What do you thinkf of "Magnet"?

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Specializes in level 3 NICU.

hi everyone. i would like to know your opinion on "magnet" what has it really done? how has it changed your practice? do you really think that the general public looks for a magnet hospital when choosing health care? i feel it is very expensive to maintain and our public hospital should put those funds to better use. what do you think of them pushing the bsn ,esp in this ecomony? just asking

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Funny....I was just saying today that I think magnet is a joke. I do not know anyone who comes to our hospital because we are a "magnet" hopsital. I guess it is like putting your house up for sale and listing all the great things your house has to offer. It looks good on paper....so you can brag to other hospitals. Administration gets off on this stuff! Weird.... Seems like a waste of time and money if you ask me.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

I love magnets. I could play with them for hours.

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What it's really done is made more paperwork for us.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

I see Magnet status as a bad joke, given some of the facilities that currently have it.

Some facilities have earned, but others....not so much.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

People dont' choose their hospital based on Magnet...they go where their insurance is.

It has done a few good things for us, stopped mandation, put in place a Nursing Senate (which has done some great things for us), givne us more clear cut guidelines on vacations, floating, etc. I hate all the hype before...make us do things that we normally don't do. The units are as clean as they are for inspection, they bribe us with lunches and breakfasts to coach us on what to say. And it costs A LOT of money to get it and maintain it.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Like anything else ... it has it good points and its bad points. At its best, it can push hospitals to support programs that benefit both its patients and its staff. At its worst, it can be just "putting lipstick on a pig." It all depends on how the leaders at the hosptial actually implement the underlying Magnet principle on a daily basis as opposed to just putting on a show for the reviewers.

It is what the people involved make it.

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Specializes in L&D, Newborn Nursery, NICU.

As with anything in the nursing world I think it's important to look at the literature.

Magnet Status came out of research. In the 1980's, when the nursing shortage was at an all time high and hospitals were doing crazy sign-on bonuses to attract nurses, there were a few hospitals that were having no problem retaining their experienced, seasoned nurses without having to offer incentives or bonuses. A researcher decided to take a look at these hospitals and see what they were doing right to inspire nurses to want to stay. Through this research they found what came to be the 14 forces of magnetism that not only makes working conditions desirable for nurses but also produced better outcomes for patients.

Magnet is completely driven by the desire to see positive patient outcomes and to help with nursing recruitment and retention. All of those goals help drive down the cost of healthcare so even though the process of becoming Magnet certified can be expensive, the benefit is that the organization decreases costs.

Also, the public is becoming more and more educated about their hospital choices are they are choosing hospitals who go above and beyond in proving their excellence. For our hospital, we were already behaving as a magnet hospital should, we just had to put it down on paper to receive the recognition we so rightly deserved. To me it was like accepting my college diploma, I had already done all of the work, the diploma just proved it!

The current research also supports magnet hospitals as having better patient outcomes. :yeah:

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

I think the Insane Clown Posse summed it up best in their song "Miracles" - "f-ing magnets, how do they work?"

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My hospital became Magnet. I had thought it was a good thing until I saw the process. Management put on a big show for the magnet folks that came to assess our hospital. Front line nurses were shielded from the interviewers. Certain nurses were selected to be interviewed by the magnet evaluaters, they were scripted, and given talking points. Within days we were granted magnet status. It was shockingly fast, virtually overnight. There was no change in policy and no shared governance. There has been no change in nursing practice and nursing morale is as low as I have seen it. I am very disapointed.

Having seen the process, I have come to believe Magnet status is merely an expensive advertising program. Magnet is a scam.

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Paphg rl.....

Magnet is a scam. I was asked to be on the "magnet team" this year, and I turned it down. My friend at work told me "It is so fun because you get a free lunch once a month". I almosted laughed in her face. Basically the hospital is paying for someone to give them an award so that they can turn around and brag in their advertisements for the hospital.

time4nicu

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Specializes in NICU.

I wouldn't be surprised if the nurses at the hospital where I work decide to put on a REALLY good face until the week of the survey and then let out the truth and nothing but the truth. There are some good things about magnet but for the MAJORITY it's a waste of time.

We already had shared governance and other perks....we don't need to waste money on Magnet.

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