opinions on Magnet hospitals?

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Specializes in ER/Critical Care.

I would like to hear from some nurses that have worked in both Magnet hospitals and non-Magnet hospitals about what the difference actually is. Do you really see a difference as a bedside nurse? Was it something you enjoyed, or did it seem like a lot of hype over nothing?

I've been reading about Magnet hospitals recently (as I am planning to move soon and would like to be able to apply to a hospital with Magnet status) and have found very interesting reviews. I know that technically Magnet indicates a high nurse involvement and typically indicates a very happy nursing workforce with low turnover, however some of the things I've read online say that it's just a label, that nothing is really different, etc. So I would like to know what your experience with a Magnet status hospital is, and if you would recommend working in one if given the choice.

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Specializes in Med/Surg and ANCC RN-BC.

I work at a Magnet hospital and love it. The floor that I got hired onto has a very low turn over. The last time someone left was about a year ago, because they needed to move back home and take care of a loved one. I feel that everyone from doctors, pharmacy, CNA's, RNs, residents, NP, ect all work together and really help each other out. I feel that I do a lot of things at the bedside. I know the pt's enjoy it more as well, but having our attention. Plus most hospitals where I am from are only going magnet.

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I also agree. I like working in the Magnet hospital I work in now.

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The biggest perk we got when we got Magnet status was that if we were canceled off of our shift we weren't required to float to another floor. When they called to tell us that we were being cancelled they would tell us which floors had needs and we could pick which one we wanted... if any. But we didn't get in trouble for just taking the night/day off.

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.

My hospital has had magnet designation I believe for at least 6 years now. It was a good place to work before but it's even better now. My unit and hospital in general has a low turnover rate. Nurses are represented by a good union and I have nothing negative to say about it. Everyone I work with enjoys working here and it shows, just watch the original pink glove dance to see for yourself ;)

Now I've recently worked at a non-magnet hospital and it was a very difficult job. First of all the nurse : patient ratio was higher, inadequate work areas, not enough computers, poor charting system. CNA's didn't do squat, the nurses had to take all the vitals while the CNA's posted to Facebook and surfed the Internet. The nurses were very unhappy, grouchy people who were unwilling to help each other. In orientation management painted a whole different story that I most definitely didn't experience while working the floor.

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.
The biggest perk we got when we got Magnet status was that if we were canceled off of our shift we weren't required to float to another floor. When they called to tell us that we were being cancelled they would tell us which floors had needs and we could pick which one we wanted... if any. But we didn't get in trouble for just taking the night/day off.

I'm jealous! We have to float quite a bit (sometimes 2-3x in a 12 hr shift)when our unit census drops. I guess that would be my only complaint about my magnet hospital. The union is working on it for renegotiations but I don't ever see management agreeing to just giving us the night off while other units go short. Whose idea was it? Union or management?

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I've worked at both types, and definitely the Magnet hospital puts a HUGE emphasis on continuing education and certifications. I like that.

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I am student so feel free to ignore my thoughts. But as I did my clinical rotation through facilities, I was shocked how crappy my Magnet hospital experience was. Maybe I had higher expectations, I don't know?

Some of my experiences during my 2 rotations at the Magnet hospital on med-surg floors:

- equipment broken and not fixed. My nurses didn't know (didn't care?) procedure for making sure equipment would be serviced. It sucks to go in and out of a pt room 3x just to do morning vitals because the machines all have broken parts, an un-chargable battery, and parts missing. I was embarrassed! And it happens daily but nobody cares. And if nobody is maintaining equipment, what are the odds a few machines aren't giving accurate results?

- not enough equipment and no separate equipment for pt on precautions. So their policy is we can't bring things in/out of the room - but there aren't enough disposable thermometers or portable pulse-oxs for each precaution pt to keep one in each room. Nurses aids just sneak their stuff into the room in order to get vitals done, but it was clearly against the rules. And because it was against the rules, they didn't want to be seen doing a full scrub-down on the unit, so I observed them doing a quick wipe of cuff and pulse-ox sensor only.

- There are 3 computers in each sub-section, and at any given time at least one of then is having a problem making it unusable. Sometimes it would sit all shift with a big fatal error message on the screen. If you had the time you could call their support #, and you'd sit on hold 10 minutes.

- Infection control precautions a joke. There was a pattern of nobody making sure pt who was supposed to be on precautions was and those whose precautions were ended weren't. One pt had MRSA cultured *days* ago, but not a single nurse noticed it in her chart. I get there and I'm wondering "shouldn't she have a contact precautions cart & sign at her door?". Doctors & dietary go in and out without even changing gloves because "we'll only be in there a few minutes" (and yes, they are touching things)

- Clean linens came up with big dark fluid stains set in them: do I risk unfolding this in front of pt and letting him see there is no quality control? Or do I have to stop and unfold every @#$@# sheet before I can make beds? (I mean this happens daily, not just 1 sheet here and there) Would you want to sleep in a bed with 1' blood/bile/poo stains embedded in your top & bottom sheets?

- One day a doctor was there fussing about the scrubs policy: for surgery & certain areas, they launder and provide scrubs. To save money, now everyone has to go to a special area and check out their scrubs. The money they lost in a few sets of scrubs vanishing is more than offset by the labor costs of hiring people to micromanage inventory.

- Traffic patterns are a mess: poor planning plus growth spurts means the traffic is poorly routed. I can drive in New York City traffic no problem, and even I thought this was scary and a bit dangerous at change of shift peak times. Instead of rerouting some of the traffic, they hire guys to sit in security guard keeps and yell at drivers who make mistakes.

- they try to be state of the art by focusing on computer documentation. But they also still use the chart, the flowsheet, educational flowsheets, and a number of other scattered paper items?!

- report is disorganized because the floor is so huge and split up. So the 7am report isn't usually done until close to 8am. This ensures in every sub-area *someone* is getting late morning meds, sometimes 9 o'clock or later. If 3 patients need 8am antibiotics, oh well, someone loses.

- when inspectors came through, pt care became bottom priority. LOOKING good was more important that the wellness of the patients.

- pt to nurse ratio very high, to the point where pts in severe pain are begging for pain meds but left to wait an hour or more. Or pt really needing assistance going to the bathroom were told by the nurse to "just sit there and we'll change sheets pt soils them" because she was too busy. He was continent; he just needed help getting to commode. I went in there and helped, even know it wasn't my pt. But where is the teamwork? Or the respect for pt dignity?

Maybe this hospital is the one bad one? All I know is that I'm hoping to work in one of the two smaller community hospitals instead of the big-name Magnet one.

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I like the free pen and badge holder

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The biggest perk we got when we got Magnet status was that if we were canceled off of our shift we weren't required to float to another floor. When they called to tell us that we were being cancelled they would tell us which floors had needs and we could pick which one we wanted... if any. But we didn't get in trouble for just taking the night/day off.

Apparently that is not a requirement or standard for magnet hospitals.

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Specializes in RRT 13+ years, CVICU, STICU.

I enjoy the push for higher education attainment for nurses at Magnet hospitals. It fits for my personal goals, so I definitely take advantage of the tuition assistance program.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I'm very happy to hear the positive experiences that some have had with magnet hospitals. I have no personal experience with them myself, but have read primarily negative postings on here. Stories that told of improvements that would be implemented just prior to magnet certification, then revoked. Nursing committees that were formed on paper, yet never met. I was beginning to wonder about the whole concept....

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