A Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence

Magnet hospital is one that has embarked on an extensive review and systematic evaluation of its nursing practice by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet hospitals must meet stringent quantitative and qualitative standards that define the highest quality of nursing practice and patient care. Becoming a Magnet hospital means that the organization must meet over 65 standards developed by the ANCC. The standards must be demonstrated in a very extensive written document and validated and clarified by a site visit.

What Magnet status means to nurses and the hospital

The Magnet designation means that the hospital has created an environment that supports nursing practice and focuses on professional autonomy, decision making at the bedside, nursing involvement in determining the nursing work environment, professional education, career development and nursing leadership. This can only be accomplished with the support and participation of all the departments and employees in the hospital that place patient care first and foremost in the mission of their daily work. We at the Miriam have created this environment with the patient in mind.

More about nursing at The Miriam

What Magnet status means for patients

Quantitative evidence indicates that hospitals that have achieved Magnet status have improved nurse to patient ratios and patient satisfaction is higher than in non-magnet hospitals. Health care consumers are becoming much more educated and discriminating and are seeking objective benchmarks that will aide them in choosing a health care provider.

About the ANCC

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) was established in 1991 as a separately incorporated entity of the American Nurses Association. The ANCC has provided certification opportunities in more than 30 specialties and advanced practice areas of nursing. It is the only national system for accreditation and approval of continuing education in nursing.

The Magnet Recognition Program for Excellence in Nursing is based and administered by the ANCC. The program was based on research completed by nurse researchers in the early 1980s who identified the attributes of organizations that were able to recruit and retain professional nurses.

The Magnet program identifies excellence in the provision of nursing services, an environment that fosters and rewards quality nursing, recognizes the management philosophy and practice of nursing services and the adherence to standards for improving the quality of patient care.

• More about the ANCC
• Current nursing opportunities at The Miriam

Some programs that have made
The Miriam Hospital a Magnet include:

• Collegiate nurse intern program
• Clinical advancement program
• Nursing research
• Nursing scholarships and awards
• Geriatric program