A Magnet For Nurses
I have been consistently impressed with the professionalism of my nursing colleagues throughout the 28 years that I have been associated with SHC, particularly as the definitions of that professionalism have evolved.
Years ago nursing “professionalism” was too often seen as a “trickle down” effect of medical professionalism. Nursing professionalism was too often defined by each nurse’s willingness to empathize with patients and to strictly follow “doctor’s orders.” While carrying out medical orders responsibly and compassionately is certainly important for everyone, what we are seeing now is a recognition that nurses have a defined leadership role in both bedside care and institutional management that didn’t exist even a few years ago.
This focus on nursing professionalism is part of a broader trend toward defining all healthcare professionalism in measurable and rigorously disciplined ways. Hence, we are not only hearing but also living and breathing such concepts as evidence-based medicine, clinical analytics, and quality improvement tools. Many of these tools or enhancements are products of incorporating evolving scientific progress into practice. The improvements are also a result of better information technologies, such as electronic medical records, which permit physicians, nurses, administrators and other hospital professionals to work more precisely and efficiently. Other enhancements are based on an increasingly sophisticated and educated workforce that is ready to meet multidisciplinary leadership challenges.
For example, on the unit where I do most of my work, 15 registered nurses and two nurse practitioners took the initiative recently to become certified in neurosciences. Since a year or two ago only 34 nurses throughout the state had achieved this status, the accomplishment is obviously a feather in the cap of our institution. But far beyond that the certification success is testament to the long hours of study, hard work, skill development, caring and leadership initiative shown by my 17 colleagues.
And this effort is truly multidisciplinary. I’m also proud of the residents on our unit who were not only supportive of the nurses’ goal, but who also donated their own time to give lectures on material their nursing colleagues needed to learn for their certification exam. The nurses, working with other professional colleagues, are already starting projects leading to improved patient care, and I’ve been informed that several more nurses are planning to take the certification route.
Now throughout the hospital we are launching a new professionalism program heavily involving nursing and the cooperation of our medical staff. Cindy Day, vice president for patient care services, and her staff are applying for Magnet Status for SHC from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. This is the highest level of national recognition offered by the ANCC. The program’s goals are to identify excellence in the delivery of nursing care to patients, promote an environment that supports professional nursing practice, and to provide a mechanism for nursing services to disseminate their best practices among institutions.
This program arose out of a 1983 American Academy of Nursing study commissioned to “identify and describe variables that created an environment that attracted and retained well qualified nurses who promoted quality patient care.” In this original study 41 organizations were deemed Magnet facilities. To increase that number, the American Nursing Association in 1990 set up the “Magnet Recognition Program” offered through its credentialing center, the ANCC. In 1994, the University of Washington Medical Center was the first recipient of Magnet Award status by the ANCC. By April 2003, the number of Magnet Award institutions had grown to 69, and today I’ve been told there are about 200 nationwide. I’m reminded of that growth each day when during my commute I drive by a sign proudly proclaiming El Camino Hospital to be the first Bay Area hospital to achieve Magnet Status.
To earn the Magnet award a facility must demonstrate measurable quality standards in patient care and professional practice. This is documented through a rigorous application process, including a site visit. Nursing involvement in hospital leadership and governance is pivotal - nurses must enjoy strong and effective representation on the institution’s planning and policy-making bodies. Avenues for professional development for nurses must also be documented. To facilitate the application process, outstanding nurses are recruited on units throughout the hospital to serve as Magnet Champions. Recruitment of these nursing leaders is under way now.
Put simply, Magnet Status reinforces a culture of excellence that I believe will enhance our nursing staff’s sense of pride and professionalism. ANCC surveys have shown that Magnet Status improves nursing retention, and we are after all facing a statewide nursing shortage.
Let’s make clear that we already have great nurses whose morale we can observe every day from the inspiring stories they share with us in many formats. With the enthusiasm, leadership and skill of our nurses and their physician colleagues, I’m confident that we will become a Magnet institution. We will embrace the program’s virtues and continue to make refinements in the care that we all deliver to patients.
If you have questions about our quest for Magnet Recognition, please contact either Cindy Day (cday@stanfordmed.org or 650-723-5537), or Anne Goldfisher (agoldfisher@stanfordmed.org or 650-723-5262), director of patient care practice and education.
Information about the ANCC’s Magnet Recognition program may be found at: http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/magnet/index.html
As physicians and leaders in health care, I hope you will join me in supporting and promoting this vital quality initiative.
