On August 19, 2019, Chester County Hospital learned that it achieved Magnet® redesignation as a reflection of its nursing professionalism, teamwork and superiority in patient care. The hospital first received Magnet recognition in 2014. Every health care organization that has been awarded the status must reapply for redesignation every four years. Designation is determined by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®, which ensures that rigorous standards for nursing excellence are met. With this credential, Chester County Hospital, which is part of Penn Medicine, remains a member of the prestigious Magnet community -- a select group of 508 health care organizations worldwide. Only 8.5% of U.S. hospitals are currently Magnet recognized.1
"One of my goals when I first started at Chester County Hospital was for our nurses and the hospital to achieve Magnet recognition," said Chief Nursing Officer Angela Coladonato, DNP, RN, NEA-BC. "To receive our second Magnet designation is such a proud moment for our staff and for the community. This accolade is only possible because of the collaboration of the entire hospital. As I said with our initial Magnet designation, while this is a nursing award, it's truly a hospital achievement and I am so honored to work with this outstanding and devoted team."
MAGNET WRITERS and LEADERSHIP
During the scheduled call to announce the hospital's Magnet decision, Sharon Pappas, RN, PhD, NEA-BC, FAAN, vice chair of the ANCC's Commission on Magnet, shared that the Commission unanimously voted to credential Chester County Hospital as a Magnet organization once again, saying, "This accomplishment is a testament to your commitment to nursing excellence. The Commission on Magnet recognizes your organization's dedication to nurses, to the entire health care team, but most importantly, to the patients that you serve."
The Commission on Magnet also identified three exemplars from the hospital's redesignation documentation. Magnet exemplars are stories that highlight excellence in nursing practice. These spanned multiple departments and areas of the hospital, highlighting the innovation, compassion and excellence the hospital is known for.
- The Mother Baby Unit's Infant Safety Bundle and video were identified as an exemplar in the category of Clinical Nurses' Involvement in the Evaluation of Patient Safety Data at the Unit Level. The unit's work resulted in a 100% improvement in infant falls after its launch.
- In the category of Nurse Sensitive Clinical Indicators, the Emergency Department received an exemplar for exceeding national benchmarks for EKG's within ten minutes of arrival for all eight quarters.
- The use of printed posters, short explanatory videos and linking to them with a QR code to provide instant access to research done within the organization was found to be "an extraordinary example" of clinical nurses disseminating research to an internal audience. The Commission identified this method as an exemplar for its "innovative" and "creative" use of technology.
In total, the hospital submitted 325 pages of outcomes data which highlighted 88 examples of how it met Magnet requirements. In addition to its Magnet Recognition Program documentation, the hospital also participated in a three-day site survey conducted by Magnet appraisers. These evaluators met with more than 250 nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers, and other staff, as well as patients and families. In addition, the appraisers visited The Abramson Cancer Center at Chester County Hospital, Penn Medicine Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine and Cardiac Rehab.
Magnet recognition has become the gold standard for nursing excellence and is taken into consideration when the public judges health care organizations. In fact, U.S. News & World Report's annual showcase of "America's Best Hospitals" includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.
An organization seeking to reapply for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence of how Magnet concepts, performance, and quality were sustained and improved over the four-year period since the hospital received its most recent recognition. Patient satisfaction, nurse sensitive quality indicators and RN satisfaction must outperform the national benchmark for the most recent of five quarters of the last eight.
In particular, the Magnet Model is designed to provide a framework for nursing practice, research, and the measurement of outcomes. Through this, ANCC can assess applicants across a number of components and dimensions to gauge an organization's nursing excellence. The foundation of this model is composed of various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.
About the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®
The Magnet Recognition Program® administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world, recognizes healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice. The Magnet Recognition Program serves as the gold standard for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet Recognition Program and current statistics, CLICK HERE! >>
The Magnet Recognition Program® and Magnet® names and logos are registered trademarks of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. All rights reserved.