Magnet?

I was curious whom out there works for a Magnet hospital. I wanted to know what changed, if anything, at the hospital when it obtained Magnet status. My hospital is currently in the proccess of trying to obtain Magnet status. I am confused on how to answer what Magnet means to me. Anybody that has any ideas of what it all means please help. Thank you.

I work at a magnet hospital and nothing changed. It is just advertising for the hospital. Some sort of flowery title that the hospital probably payed for.. just my opinion. The hospital I work for is a BIG doctors hospital

While I don't work for a Magnet hosptial, I wish I did. You can go to the ANA website and check out the evaluation process. If your nurses are NOT involved in obtaining Magnet status, your hospital won't get it. Staff nurses are a big part of the process, which is also an on-going process. Magnet status indicates that the hospital has the best nursing care, the lowest rate of turn-over, fewer unfilled positions, staff nurse satisfaction, etc. It has little to do with how good the docs are, how well the administration uses its money, or how well-equipped the hospital is. It's all about nursing care.

.................................Magnet status indicates that the hospital has the best nursing care, the lowest rate of turn-over, fewer unfilled positions, staff nurse satisfaction, etc. It has little to do with how good the docs are, how well the administration uses its money, or how well-equipped the hospital is. It's all about nursing care.

That description of a Magnet hospital does NOT fit the Magnet hospital I worked for in 2003. There was no staff satisfaction. There was a high rate of turnover, and many open positions that were being filled with foreign nurses the hospital's nursing recruiter was flying to foreign countries to recruit (money spent that could have been spent on retention of experienced good nurses, but that was NOT the case there). The hospital was very poorly equipped with updated equipment, torn to nonworking blood pressure cuffs, poorly stocked, etc., etc. Now if THAT is what Magnet status is all about....I no longer wish to work for a hospital with magnet status.

In my opinion, and from what I learned from the m.h. I worked at during that time, not all hospitals who have "purchased" magnet status live up to the creed of a magnet hospital. :stone

I've read excellent things about Rush Hospital in Chicago, IL, and they are a Magnet hospital. I have never worked there, but if it is what nurses say about it, I might check into it. :)

Has anyone worked at a magnet hospital before on the med/surg floors? Are they well stocked? Do the blood pressure cuffs and vita check machines work? Are there blood pressure cuffs in every room? Do they work or are you always running around trying to find working equipment to care for your patients?

Interesting thread. There is not a magnet hospital in our entire state and the big hospital in our town wants to be the first. They've hired a co-ordinator to make it happen. There is an adversarial history between the administration and the nurses, though it seems to have settled down (at least it's not in the headlines.)

Hope there are more posts by nurses with magnet experience.

That description of a Magnet hospital does NOT fit the Magnet hospital I worked for in 2003. There was no staff satisfaction. There was a high rate of turnover, and many open positions that were being filled with foreign nurses the hospital's nursing recruiter was flying to foreign countries to recruit (money spent that could have been spent on retention of experienced good nurses, but that was NOT the case there). The hospital was very poorly equipped with updated equipment, torn to nonworking blood pressure cuffs, poorly stocked, etc., etc. Now if THAT is what Magnet status is all about....I no longer wish to work for a hospital with magnet status.

In my opinion, and from what I learned from the m.h. I worked at during that time, not all hospitals who have "purchased" magnet status live up to the creed of a magnet hospital. :stone

I've read excellent things about Rush Hospital in Chicago, IL, and they are a Magnet hospital. I have never worked there, but if it is what nurses say about it, I might check into it. :)

Has anyone worked at a magnet hospital before on the med/surg floors? Are they well stocked? Do the blood pressure cuffs and vita check machines work? Are there blood pressure cuffs in every room? Do they work or are you always running around trying to find working equipment to care for your patients?

It sounds to me like this particular "Magnet" hospital needs to be re-evaluated and their Magnet status pulled. Or maybe some hospitals are calling themselves Magnet when in reality they are not. Don't put it past them to advertise Magnet status when they really aren't. Magnet status is still pretty new and few hospitals want to put out the money to attain this prestigous affiliation. To find out if a hospital is truly a Magnet, check the ANA website.

..................To find out if a hospital is truly a Magnet, check the ANA website.

Thanks for the info. I will check it out. :)

The hospital I work for was just awarded MAGNET status this year! It was an extensive process, we had a full time nurse for this to happen and now works on keeping all of us happy. Things include sundae Sundays, family bar-b-q, bring daughter to work day, lna week (something special planned everyday for every shift), nursing week (same kind of things for lna week), and on and on. Needless to say our turnover is low and every one is alot nicer than the norm. Oh and btw, all of our supplies are well stocked and if something breaks it is fixed within 24 hrs (most of the time). Sometimes we have to wait for a part to be ordered.

Now that sounds more like a magnet hospital! :)

I have read some negative posts on other threads about Magnet status and the "hooplah" that ensues. Imagine me, a south Jersey gal, who has always worked in Philly and was trained in Philly. They taught us the philosophy of collaboration, not nurse bow down to thy physician. I joined the Air Force in 2000, and lived everywhere, and it was great. I just got out and am in San Antonio, Tx. All I can say about the difference here is OMG!!! I worked agency on the side for the last year of my Air Force commitment, and nurses in this city both do not get paid, nor do they have a voice. If you go against a doctor or do not jump through hoops when they walk into your ER, you better fear for your job, because administration takes their side. They bring the money to the hospitals, after all, right?

When I interviewed for jobs (and trust me, I was interviewing the hospitals, not the other way around - there is a huge shortage here), I asked a lot of questions about their philosophy about what nursing brings to their health care facility. A head hunter directed me to a children's hospital here, and I checked it out. I was pleasantly surprised that they were applying for Magnet Status ( my research a year prior showed that there were NO Magnet hospitals any where NEAR this city). I continued to be impressed through hospital orientation that nurses seemed to be held in high esteem. I LOVE my job, and love what a hospital's being (or trying to be) Magnet does for nurses. I took for granted, being born, raised, and practicing nursing in the northeast corridor of the US, that nurses were respected. If anyone up there wants to go back to work and feel good about the hospitals up there, just take a short travel assignment down this way, and it will do that for ya, I promise! I am just thrilled that I found the one hospital that has seen the light, and realizes that its nurses are what makes the place tick.

I work per-diem for 3 different hospitals. One of theses hospitals is a "Magnet" Hospital. In my 25 years of nursing experience, the "Magnet" is bull. The Magnet hospital delivers the worst nursing care of the 3, is constantly short staffed to a dangerous level, and generally treats nurses like endentured servants. Oh, but the "Magnet" Hospital is very top heavy with "Administrative Nurses" that are clueless of state regs., and are constantly out of compliance with regulations and medicare guidelines. However they did put on a nice show when they were being surveyed to obtain the Magnet Status". No, I do not believe the Magent Surveyors see beyond the lies, fluffed up paper work for appearance sakes and the general bull.

In my opinion "Magnet Status" is something that is bought. It means nothing.