In 1995 I worked with my staff to develop a vision for our nursing department. I gathered information about the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC's) Magnet Recognition Program because it provided a blueprint for excellence. This blueprint-"Forces of Magnetism"-offers key ingredients to foster a productive, participatory, and autonomous nursing staff.
One hundred and counting[horizontal ellipsis]
In the last decade, the ANCC has bestowed the prestigious Magnet Award to approximately 114 acute care hospitals. It's estimated that hundreds of other hospitals are working toward Magnet recognition. Why has the program garnered so much interest?
Nurses have long struggled to identify our contribution to quality care delivery and patient service. The Magnet Recognition Program provides a vehicle for your organization to objectively articulate nursing's impact on patient care delivery, based on national standards of excellence. The criteria, measured through exemplar descriptions, provide an opportunity for nurses to demonstrate the importance of care delivery by those who have specialized education in nursing science. For more on attaining Magnet recognition, see page 36.
The Magnet program has contributed to the emergence of nursing as a differentiating service that hospitals can provide to a community. Hospital marketing departments now offer the public a positive, professional, accurate portrayal of nurses' patient care contributions.
Adherence to facets of the Magnet Recognition Program elevates your facility's standards. The program requires evidence of active participation from staff nurses in decision-making and governance. Nurses must work with other healthcare disciplines to ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate care.
Nurses' professional performance is an intrinsic core value of the Magnet program. Nurses are held responsible to the highest levels of professional development. While it's incumbent upon our organizations to provide opportunities for nurses, nurses themselves must maintain accountability for their continued professional growth.
My salute to you
As a Magnet appraiser, I've surveyed several hospitals. Across the board, nurses say they're proud of their efforts and they want to receive positive recognition for achieving results that impact their work environment. Congratulations to all Magnet facilities and to those reaching for standards of excellence. Learn more about leadership best practices from nationally recognized faculty at Nursing Management 's Congress2004. There's still time to register for our 25th anniversary conference. For complete information and session details, visit http://www.nmcongress.com.