Children’s Health System (CHS) recently joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital as the only nationally recognized Magnet hospitals in Alabama. The Magnet Recognition Program is administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), an arm of the American Nurses Association (ANA), to award healthcare organizations exhibiting nursing excellence and outstanding patient care. Only 289 healthcare organizations in 45 states — out of 5,800 — have earned this prestigious honor that involves a rigorous application process, years of documentation and teams of workers to realize. Following the nursing shortages of the 1970s and 1980s, the ANA originated the Magnet program by identifying common characteristics possessed by healthcare organizations that had the best recruiting and retention records. The Magnet distinction is awarded upon demonstrating — through policies, organizational structure, multiple examples of quality patient care and personal interviews — that the 14 indicators of nursing standards, now known as the Forces of Magnetism, are fully expressed. “It is not uncommon to complete more than 3,000 pages during the application process, in which hospital staff must demonstrate over months, sometimes years, through documentation, how they meet standards, complete with numerous examples,” said Velinda Block, chief nursing officer and senior associate vice president of UAB Hospital. Block recently came to Birmingham after serving 11 years as vice president of patient care services for St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where she was instrumental in securing its Magnet status. She added, “National research studies have recently published results proving that patient care outcomes are better in Magnet-designated hospitals.” CHS Chief Nursing Executive Surpora Thomas said, “I am so proud of our nursing staff for finally receiving the validation they deserve for the consistent care they give our patients. We knew we were up there with the best of them already, we just wanted to prove it.” Betty Jolly, CHS nursing education division director, added, “This is something we chose to do. We made a conscious decision to undergo a process of additional scrutiny that had higher standards than accreditation, and we succeeded.” While each Magnet hospital establishes an implementation process that best suits its organization’s culture, most begin with a gap analysis comparing current nursing practices to ANA standards. The CHS nursing administration began its analysis in 2002. “We realized we had all the standards already in place,” Thomas said. “We just had to report our practices in Magnet language to comply with the process.” In 2003, the goal of becoming a Magnet hospital was communicated to the executives and trustees, and resources were allocated to the plan. A 12-member core team was formed from nursing department directors, a nurse educator, a pediatric nurse practitioner, a communications expert and the director of respiratory care services. Each core team leader developed a group — collectively called Magnet Ambassadors — from all system-wide disciplines, including nursing, dietary, social work, corporate communications, human resources and administration. Additionally, patient families, community leaders and all off-site staff were educated about the goal. The theme, “Magnet: Passport to Excellence,” was developed with a logo to help reinforce the campaign. Jolly said, “This was not a project to implement changes. We were communicating to everyone what we do all the time.” An ANCC site appraiser reported that the appraisal team had found “overwhelming evidence of the love that patients and families have for nurses at CHS and for the hospital as a whole, and this relationship is a recurring theme in all areas visited.” Since becoming a Magnet hospital in fall 2007, a pin bearing the logo has been given to every nurse and each department. Dr. Joan Carlisle, department director of Nursing Education and Research and the Magnet Project coordinator, said, “Our nurses now have such a sense of pride. They are a more cohesive group and have a stronger sense of belonging. One of the hardest changes has been learning how to brag on ourselves a little bit. Taking care of our patients the way we do is just what we do every day. Children really are the center of our lives.” Block said, “We have found that the Magnet designation alone does not retain staff, but the principles of the Magnet program — leadership, staff and patient advocacy, lots of autonomy, respect and appreciation for the nursing staff and focusing on the best practice environment for nurses and their patients — are the most effective tools for staff recruitment and retention.” CHS Chief Executive Officer Mike Warren said, “Magnet recognition is a reflection of the commitment of our entire staff to serve as a team and to provide the highest quality of care possible for the children and families of Alabama. The Magnet Hospital designation underscores our excellence in nursing practice and the confidence that families can have in the level of care they receive. It’s much like the ‘Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.’” August 2008