Magnet Status



Magnet Status

Introduction

Magnet status is an honorary award introduced by the American Nurses' Credentialing Center (ANCC) in 1980 (Cox et al. 2005). The term magnet represents the concept of attracting and retaining the quality nurses. Magnet status is a gold standard for excellence nursing which is the symbol of an effective patient care (Catherine and Mary, 2007). It is an affiliate of the American Nurses Association which ensures that the hospitals satisfy a set of criteria which are specially devised to assess the quality of nursing. According to the extensive research the high level of nursing job satisfaction has been observed with the initiation of this program which has substantially resolved the issue of high turnover and dramatically improved the clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Discussion

The magnet status is the top level of recognition which a hospital can achieve for nursing excellence. Its benefits are not only limited to the nursing services but also extends to the patient care and the organization's success. According to Gaguski (2006), magnet status helps in maintaining the greater focus on earning the excellence in patient care delivery. Lake and Cheung (2006) have identified the impact of nursing skills mix on patient outcomes as well as the nurse staffing patterns and practice environment also ensure the patient protection.

The concept of magnet status came about when US health system experienced the persistent shortage of the nurses (Beurhaus et al., 2008). This program brought the evolution with its inception and attracted a great number of registered nurses simultaneously increased the retention of nurses. The shortage of nursing faculty possessed the major threat to quality of the patient care, time provided to the patients, and safety of patients. It also imposed the elevated threat on the nursing profession however, the initiation of magnet status has endured the strategies to alleviate the short fall of nursing staff with the help on improved working conditions, recognition rewards, effective retention strategies, performance appraisal, and professional respect (Berhaus et al., 2008).

Steps to Attain Magnet Status

The ANCC introduced the eligibility criteria for the health care organizations to achieve magnet status which are as following:

The organizations should adopt the scope and standards of American Nurses Association for nursing administration.

There must be protected feedback, policies and procedures.

The organizations must not be involved in any unfair labor practices.

There must be regulatory compliance with federal laws.

Hospital must be committed with the nursing excellence while fostering the innovations.

Hospitals ...