Why Magnet Designation Matters

Premier Nursing News     August 2019 Aug 19, 2019

By Angela Wale, system director, nursing professional practice and research

What does it mean for Premier Health to achieve Magnet Recognition® from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)?

Achieving Magnet status is not just something we do to earn a certain designation; it is how we care for our patients and support our partners every day that enabled us to be eligible for such a high honor. Magnet designation is not a one-time accomplishment; it is representative of who we are as an organization.

The ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program® provides a roadmap to excellence.

To nurses, Magnet recognition means education and development through every career stage, which leads to greater autonomy at the bedside.

To patients, it means they are receiving the very best care from nurses who are being supported to be the very best that they can be.

Premier Health leaders are committed to including clinical nurses in decisions that will impact our nursing practice. They are also committed to providing financial support for obtaining certification and advanced education.

Why is Magnet Recognition as a system meaningful to Premier Health nurses?

University of Pennsylvania health care researchers analyzed data from four states, with more than 600,000 patients and more than 100,000 nurses surveyed. They found that:

  • There were differences in Magnet® vs. non- Magnet® hospital work environments.
  • Patients in Magnet® hospitals had a 14 percent lower mortality rate.
    • Source: McHugh, et al, Medical Care, May 2013

Linda Aiken attributed this difference to nurses –

  • “The lower mortality we found in Magnet® hospitals is largely attributed to measured nursing attributes, such as better work environments, investments in an educated workforce, and supportive practice settings.”
    • Source: Aiken, et al, Medical Care, Oct 2012

Thank you for your commitment to our organization and to our community. You are the reason that we achieved Magnet status!

Back to the August 2019 issue of the Nursing Newsletter