Since the 1st inauguration in 1995, the Commission on Magnet (COM) has been responsible for approving Magnet(R) criteria, policies, and guidelines. The 1995 8-member body consisted of a representative from patient care, a representative from the American Academy of Nursing, a staff nurse, an advanced practice nurse, a nurse executive, a public member, a Nursing Organization Liaison Forum member, and a member who held a PhD.
In 2002, with 66 Magnet-designated organizations, the composition of the COM changed with the addition of a Magnet executive and a Magnet chief nursing officer to represent the community of stakeholders. In 2009, 2 international organizations were added to the Magnet community, and the COM responded by expanding to include the 1st international seat. In 2014, to further develop the executive committee of the COM, formal criteria for the chair and vice chair positions were developed and ratified.
Today, the final decision regarding conferral of the Magnet credential is the privilege of a 12-member commission. Magnet commissioners dedicate their time and expertise to ensure that Magnet standards are evidenced based, relevant to current practice, and outcome driven. The COM also provides strategic direction and leads the development and revision of the Magnet program's application manuals. With 3 international commissioners, the COM has truly advanced to a global entity.
The COM traditionally celebrates nursing excellence and the global Magnet community by announcing new and redesignated Magnet organizations at the annual ANCC National Magnet Conference(R). This year, the COM will announce more than 10 organizations that have achieved Magnet recognition for the 4th time and 2 organizations that are being designated for a 5th time!
Meet the 2016 COM members:
Executive Committee
Donna Havens, PhD, RN, FAAN
Interim Dean and Professor, School of Nursing
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chair; fulfills the academic seat
Veronica Casey, MN, BN, RN, Grad Dip N Geri, Dip Man
Executive Director Nursing Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane Queensland, Australia
Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery Services-Metro South Health
Vice Chair; fulfills the Asian-Pacific International seat
Brian Selig, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC
Assistant Director, Perioperative and Procedural Services
The University of Kansas Hospital, Missouri
Member-at-Large; fulfills the patient care manager seat
Domestic Commisssioners
Cynthia Barginere, DNP, RN, FACHE
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Rush University Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
Fulfills the American Organization of Nurse Executives seat
Michael A. Frakes, MSc, CCNS, APRN, NEA-BC, FACHE
Director of Clinical Care and Organizational Quality
Boston MedFlight, Bedford, Massachusetts
Fulfills the advanced practice nurse seat
Mary Dee Hacker, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Vice President, Clinical Systems and Chief Nursing Officer
Children's Hospital Los Angeles, California
Fulfills the American Academy of Nursing seat
Jeanette Ives-Erickson, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Senior Vice President, Patient Care and Chief Nurse
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Fulfills the Magnet nurse executive seat
Claudia Wilder, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer
Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas Texas
Fulfills the nurse executive seat
International Commissioners
Fatima Al Rifai, PhD, RN
Director, Federal Department of Nursing
United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health and Prevention
Fulfills the Middle East International seat
Franz Alfred Wagner, MSc, RN
Chief Executive Officer
German Nurses Association, Germany
Fulfills the European International seat
New Commissioners (as of January 2016)
Christopher Tod Brindle, MSN, RN, CWOCN
Nurse Clinician, Wound Care Team
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond
Fulfills the clinical nurse seat
William Padula, PhD, MS, MSc
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
Fulfills the consumer seat