Part of a Magnet Journey
I was going to hold off on writing this particular blog, but it's tough to contain good news!
About 2 months ago, my nurse manager and his boss nominated me to be the Magnet Champion for my facility. I felt so honored. I couldn't believe it - that me, a "newbie" would even be considered for something this prestigious.
After the initial elation, I realized my facility and I had a lot work to do. Magnet recognition means excellence in providing care at all times. That's a tall order for any healthcare facility. The good news is that the Department of Veterans Affairs in Maryland - my VA hospital - has taken on this challenge.
I learned a great deal about Magnet recognition since I started attending the planning meetings. Interestingly, Magnet recognition is not limited to private hospitals, state hospitals or even my facility, which is a federal agency. The Department of Veterans Affairs has a total of 153 facilities, out of which three now have the Magnet designation: Tampa (the first), Portland and Houston.
What Does Magnet Mean?
So what is Magnet? Magnet facilities are formally recognized as healthcare organizations that provide excellent care. Magnet recognition began as a research study in the 1980s. As the name implies, Magnet recognition equates to recruitment and retention of nurses in hospitals. In other words, select hospitals consistently have high recruitment and retention of nurses in spite of critical nursing shortages.
From this research, 14 characteristics - the Forces of Magnetism - were developed. These forces include:
- Quality of nursing leadership
- Professional models of care
- Quality of care
- Quality improvement
- Autonomy
- Nurses as teachers
- Image of nursing
- Interdisciplinary relationships
Hospitals that earn Magnet status must exceed standards that define nursing practice. In 1990, the Magnet recognition was officially developed. Once a facility has achieved Magnet status, this designation is valid for 4 years.
How do facilities earn Magnet status? For starters, it's a journey. A strategic plan of at least 2 years is needed for a facility to submit papers for consideration to become Magnet. Like a journey, Magnet recognition can be broken down into phases on a timeline. The first phase is building and infrastructure, second is data collection with sources of evidence, third is submitting documents to American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and fourth is a site visit from ANCC (not The Joint Commission). The last phase is to submit updated demographics every year. Unlike visits from The Joint Commission, during Magnet site visits, all staff are actually encouraged to talk about the experience of working at that facility.
Why do hospitals want to be known as Magnet facilities? For starters, it's a booster for nurse recruitment. Achieving Magnet status means assurance of quality to patients. It is a framework to assess nursing practice. It encourages change in nursing practice. It attracts retains seasoned nurses and attracts new graduates.
Magnet recognition fosters a culture. Hospitals that are designated as Magnet have a distinctive culture. Nurses who work in Magnet facilities often feel empowered. Shared governance and data-driven decision making is emphasized. Innovation and creativity is encouraged in nursing practice.
The VA Maryland Healthcare System is comprised of four major components: a healthcare facility in Baltimore, another in Perry Point, Community Living Centers (similar to extended care facility) and outpatient facilities. For the VA Maryland Healthcare System to achieve Magnet recognition, all sites have to be on the same pathway to become Magnet.
My Role: Ongoing
A former nurse mentor once told me, "Charge nurse is a state of mind." At first I believed she had me mistaken for some other nurse. Me? A new grad? A charge nurse? That's insane. But repeating her quote in my mind led me to believe that not only is charge nurse a state of mind, so, too, is thinking like a Magnet nurse.
Like a charge nurse, a Magnet nurse is confident, knowledgeable about his or her practice and is willing to challenge the status quo. Like a charge nurse, a Magnet nurse is inquisitive and innovative. The charge nurse takes charge when on duty; staff report to this person. The magnet nurse exerts a charge and other nurses are drawn to him or her.
So, now the challenge is set. My role is to educate colleagues and other staff about Magnet recognition. The RNs, LPNs and nurse assistants who have assisted in my personal journey to be a VA nurse have been instrumental to my progress in orientation.
How do I get these colleagues to feel like Magnet nurses? My first step in doing this will be to sell the idea of Magnet recognition.