Every healthcare facility aims to achieve the highest level of patient care, while maintaining a supportive and positive work environment. Hospitals that promote and maintain excellence in healthcare, from a patient and staff perspective, are eligible for the prestigious Magnet Recognition.
What Constitutes Magnet Status?
The Magnet Recognition Program grew from the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Task Force on Nursing Practice in Hospitals study which identifies work environments that “attract and retain well-qualified nurses who promote quality patient, resident and client care.”
However, it’s important to note Magnet status isn’t just about “outcomes.” It’s much more encompassing. Five components inform the newest model of the program, each with its own “forces of magnetism.”
- Transformational Leadership
- Structural Empowerment
- Exemplary Professional Practice
- New Knowledge, Innovation and Improvements
- Empirical Quality Results
Hospitals must demonstrate superior performance in each component to receive Magnet Recognition. In fact, the latest data suggests that only 505 hospitals in the U.S. currently are Magnet-designated. With such few staffing opportunities, there is fierce competition for nursing jobs at these facilities. To optimize your chances of landing a job at a Magnet hospital, keep these five factors in mind.
1. Magnet Hospitals Look for Quality-Trained Nurses
The core component of “Exemplary Professional Practice” represents the true essence of a Magnet organization. Per the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) definition, qualified organizations will:
- Have a thorough understanding of the role of the nursing profession
- Understand the nursing responsibilities of working with patients, families, communities and the interdisciplinary team
- Recognize the application of new knowledge and evidence
Nurses who have earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing are much more attuned to all of these requirements.
2. Innovative Thinking Speaks Volumes
Nurses are clearly more than “support staff.” Their daily contributions to care, and to advancing care, are integral to a healthcare organization’s success. Now, many organizations are embracing nurses as innovators and encouraging them to voice their ideas on improving efficiency, reducing costs and improving patient outcomes.
In their training, BSN-prepared nurses take courses that promote innovative thinking. This foundation boosts their skills for one of the core components of the Magnet model (New Knowledge, Innovation and Improvements).
3. Higher-Tier Positions Require a BSN
In Magnet-designated hospitals, those in higher-tier nursing positions, such as nurse managers and leaders, are required to hold BSN degrees. BSN programs prepare nurses for leadership and offer courses specific to leadership and management roles.
These coveted positions offer the opportunity for advancement and higher salaries. So, the more in-depth nurses can get with their training in these roles, the better chance they have at securing a spot at a Magnet facility.
4. Motivation Is a Valuable Attribute
Embarking on a BSN track is not easy — whether you’re going back to school to move beyond an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or pursuing the degree as part of your nursing school plan. The courses are challenging, and they take time and energy. Many nurses still work part-time or full-time jobs as they move through BSN degree requirements. Some have families, too.
However hard the journey to a BSN may be, Magnet facilities do not undervalue the work ethic BSN-prepared nurses possess at their core.
5. Magnet Hospitals Want Their Nurses to Succeed and Be Happy
One of the tenets of Magnet designation is that nurses be happy with their careers. A happy nursing workforce demonstrates higher job satisfaction and longer employee retention rates. Hospitals have to work hard at ensuring nurses are content or they risk losing their Magnet status.
The Magnet Recognition process is truly a win for all. These facilities employ the “best of the best” BSN-prepared nurses who consistently receive encouragement and support. Ultimately, this yardstick for excellence heightens the level of care for every single patient.
When everyone works together to achieve the Magnet model and maintain the 14 “forces of magnetism,” hospitals are in a powerful position. Magnet hospitals and their healthcare workers can truly impact entire communities — ensuring the highest level of care for current and future generations.
Learn more about St. Thomas University’s online RN to BSN program.
Sources:
American Nurses Credentialing Center: ANCC Magnet Recognition Program
ANCC: About Magnet: History of the Magnet Program
ANCC: Magnet Model – Creating a Magnet Culture
Campaign for Action: Number of Hospitals in the United States With Magnet Status
American Nurses Association: Innovation in Nursing and Healthcare
AMN Healthcare: The Heart of a Nurse: Why Nurses Do What They Do
Johns Hopkins Medicine: The John Hopkins Hospital Achieves Magnet Recognition Again
Nurse.com: How to Achieve Magnet Accreditation: 6 Steps Can Help Hospitals in Their Magnet Journey
