Magnet - What Do You Think?

[PMFB-RN]

I work at a Magnet hospital. I pretty much think it's B.S. It's an OK place to work as a nurse but nothing special. We just had our Magnet re-certification visit. I worked the night shift before they came. As unit charge I was instructed to over staff the unit for their visit. All all the units in the hospital did the same. We where instructed on what we should say to the Magnet people if they talked to us.

I have worked at other hospitals, both Magnet and non Magnet. I couldn't tell by the way the nurses where treated whether the hospital was Magnet or not. The only way I could tell is by looking at their web site. The one truly outstanding hospital I have worked at, in terms of how nurses are treated and compensated was not a Magnet hospital.

I have noticed that there is a lot of cynical comments from my coworkers about Magnet.

What do you guys think? Are you as nurses treated better at a Magnet hospital?

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Depends on management, bottom line.

I work in a magnet hospital, and we follow the magnet rules. And generally, they're sincere. My BS radar is pretty good, so if I had to, I'd call them on it.

So far, it hasn't been necessary.

*** Your right, it does depend on managment. However isn't the point of certification that you can make assumptions about a certified place?

[XingtheBBB, BSN, RN]

Wish the Magnet surveyors had your BS radar. I've worked in 4 hospitals. One was Magnet certified The worst pay, worst treatment of nurses (ahem, "staffers") and (IMO- as a nurse and as an admitted pt) worst pt care was in.. you guessed it... the Magnet hospital. Two of the others were great to work for, applied for Magnet and failed?? Oh and I wasn't too happy about working there during the app process- the (light) coaching, the rallies, and all those "shared governance committees" (another term for "don't you want to spend more than 40 hrs/week here? On our for-show committee") After the fails, in both hospitals, we went back to being a friendly place where I felt like a professional.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

*** Your right, it does depend on managment. However isn't the point of certification that you can make assumptions about a certified place?

Yes, but unless you have a group of "magnet police"...who will follow up to make sure that "magnet rules" are followed?

It's management...and leadership..

good leadership?

Happy people.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

My local hospital and the one I do my clinicals at is a Magnet hospital and they pride themselves on their customer service pretty much. But talking to all the nurses I know and Co Nurses I have worked with, they all love working for the company and say it's a really good place to work for with great pay (for the area) and ratios. There are little complaints some have mentioned, but over all they still say they love.

The hospital really goes above and beyond for the patients, we have concierge, all kinds of special services (that doesn't take away from the nurses) there is pretty much a team of nurses for everything, like wound care, IV team, and now I can't think of the name of the other one. The dietary staff pass out the meal trays and collect them. There is this get well program that is really cool with all that entails. It seems the Hospital system I am at has found a good balance without the sacrifices having to come from the staff, if that makes sense. I mean they have magnet status, but they also were voted one of the top 100 companies to work for in the US

Reading on these boards, I think I have learned what to appreciate,as to what comes in the work place or even with my school as a student. I can't believe some of the conditions people are working in or schools they go to.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

Yes, but unless you have a group of "magnet police"...who will follow up to make sure that "magnet rules" are followed?

It's management...and leadership..

good leadership?

Happy people.

I've been trying out a new style of leadership since I started doing charge occassionally. What I've noticed is that when things aren't going well, people grumble, complain, and feel bad, but when things are going well, they get lazy and complacent. But these same people, in times of disaster, pull together and really shine.

The great part is, creating catastrophic situations hasn't been something I've really had to work at. It seems to come intuitively. I have a feeling this is one of those things you can't fake. People do have that BS radar that tells them, somehow, is this a trick, or are we really in trouble here?

Of course, it can be a little hard on the patients, now and then, but no system is perfect.

I'm starting to see my superiors in a whole new light.