Home > Keeping in Touch> The Passion of Excellence

The Passion of Excellence

Have you ever heard of a hospital with a magnetic personality? The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) says there are more than 180 hospitals in the United States that are highly “attractive” to nurses! In fact, the ANCC formally recognizes these facilities as “Magnet” hospitals through its Magnet Recognition Program.

To qualify for this special recognition, hospitals first must meet the standards laid out in the American Nurses Association’s “Scope and Standards for Nursing Administrators.” In which the facility must identify the organizations' structure, leadership, and management philosophy, as well as how the standards are incorporated within the nursing service. Then the hospitals must demonstrate “sustained excellence in nursing care,” which is determined by their fulfilling “14 forces of magnetism”, or characteristics that reflect the innovative, dynamic, excellence-focused features defined by the ANCC as key to attracting and retaining nurses. 

“In the 1980s during the first nursing shortage, we knew some facilities had nurses staying and we sought to find out why,” said Elaine Scherer, director of the Magnet Recognition Program. “It was the first time research had been done to determine why nurses stayed rather than why they left facilities, and these key issues helped develop the Magnet program.” According to the ANCC, more than 126,000 nursing positions are vacant today, and that number is expected to skyrocket just as 78 million Baby Boomers begin placing unprecedented demands on America's heathcare system. Now more than ever, it is important to be able to attract quality staff.

To earn Magnet status, organizations must apply to the American Nurses Credentialing Center and undergo a vigorous, multi-faceted evaluation with extreamly high standards. The evaluation process is thorough and lengthy, demanding wide-seeking focus and direction for growth and development. As of summer 2004, less than three percent of the nation's hospitals had qualified for Magnet™ designation. To ensure that Magnet organizations stay at the top of their games, they must reapply for Magnet status every four years.

A key component of a Magnet facility is policies that encourage nurses to confidentially express their concerns without retribution. Another key is the commitment to education and advanced training. “There is evidence (that) nurses with B.A. degrees can deal with a higher patient ratio -- the level of education is linked to competence,” said Scherer. “What it comes down to is that better educated, better trained, more experienced colleagues can handle more, and nurses who work with more experienced colleagues than with novices tend to stay working at a hospital,” Scherer said. That said, while Magnet hospitals are where nurses want to work, it's also a place where many caregivers would want their loved ones treated.

The qualification process for Magnet status is fairly lengthy. In a four-phase application process, hospitals must prove they meet a high standard of care and nursing practice, as defined by the ANCC. The entire procedure may take more than two years, but many facilities find the process an excellent form of self-assessment. Many refer to it as a “journey,” the length of which depends on how close the hospital is to the required high standards of excellence.

Any hospital, including a military facility, can apply for Magnet status, as long as it meets some basic criteria, including having a nurse administrator and being free of unfair labor practice charges within the past five years. Once Magnet status has been awarded, hospitals must continue to keep their standards high, as they are reassessed by the Magnet team every fours years.

Research documents that “high quality nurses” are one of the most important attributes in attracting high quality physicians. Therefore, achieving this status creates a positive "halo" effect beyond the nursing services department that permeates the entire healthcare team.

Magnet-designated healthcare organizations consistently outperform their peers in recruiting and retaining nurses, resulting in increased stability in patient care systems across the organization.Nurses who’ve worked in Magnet hospitals don’t want to go back to non-Magnet facilities.

Nurses who work in Magnet hospitals enjoy a number of professional development benefits that are hard to find elsewhere.  For example, through networking opportunities offered by ANCC’s program, nurses can communicate with peers at other Magnet facilities to share strategies and best practices.

In addition, nurses from Magnet facilities have the opportunity to impact the nursing profession as a whole. They are typically sought out for advice and mentoring, for delivering presentations, and for providing feedback on nursing-care research projects.

Other benefits of Magnet facilities include highly competitive pay rates, and a level of care that tends to attract high-quality peers among the medical staff.

Most importantly, however, Magnet facilities have the structure in place to empower and recognize employees. Because the nurses are directly involved in determining their own work environment, staff morale and work pride is increased, turnover and vacancy rates are low, and overall job satisfaction is high. And that benefits patients as well, with an increased level of quality in patient care. A basic premise of the Magnet Designation is a climate that reinforces collaborative working relationships.

Nurses want an environment where they are appreciated and listened to; where they are surrounded by professional, competent peers; where they have support for their own professional development; where they are empowered to determine the best care for their patients; and where they help determine what their work environment should be. At a Magnet hospital nurses are respected as colleagues and as being of primary importance to the hospital.