are not valued healthcare team members. What I wouldn't give to go back to a Magnet hospital.

nurselily3 · Mar 16, 2005

I work for a hospital that has magnet status. When we first acheived it, I didn't think much of it and a lot of other nurses complained about it. I thought I would find something better so I went traveling.

I went across the country to a hospital that was supposed to be a leading research hospital etc...(that has been trying to acheive magnet but can't seem to...that is union, but the nurses don't seem very happy about that either b/c they aren't represented, their staffing was so bad that we travelers worked pretty much the whole hosptial)....everyone sung its praises. This particular hospital wasn't so great. I don't know if it was that the patients didn't seem as ill, or the nurses didn't seem as interested in learning new stuff. They certainly were treated like crap from the resident/attending staff. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to go home!!

So, I've come home to the hosptial that I thought was so terrible and found that we are respected and valued for our opinions on patient care (at least in the units I worked). I found that we have this sense of pride that other hospitals don't. I don't think its just magnet. If I were ever sick, this is where I would want to be, and who I would want to be taking care of me.

Sure, our hospital has problems...much like the ones talked about in the thread (staffing etc). It took awhile, but those problems were addressed. Patient:staff ratios are much less now than they were. Our shared governance committies are working..and that took awhile. When we complain, our CNO listens...cause she wants that magnet status protected.

Nurses will always leave our hospital, in search of something better..just like I did. They will find that the grass isn't always as green on the other side of the fence...and ultimately come home.

angelnurse75951 · Mar 16, 2005

I definitely have to agree with this and it's unfortunate because recognition of nursing excellence really can be a GREAT experience.

One of the hospital's I work at acheived Magnet status and I think it is well deserved. They do work hard to make care there important as well as focus on employee satisfaction. Let's face it, all hospitals have good and bad sides. Some hospital's might want Magnet status but it takes a lot of work and dedication just to apply for it.

gatekeepers01 · Mar 16, 2005

I work at a Magnet hospital and I would not work anywhere else. I have been a nurse for 16 years and I have never worked in a hospital like this one. The nursing leadership team has an open door policy, which I have used, I just emailed the VP of Nursing and told her I would like to talk about some ideas and we met and she listened and we are working on implementing them.

This is the first hospital that I have found that is truly focused on Patient Satisfaction...not just the survey either. And they reward their nurses, individually and as a group for a job well done.

I know it sounds foolish but this hospital is like a family and we would seriously sacrifice for each other.

I know that there are probably hospitals out there that are Magnet and don't deserve it or that bought their status but we earned it. And this hospital also scrores some of the highest scores with JACHO. I know that nursing is in a sorry state in some places but I am truly blessed to work at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, IL.