Magnet Forces Research Paper

Running head: INTERVIEWS - MAGNET FORCES

Interviews - Magnet forces
Roberta Rayburn
Walden University

Interviews - Magnet forces

University Hospital and OSU Ross Heart Hospital have been designated Magnet hospitals by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Out of nearly 5,000 hospitals in the U.S., only 262 are Magnet organizations, and The Ohio State University Medical Center was the first in central Ohio. Magnet Status is the highest award a hospital can receive for outstanding nursing services, by creating an environment that attracts and rewards outstanding nurses. It's based on expert patient care, ongoing training and continuing education, teamwork, community involvement and attention to overall patient needs. The
Magnet Award means that nurses are among the best to be found anywhere. The leaders I spoke with told me they are very proud of the nurses at Ohio State and have always believed that they are some of the very best in the business and are right here. Since 1994, the Magnet Nursing Services Recognition Program has bestowed national acknowledgment on healthcare organizations that exhibit sustained nursing care excellence. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Commission on Magnet Recognition oversees the program and works to ensure that it maintains rigorous standards.
The program recognizes excellence in:
• The management, philosophy and practices of nursing services
• Adherence to national standards for improving the quality of patient care services
• Leadership of the nurse administrator in supporting professional practice and continued competence of nurses
• Understanding and respecting the cultural and ethnic diversity of patients, their significant others and healthcare providers
Magnet designation is in effect for a term of four years.
As the expiration date approaches, the organization again submits evidence that it has complied with all the standards and eligibility requirements. The submission of written documentation and site visit processes of the re-designation application are identical to that of the original application (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2004b). The Commission on the Magnet Recognition Program is responsible for ensuring that the hospital/organization adheres to program standards. The Program office coordinates with the organization’s senior leadership ongoing, annual quality monitoring activities, which include an update of the organization’s contact and demographic information, a summary report and narrative responses in three content areas: nurse satisfaction and patient satisfaction findings, patient fall and pressure ulcer rates, and nurse sensitive quality indicator data (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2005, p.
14). At the present, the nurses and senior leadership I interviewed stated the organization is holding regular Magnet re-designation meetings and are confident the facility will receive the Magnet status recognition again. (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2005)

Reference

American Nurses Credentialing Center (2005). . Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://nursecredentialing.org/magnet/
B. A. Young (personal communication, January 28, 2008)