The Magnet Recognition Program, developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), is designed to provide a road map for nursing excellence at hospitals. The program is focused on advancing three goals: promoting quality in a setting that supports professional practice, identifying excellence in delivering nursing services to patients, and disseminating best practices in nursing services.
What does an organization’s Magnet recognition mean for patients? Earning a Magnet Recognition Program certification indicates to patients that an organization is committed to innovation, excellence in nursing, and high-quality patient care. According to the ANCC, Magnet hospitals have shown higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication and greater availability of help over non-Magnet facilities. Magnet hospitals can also save costs by improving patient outcomes, discharging patients on time, ensuring proper insurance reimbursement, and reducing patient falls and other injuries.
In addition, studies have found that Magnet hospitals are able to retain nurses and fill vacancies more than similar hospitals in the same job markets. This is due to more supportive work environments, higher job satisfaction among nurses, and lower burnout rates at Magnet hospitals.
How Does an Organization Achieve Magnet Recognition?
According to the ANCC, Magnet status requirements include educational standards for nurse leaders and nurse managers that ensure a facility’s top staff hold at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Hospitals must pass a rigorous, lengthy application and review process to gain Magnet recognition.
There are five guiding principles the ANCC has defined as the “Forces of Magnetism” that hospitals must adopt in measuring quality, patient care, and performance outcomes:
- Transformational Leadership: Create a vision for the future and the systems and environment necessary to achieve that vision.
- Structural Empowerment: Empower nursing staff to innovate and implement the hospital’s missions, vision, and values in practice.
- Exemplary Professional Practice: Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the role of nursing and the application of that role with patients, families, communities, and the interdisciplinary team.
- New Knowledge, Innovation, and Improvement: Display a commitment to evolving the future of patient care and nursing practice, using existing evidence, new research, and innovative contributions to advance the science of nursing.
- Empirical Quality Results: Establish quantitative benchmarks to measure outcomes.
Home health care agencies can also apply for Magnet recognition, which would help their efforts to attract and retain nursing staff amid a labor shortage. As previously mentioned, Magnet hospital nurses have higher job satisfaction rates and more desire to stay in their positions, with a lower turnover rate than the industry average for nursing. It only stands to reason that home health care providers will also be able to benefit from Magnet recognition in their recruiting strategies and patient care delivery.
About Manchester Specialty Programs
We specialize in providing agents and brokers with totally integrated business insurance solutions to meet the needs of Home Care, Allied Health, Medical Staffing, and Human/Social Services organizations. For more information about how our products and services can help protect your insureds and how we recognize accredited firms, please contact us at 855.972.9399.