The American Nurses Credentialing Center's Magnet(R) designation is the highest and most prestigious credential a healthcare organization can achieve for nursing excellence and quality patient care. This outcomes-driven credential brings external prestige and wide-ranging internal benefits including improved patient outcomes, nurse satisfaction and retention, and reduced costs.1
The 2019 standards continue to raise the bar as the criterion standard for nursing care delivery, new nursing knowledge, and evidence-based clinical quality in healthcare organizations around the world.2 As Magnet has earned a worldwide reputation for its evidence-based model that has withstood the turbulence of the last 3 decades of healthcare change, the journey to recognition is not for the faint of heart. As with any worthwhile journey that demands extensive preparation, the journey to Magnet recognition is no different. Creating and sustaining the institutional culture that is recognized as a Magnet culture is achievable by any size healthcare organization with the fortitude and unwavering commitment to excellence. How does one create and sustain a culture supported by the structure, processes, and outcomes deserving of the Magnet credential? A 1st step is knowing your organization's readiness relative to Magnet standards (known as sources of evidence [SOE])2 and knowing the Magnet resources available to support you on your journey, whether the initial designation or the 6th. Five Magnet resources are outlined for healthcare organizations which are consider their journeys to designation or redesignation.
Resource 1: Magnet Application Manual
The Magnet Application Manual provides invaluable resources and instructions for Magnet-recognized organizations and those considering the Journey to Magnet.2 The manual outlines eligibility requirements, application and appraisal processes, and other resources in the appendices including an expanded glossary of terms, site visit, crosswalk of previous manual, and interim monitoring reports. The manual also provides the historical context of how the evidence-based Magnet Recognition Program(R) began and how it has evolved to address contemporary issues facing healthcare delivery across the globe.
Resource 2: Magnet Program Office Staff
A resource available to anyone interested in the Magnet program is the staff that are the heart and soul of the Magnet Program headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Ten senior Magnet program analysts, a senior analyst for outcomes, 5 program specialists, and 3 management roles comprise the office personnel. Each is dedicated to the success of healthcare organizations and the patients and families they serve. They'll tell you it is the best part of their day. Each analyst and specialist are dedicated to a specific region of the world so organizations build rapport and trust with the guidance and coaching received on the journey.
Resource 3: Getting Started-Magnet Program Guidance
The newest available Magnet resource available in 2018 is a 1-day workshop dedicated to healthcare organizations who are just beginning their journey. Taught by the Magnet program staff, this workshop, open to healthcare organizations with the potential to meet Magnet eligibility requirements, is intended to provide a high-level overview of eligibility criteria, an understanding of the appraisal process, the Magnet Model, and how its components create the foundation for the culture of nursing excellence.
Resource 4: Preintent Membership Program
This membership program was implemented to provide regular access to Magnet Program Office resources for those organizations not ready to apply. It is designed to assist organizations with high-level program guidance directly from the Magnet staff including additional resources to further understand the current Magnet Manual requirements.2 These additional resources include monthly conference calls with the senior Magnet program analyst, access to Magnet office leadership and staff for speaking engagements, use of the Journey to Magnet logo, and waiver of the Magnet application fee if the organization submits a formal application for the Magnet Recognition Program within 6 months of joining preintent.
Resource 5: "In Pursuit of Excellence: Magnet Program Guidance"
In Pursuit of Excellence: Magnet Program Guidance is a course specifically designed for Magnet-designated organizations, Magnet-applicant organizations, and members of the preintent program. This 2-day course personally taught by the Magnet program staff provides program guidance by reviewing, in depth, the appraisal process, each SOE requirement, and practice examples of writing to empirical and nonempirical outcome SOEs. This program has shown, since its creation in 2015, to reduce the number of SOEs that appraisers deem insufficient to meet the threshold of nursing excellence during the written documentation phase.
The Magnet credential is world-recognized as healthcare organizations' highest attainment of excellence in nursing. Understanding the eligibility requirements and appraisal components is critical to the process. The journey to Magnet recognition is both rigorous and rewarding. Taking advantage of the Magnet office resources is 1 way to prepare for the journey.
For more information about the Journey to Excellence, visit http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet or contact the Magnet program office at mailto:[email protected].
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