Magnet status...yay?

[mysonsmama]

I just found out my hospital will be beginning the journey toward trying to gain Magnet status. My question is for nurses that work at Magnet hospitals, is it better or worse for employees? How so? How about for patients?

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

We had some good changes when we first were given Magnet, BUT we also had a stellar VP of Nursing....very involved, vocal, visible and a wonderful advocate. Enter the good old boy club who drove her out and we got the yes lady. Things that were out into place were discarded, we lost nursing positions and our Nurse Senate lost their say in a lot of things. Renewal comes up and the show begins again. This time, to impress, they tossed all nurses that didn't have BSNs off of committees that they have sat on and/or developed years prior. We had rally after rally, made a

video with nurses singing and dancing, resumed a few things that had gone to the back burner, hand picked the people to

go tobreakfast and lunch with surveyors. It is a huge show. Been thru it 3 times and plan on retiring before the next time!

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

I must work at the exception, then. My facility is Magnet and we are pretty awesome. Also, there aren't any mandatory scrub uniforms, here, either. We wear whatever is professional and functional. I can imagine, however, that any kind of overhaul to a facility is horrific at its best. I've endured multiple buyouts of a company at my last job and the 3rd one within 2 years was the last straw and caused a significant employee shortage and huge turnover. But, that's to be expected. If things are implemented well, then, maybe it can go well. But, overall, change sucks.

[mysonsmama]

We had some good changes when we first were given Magnet, BUT we also had a stellar VP of Nursing....very involved, vocal, visible and a wonderful advocate. Enter the good old boy club who drove her out and we got the yes lady. Things that were out into place were discarded, we lost nursing positions and our Nurse Senate lost their say in a lot of things. Renewal comes up and the show begins again. This time, to impress, they tossed all nurses that didn't have BSNs off of committees that they have sat on and/or developed years prior. We had rally after rally, made a

video with nurses singing and dancing, resumed a few things that had gone to the back burner, hand picked the people to

go tobreakfast and lunch with surveyors. It is a huge show. Been thru it 3 times and plan on retiring before the next time!

This sounds horrific.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I too work at a Magnet hosp. We don't have mandatory scrubs (we can wear specialty or hospital t-shirts) the BSN is 80% by 2020. They are giving tuition assistance for the ADN or diploma nurses to go back. They are affiliated with a diploma school and have make arrangements to have a relationship to help the diploma nurses get their BSN.

Like PP, I must be lucky, because I do not see the Magnet status as a negative. Joint Commission is a bigger headache.

[klone, MSN, RN]

It is true that a certain percentage of nurses must have a BSN for a hospital to achieve and maintain Magnet status. I'm not sure of the percentage.

Actually, it's not true.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

I worked for magnet and non magnet hospitals - one very large busy teaching hospital, another one medium teaching hospital and a medium size community hospital. The non magnet ones were major teaching hospitals as well.

I did not like working at the 2 teaching hospitals with magnet status due to their general climate and how they treated each other (and me). Go figure - I love working at the community hospital that has magnet status because the staff values each other, treat each other with respect and compassion and gives nurses the tools they need. It is not a small place and the staff is diverse from a variety of countries and mirrors more the community.

And the unexpected thing is that one of the teaching hospitals lost magnet status and when I started working at the community hospital did not expect that I would like it that much there but I do and like going to work each day.

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

It is true that a certain percentage of nurses must have a BSN for a hospital to achieve and maintain Magnet status. I'm not sure of the percentage.

That's actually a goal set by the Institute of Medicine for 80% of the RN workforce to be BSN-prepared by 2020. An 8

[travelingrn2001, ASN, BSN]

As you recertify for Magnet status the bar is raised. The percentage of Bachelor and Specialty certified nurses count towards or against the application/reapplication for Magnet status. You do not have to have a BSN to work in a Magnet facility but a higher percentage of BSN prepared nurses help to receive magnet status.

[travelingrn2001, ASN, BSN]

Magnet Status is an expensive certification. It requires nurse governance that will add a lot to the payroll costs, thousands of hours of some of the most highly paid individuals in a hospital, usually senior staff. The application process is expensive as are activities that include nurse driven research.

Magnet seems to have become one of the ways to differentiate a facility in a competitive market. The meaning of the certification is really based on how committed the administration to the value of the magnet status. Many of the meaningful objectives of Magnet status can be maintained by an administration that aligns with AANC's goals without ever going through the formal process. Magnet status can be obtained and kept with a monetary expenditure even if the core values are not truly respected if a facility wants to wear the badge.

[CiaMia, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

Responding to a couple of things a PP said and echoing a few others who have too:

I work for a Magnet institution. No mandatory meetings or mandatory color-coding of scrubs for us either.

[Zelda, RN]

Ok - my children's hospital is a magnet facility (just renewed for the 4th time) and it's the best. We don't have mandatory scrubs. We often have tshirt sales going on that we can wear with scrub pants. Our nurses are treated SO well - the best of the three hospitals I've worked in. The magnet renewal process was a little weird, but not painful. We hire ADNs - I myself have a BSN, but I work with a number of ADNs. They are just required to obtain their BSN within 4 years of hiring - and the hospital pays for it.

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Has anyone ever had a patient/family ask about magnet? I never have and that tells me all i need to know.