MAGNET WRITERS and LEADERSHIP (pictured from left): Kim Derr, RN;
Nikki DiFabrizio, BSN, RN, PCCN; Heather Donohue, BSN, RN, CNOR;
Lindsay Pritchett, BSN, RN, CMSRN; Marianne Casale, MSN, RN, CHPN, CS, AOCN;
Angela Coladonato, MSN, RN, NEA-BC; Margaret Kramaric, BSN, RN, CCRN, CSC;
Patty Paulley, BSN, RN, CEN; Rebecca Mountain, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN;
Melissa Cargan-Bodnar, BSN, RN, CMSRN and Donna Taylor, BSN, RN, CCRN.
[Not pictured: Tonya Beattie, BSN, RN, CCRN; Claire Fisk, BSN, RN, CCE; and
Jaime O'Donnell, MSN, RN, CCRN.]
Gold standard for nursing quality achieved by only 404 U.S. health care organizations
On November 20, 2014, Chester County Hospital learned that it achieved Magnet recognition as a reflection of its nursing professionalism, teamwork, and superiority in patient care. Magnet recognition 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, West Chester-based Chester County Hospital, which is part of Penn Medicine, joins the Magnet community -- a select group of 404 health care organizations worldwide. Only 7% of U.S. hospitals are currently Magnet recognized. i
"One of my goals when I first started here eight years ago was for our nurses and the hospital to achieve Magnet recognition," said Chief Nursing Officer Angela Coladonato, MSN, RN, NEA-BC. "We took the time to put the building blocks in place to get to this point, and now we can say we have demonstrated superior excellence in nursing. When you are a patient in a Magnet hospital, you're in a place with a proven commitment to improving quality, safety, and patient satisfaction, and never accepting the status quo."
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.
- Accessibility and visibility of its Chief Nursing Officer to the direct care nurses.
- The nursing team's support of educational activities in the community.
- Innovation in nursing practice.
During the conference call, Deborah Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, chairperson of the ANCC's Commission on Magnet, said, "You have a culture that should be bottled and sold to others. We love that you are dedicated to the population of Pennsylvania and beyond. You truly are an amazing organization."
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.
Magnet recognition has been shown to provide specific benefits to hospitals and their communities, such as
- Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help, and receipt of
- Discharge information; ii
- Lower risk of 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue;iii
- Higher job satisfaction among nurses; iv and
- Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave position.v
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About Chester County Hospital
Chester County Hospital is an organization dedicated to the health and well-being of the people in Chester County, PA and surrounding areas. Founded in 1892, the non-profit hospital has grown into a 245-bed acute care facility based in West Chester, plus it has a system of outpatient locations in Exton, West Goshen, New Garden, Jennersville and Kennett Square. In 2013, Chester County Hospital became part of Penn Medicine that consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise. In addition to quality-driven inpatient medical/surgical services, Chester County Hospital also offers home health, hospice and skilled nursing care; occupational medicine; outpatient laboratory, radiology and physical therapy services; an ob/gyn clinic for the underserved; wound care; and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.
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.
The Magnet Recognition Program and Magnet names and logos are registered trademarks of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. All rights reserved.
i American Hospital Association. Fast Facts on US Hospitals. Retrieved from http://www.aha.org/aha/resourcecenter/Statistics-and-Studies/fast-facts.html
ii Kutney-Lee, A., McHugh, M. D., Sloane, D. M., Cimiotti, J. P., Flynn, L., Neff, D. F., Aiken, L. H. (2009). Nursing: A key to patient satisfaction. Health Affairs 28(4): 669-77.
iii Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Sloane, D. M., Lake, E. T., Cheney, T. (2008). Effects of hospital care environment on patient mortality and nurse outcomes. Journal of Nursing Administration 38(5): 223-229; Friese, C. R., Lake, E. T., Aiken, L. H., Silber, J. H., Sochalski, J. (2008). Hospital nurse practice environments and outcomes for surgical oncology patients. Health Services Research 43(4): 1145-1163.
iv Lacey, S. R., Cox, K. S., Lorfing, K. C., Teasley, S. L., Carroll, C. A., Sexton, K. (2007). Nursing support, workload, and intent to stay in Magnet, Magnet-aspiring, and non-Magnet hospitals. Journal of Nursing Administration 37(4): 199-205l; Schmalenberg, C., Kramer, M. (2008). Essentials of a productive nurse work environment. Nursing Research 57(1): 2-13; Ulrich, B. T., Buerhaus, P. I., Donelan, K., Norman, L., Dittus, R. (2007). Magnet status and registered nurse views of the work environment and nursing as a career. Journal of Nursing Administration 37(5): 212-220; Ulrich, B. T., Woods, D., Hart, K. A., Lavandero, R., Leggett, J., Taylor, D. (2007). Critical care nurses' work environments: Value of excellence in Beacon units and Magnet organizations. Critical Care Nurse 27(3): 68-77.
v Ulrich, B. T., Buerhaus, P. I., Donelan, K., Norman, L., Dittus, R. (2007). Magnet status and registered nurse views of the work environment and nursing as a career. Journal of Nursing Administration 37(5): 212-220.