Magnet® Designation is Seal of Approval for Patients and Nurses

Magnet® Designation is Seal of Approval for Patients and Nurses

Magnet® status is a prestigious designation given by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center (ANCC), an affiliate of the American Nurses Association. The title is reserved only for hospitals that satisfy a set of rigorous criteria designed to measure the strength and quality of their nursing.

The term “Magnet” was developed in the early 1980s by the ANCC to distinguish hospitals that could attract and retain great nurses. During that time, a study of 163 hospitals found that 41 hospitals had similar qualities that seemed to do this well. These characteristics became known as the “14 Forces of Magnetism.” The 14 Forces were later organized into 5 Model Components: Transformational Leadership, Structural Empowerment, Exemplary Professional Practice, New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements and Empirical Outcomes. Today’s Magnet® hospitals stringently adhere to these practices.

Photos/Special to The Source Newspaper All nurses are RNs. All four recently earned their medical-surgical nurse certification. Cathy Marr and Bethany Gilson.

Photos/Special to The Source Newspaper
All nurses are RNs. All four recently earned their medical-surgical nurse certification.
Cathy Marr and Bethany Gilson.

Passavant Area Hospital was first designated as a Magnet® Nursing Excellence Hospital in 2009, and was re-designated in 2014. Passavant is one of only 39 hospitals in Illinois honored as a Magnet® facility, and it is the smallest hospital in the state to earn this respected designation.

“Being identified as a Magnet® Nursing Excellence Hospital tremendously influences the care delivered by the entire staff, not just nurses,” said Leanna Wynn, affiliate vice president of quality and clinical operations and Passavant’s Magnet® coordinator. “Everyone is responsible for outcomes, and outcomes are a vital component of Magnet® requirements.”

Wynn said the rigorous standards of the Magnet® Program are worth the work and effort to maintain. “The hospital seeks this recognition as another means for the community to be confident in the safe, quality care they will receive, and also to create a positive environment for employees. Over, it makes a stronger hospital.”

When patients see that a hospital has achieved Magnet® designation, they can feel confident that the hospital has achieved excellence in nursing services. Magnet® hospitals recruit and retain gifted nurses who recognize the opportunities and excellence offered by a Magnet® facility. Consequently, research shows that hospitals with high-quality nurses attract high-quality physicians and specialists. At Passavant, patients can be confident that their healthcare is in the hands of compassionate experts who are committed to educating themselves and providing innovative care.

Photos/Special to The Source Newspaper All nurses are RNs. All four recently earned their medical-surgical nurse certification. Kimberly Bowman and Becky Housman.

Photos/Special to The Source Newspaper
All nurses are RNs. All four recently earned their medical-surgical nurse certification. Kimberly Bowman and Becky Housman.

Many nurses seek out Magnet® hospitals for their careers because they know that they will be working for an organization that is a leader in healthcare. Abbi Stevens is a registered nurse who works in the Wound Center at Passavant. She chose Passavant because of its Magnet® status.

“That was very important to me,” she said. It’s actually why I chose Passavant. The overall reputation of Magnet organizations shows the highest quality with regard to patient care and the value of staff. The fact that we earned re-designation shows that we are ranked with some of the best hospitals in the world. We are constantly on top of new, up and coming, evidence based practices, and that priority should give patients confidence.”

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