Magnet Nursing Hospitals: How to Help Your Facility Earn Recognition

• Magnet Recognized healthcare facilities offer the best education, staff support, and patient care delivery! 
• There are five major categories that a facility must possess in order to achieve Magnet nursing status.
• Check out Nursing CE Central’s tips on how you can help your facility earn this recognition!

Do you currently work for a hospital with Magnet Recognition? Or are you looking into future opportunities at one of the many magnet nursing hospitals around the country? 

If so, it is a great and professional move to make! 

For nurses, Magnet Recognition means education, development, and organization-wide support throughout their career.  

Sounds great, right? Keep reading! 

What is Magnet Nursing? Why is It Important?

The American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) defines the Magnet Nursing Program as “organizations worldwide where nursing leaders successfully align their nursing strategic goals to improve the organization’s patient outcomes.” It is a highly recognized and respected award. 

ANCC further outlines the importance of Magnet nursing hospitals and its benefit for patients as it means “the very best care, delivered by nurses who are supported to be the very best that they can be.” 

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering, “How can my hospital receive this recognition?” Let’s get into it!  

How Does a Hospital Achieve Magnet Status?

Duquesne University’s School of Nursing highlights the five major categories Magnet nursing hospitals must possess in order to be considered for Magnet status, these include: 

1. Transformational leadership: Supporting and advocating for patients and staff and having strong nursing leaders at every level. 
2. Structural empowerment: Recognizing the contributions of nursing staff, committing to professional development, and decentralizing decision-making. 
3. Exemplary professional practice: Showing competence and accountability in professional procedures, systems, and practices. Systemically measuring care and outcomes is also essential. 
4. New knowledge, innovations, and improvements: Requiring research and evidence-based practice to be incorporated into operational and clinical processes. Encouraging innovation throughout the organization is important as well. 
5. Empirical outcomes: Emphasizing community, patient, workforce, and organizational outcomes. 

What are the Benefits of Working at a Magnet Hospital?

Below are just a few of the many benefits you receive when being a part of a Magnet nursing hospital, check them out! 

1. Job satisfaction 
2. Safer work environment for staff and patients  
3. Support for advancement and professional development  
4. Resume building 

As a nurse myself, I can honestly say that working in a safe environment with high job satisfaction and support for advancement can truly make such a positive impact for not only the nursing staff, but for their patients as well.  

What is Your Role?

Of course, there is always room for improvement, even on the smallest scales. Making conscious efforts to strengthen your care delivery, communication skills, and collaborative efforts among co-workers and interdisciplinary team members are just a handful of the ways that you can help your organization achieve Magnet nursing status.   

The online nursing community dedicated to raising awareness on all the things related to the profession, The Truth About Nursing, outlines several roles/tasks you can start today to help improve your program and work toward receiving Magnet recognition. Check them out! 

If you are either working at a Magnet hospital, your hospital is in the middle of Magnet Designation, or you are looking at new job opportunities, working within a Magnet nursing hospital has many benefits for your safety and future professional development.  

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