The American Nurses Credentialing Center National Magnet and Pathway to Excellence Conference is taking place October 12-14 in Chicago, marking the largest and most influential gathering of nurses and healthcare stakeholders in the country.
If you can’t attend, we’ve got you covered in advance as we sat down with Rebecca Graystone, PhD, MBA, RN, NE-BC, and the Senior Vice President, Accreditation & Organization Credentialing of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to discuss Magnet designation and what it means for healthcare organizations, hospitals, and nurses.
What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity.
ANCC Vice President of the Magnet Recognition Program® and Pathway to Excellence® Program, Rebecca Graystone, PhD, MBA, RN, NE-BC
-Magnet is the highest recognition of nursing excellence and signifies better staffing and working conditions for nurses, but some nurses say it’s just a costly marketing tool. What’s your response to those making that comparison?
Magnet Recognition is steadfast proof of a hard-earned commitment to excellence in health care, with contented, valued, and inspired nurses at heart. Applicants seeking Magnet status are rigorously evaluated by expert nurse peers against evidence-based standards. Magnet is a voluntary credential earned by healthcare organizations seeking recognition for providing exceptional practice environments and patient care.
Magnet organizations are committed to nurturing the talents of dedicated nurses throughout their careers. The work environment and organizational opportunities for staff encourage them to excel in their profession and contribute to the improved performance of their organizations, which ultimately benefits patients and the healthcare field.
Nurses working in a Magnet-recognized organization grow stronger in bedside practices, evidence-based practices and research, and leadership skills. Only around 10% of organizations in the country currently have achieved Magnet status — it’s a standard of excellence that organizations choose to commit to, and nurses will find that commitment extends to them and their success as well.
-What does Magnet designation mean for hospitals and nurses working there? What are the benefits of working at a Magnet hospital?
For nurses and hospitals, a Magnet-recognized organization means many things. Most especially, it means the organization highly values registered nurses’ contributions to care. Across the healthcare continuum, Magnet nurses excel in leadership, professional practice, decision-making at all levels, and innovation through research and continual process improvements. The beneficiaries are patients and their families. Nurses report high satisfaction, engagement, respect, and acknowledgment for their contributions.
Magnet organizations invest in professional education and career growth that provide an environment where nurses practice with greater autonomy in a safe and supportive environment. Research from the Journal of Nursing Administration found that nurses working in Magnet organizations have lower rates of nurse burnout and increased rates of satisfaction.
There is a rigor and research-based element of working in a Magnet organization that attracts and produces top-tier nursing leadership and high patient satisfaction rates. For example, studies have found that Magnet organizations have decreased rates of patient falls and pressure ulcers and reduced mortality rates.
-Approximately 10% of U.S. hospitals achieve Magnet status, and 92% of hospitals achieving Magnet status are redesignated. Talk about how a hospital benefits from becoming a Magnet hospital.
By investing in nursing education and development, Magnet hospitals attract and retain the best nurses, which has a direct and positive effect on the standard of care and improved patient experience.
Magnet hospitals consistently provide the highest quality of care. Studies find that Magnet-recognized organizations experience increased patient satisfaction, decreased mortality rates, decreased falls, and improved patient safety and quality.
Magnet recognition also contributes to the stability and growth of hospitals in various ways, such as reducing RN agency rates, decreasing RN vacancy rates and turnover, and reducing staff injuries. There are positive financial impacts as well. When an organization is recognized as Magnet, they have an increased chance to establish endowments, enjoy a stronger bond rating, and have a competitive advantage in regional markets.
-Why wouldn’t a hospital maintain Magnet status?
Magnet recognition lasts for four years. Interestingly, we have seen our retention rate rise in recent years (from 90% on average to 92.1% in the last three years), and this was during the pandemic. So, this seems to indicate that organizations are using the Magnet culture and standards as their North Star, which helped to guide them and sustain them through the height of COVID-19.
-What happens if a hospital loses Magnet status?
Again, participation in Magnet is voluntary. Magnet organizations report anecdotally their desire to retain Magnet status. When this is not possible, reasons given include a change in leadership has shifted priorities, and the resources to support the infrastructure of excellence Magnet requires are redistributed toward other efforts. Most hospitals want to maintain Magnet status because it signals their commitment to nursing excellence.
-Talk about how the Magnet Recognition program spreads internationally and the top countries seeking accreditation.
Magnet Recognition is a rigorous credential and organization-based, peer-reviewed appraisal process. All standards are evidence-based and achievable no matter the size of the organization or location in the world. What Magnet Recognition achievement represents is a commitment by the organization to a culture of nursing excellence.
We currently have 612 Magnet facilities in total. The majority are in the U.S., but we have facilities in Australia, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and Brazil. There is a keen interest in Magnet internationally, and we have seen this through our increase in Magnet applications and conference registrations from across the globe for our ANCC National Magnet Conference® and Pathway to Excellence Conference.® There is a desire to learn from the best of the best and bring that knowledge home with them and share it.
We’ll be at the 2023 ANCC National Magnet Conference® October 12-14 at the at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. Stop by booth #918. We look forward to seeing you there!
