Introduction
Magnet status is a credential, which hospitals that provide the best nursing care receive from the American Nurse’s Credentialing Center (ANCC). The term magnet emerged in the early 1980s when healthcare researchers realized that some hospitals attracted and retained nurses more than others. Hence, curiosity drove the researchers to investigate ‘magnetic’ properties of those hospitals. “The original magnet study began in 1981 when the American Academy of Nursing appointed a task force to investigate the factors impeding or facilitating professional nursing practice in hospitals” (Lundmark, 2008, p. 369).
The study revealed that numerous forces exist in the hospitals, which are responsible for the skewed attraction and retention of nurses. The findings of the study became the basis of the Magnet Recognition Program, an ANCC program that recognizes and accredits hospitals that have achieved magnetic status based on forces of magnetism (Drenkard, 2010). Currently, hospitals are struggling to achieve magnet status to portray their nursing excellence. Thus, this paper discusses the research basis of magnet status and ANCC principles of certification, and then explains benefits that a hospital gets by attaining magnet status.
Magnet Status and Hospitals
Magnet status originated from observations that healthcare researchers made in the 1980s. Severe shortage of nurses during the 1980s prompted health researchers to study why some hospitals attracted and retained more nurses than others. A task force formed by the American Academy of Nursing in 1981 sought to determine what caused differential attraction and retention of nurses across some hospitals that are in the United States. The task force worked on the premise that “despite a nursing shortage for a large number of hospitals, a certain number had succeeded in creating nursing practice organizations that serve as ‘magnets’ for professional nurses” (Lundmark, 2008, p. 370).
Extensive research of 41 hospitals in the United States, which retained and attracted a high number of nurses, did provide valuable information about magnetic forces. The magnetic forces comprised of factors that are present in administration, professional practice, and professional development aspects of nursing. In 2005, ANCC reorganized the magnetic forces into 14 forces, which a hospital should attain for it to achieve magnet status.
The realization of the magnetic forces as factors that are responsible for the differential attraction and retention nurses among different hospitals led to the accreditation of hospitals. The study by the task force showed that magnet hospitals did not only attract and retain nurses, but they also provided quality nursing care to patients (Lundmark, 2008). Therefore, ANCC developed the Magnet Recognition Program in 1990s and accredited Washington Medical Center that is in Seattle with magnet status, which it has maintained until the present day. This means that hospitals need to attain and maintain their nursing excellence for them to retain magnet status.
The numbers of hospitals that receive magnetic recognition are gradually increasing in the United States and across the world. According to Drenkard (2010), “more than 370 domestic and international hospitals and health care organizations have met the sources of evidence for nursing excellence, and are recognized as Magnet hospitals” (p. 263). Children’s Memorial Medical Center, Memorial Medical Center, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Advocate Christ Medical Center, and Rush University Medical Center are examples of hospitals that have achieved magnet certification in the United States.
Principles that ANCC Adheres
ANCC adheres to several principles that emanate from the 14 forces of magnetism in accrediting a hospital for a magnet status. Lundmark (2008) asserts that, “applicants for magnet recognition undergo a lengthy and comprehensive appraisal process to demonstrate that they have met the criteria for all the forces of magnetism” (p. 371). The 14 forces of magnetism that ANCC uses in accrediting hospitals are quality of nursing leadership, quality improvement, quality of care, autonomy, nurses as teachers, organizational structure, management style, personnel policies, and programs, image of nursing, professional model of care, professional development, consultation and resources, community and hospital, and interdisciplinary relationships (Lundmark, 2008).
These magnetic forces are powerful forces that enhance the attraction and retention of nurses, as well as improving the quality of nursing care that they deliver to patients. Hospitals that manage to express the 14 forces of magnetism receive accreditation from the ANCC and attain magnet status.
Since 1980s, the magnetic forces have undergone refinement to fit into changing attributes of a hospital and nursing environment. In 2008, ANCC developed a new magnet model, which combined the 14 forces of magnetism into five main components, namely, “transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, innovations, improvement, and empirical outcomes” (Drenkard, 2010, p. 264). ANCC examines if a hospital has transformational leadership that transforms beliefs, values, and behaviors, and brings about organizational culture that promote quality nursing care.
Regarding structural empowerment, for a hospital to gain a magnet status, it must have a professional organization structure that enables workforce to achieve the vision, mission, and professional development. The component of exemplary professional practice assesses how nurses apply their knowledge and skills when attending to patients, families, communities, and medical teams within the hospital. Since nursing is a dynamic field in the health care system, the component of new knowledge, innovation, and improvements examines capacity of a hospital and nurses to improve the quality of care that they provide to patients. Ultimately, the component of empirical outcomes provides results that a hospital generates in nursing care. The component measures the quality of care that nurses provide to the patients.
Benefits of Magnet Status
It is very beneficial for a hospital to attain magnet status because it enhances the quality of nursing care and safety of patients. Owing to increased quality of care and safety of patients in magnet hospitals, “decreased pressure ulcers and decreased falls have been linked to magnet hospitals” (Drenkard, 2010, p. 265). Improved quality of care and safety of patients attract many patients leading to enhanced utilization of a hospital.
Hence, hospitals should strive to achieve magnetic status as a way of improving quality of care and safety of patients. Further evidence indicates that mortality rates that occur in magnet hospitals are lower than the ones that happen in non-magnet hospitals (Drenkard, 2010). This implies that hospitals need to attain magnet status for them to reduce preventable deaths that occur due to poor nursing practices.
Magnet status is also beneficial to the hospitals because it promotes quality leadership, which is integral in creating a good nursing environment that promote professional practices. Poor nursing practices usually emanate from meager leadership that does not consider nursing environment. According to Drenkard (2010), “magnet hospitals have a long history of positive nurse and work satisfaction linked to increased autonomy in practice, structural empowerment, participation in decision-making opportunities, and positive work environment” (p. 266). Such benefits that magnet hospitals provide improve satisfaction of nurses in their duties, and thus increase their rates of attraction and retention.
Conclusion
Magnet status is a credential that ANCC gives to hospitals that exhibit excellent nursing practices. ANCC applies the 14 forces of magnetism and 5 components derived from the forces in accrediting hospitals. Evidently, hospitals that have attained magnet status gain significant benefits such as improved quality of care and safety of patients, decreased mortality rates, quality leadership, and enhanced job satisfaction. In this view, hospitals need to attain magnet status so that they can gain these benefits, which are integral to health care system.
References
Drenkard, K. (2010). The Business Case for Magnet. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(6), 263-271.
Lundmark, V. (2008). Magnet Environment for Professional Nursing Practice. In R. Hughes (Ed.), Patient Safety, and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses (pp. 370-390). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.