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May 7, 2008
Marquette General Attracted to Magnet Status
As the nation celebrates National Nurses Week May 6-12, the nursing staff at Marquette General is leading a quest. A quest in which the hospital’s level of excellence would be rewarded by being named a Magnet-Designated Facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, an affiliate of the American Nurses Association.
Magnet status is awarded to hospitals that satisfy a stringent set of criteria designed to measure the strength and quality of their nursing. Nurses at Magnet hospitals deliver excellent patient outcomes, are involved in the decision-making process, and have a high level of job satisfaction.
The Magnet Recognition Program is based on the Magnet research study, which identified 14 characteristics that differentiated organizations that were best able to recruit and retain nurses during the nursing shortages of the 1970s and 1980s. These “forces of magnetism,” centered on quality of care, management style, internal communication, and professional development, are the criteria that must be proven to achieve Magnet status.
The ANCC awarded its first Magnet designation in 1994, and since then, only three percent of the nation’s health care organizations have earned this ultimate benchmark.
“Nursing excellence is the core of Magnet recognition,” said Robin Waters, RN, Marquette General director of Nursing and Magnet champion. “The result is excellent patient care, increased collaboration between nurses and physicians, and the elevation of the hospital’s overall quality.”
At Marquette General, the road to Magnet status officially began in April 2007 with the formation of a shared governance model – a foundation of Magnet recognition. The model features four governing councils focused on the areas of leadership, quality, practice and education/research, as well as eight unit councils. The councils represent every nursing unit and shift, are entirely run by staff nurses and hold regular meetings to discuss ways to enhance patient outcomes, and in the process, move toward Magnet status.
“By having these committees completely run by staff, we’re able to quickly identify problems and bring solutions to the forefront,” said Kathy Young, RN, Marquette General Surgical Unit Clinical director. “One year ago we had silos throughout the hospital working on issues independently, now we’re communicating, working together and seeing positive changes.”
Ann Binninger, RN, is a unit council chairperson who was voted by her peers to represent the neuroscience/orthopedic and pediatric units. “An exciting change that came out of our unit council was the development of an acuity system,” said Binninger. “By matching staff time with the complexity of each patient’s needs instead of the number of patients, we were able to increase the efficiency of our entire unit.”
The abilities for staff to be involved in the decision-making process and to serve as a catalyst for change are central components to Magnet hospitals. That said, this model is a diversion from the traditional management of a health care facility. Magnet status calls for an organization’s structure to be dynamic, responsive to change and receptive to staff ideas.
Marquette General’s recent reorganization mirrors Magnet standards and has the structure in place to support the pursuit of this prestigious designation.
“By having no more than five staff members between the patient and the CEO, we’re able to better connect with our patients and operate with the utmost efficiency,” said A. Gary Muller, FACHE, Marquette General president and CEO. “Marquette General boasts a very low turn-over rate for nursing and our leadership is in full support of validating that by pursuing Magnet hospital designation.”
Recent changes also brought a new, yet familiar face to represent nurses at the executive level. As Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Dagmar Raica, RN, MSN, DNP, is a strong advocate of the nurses and their desire to move toward Magnet status.
“The staff-driven changes that are occurring as the result of this shared governance model are both refreshing and invigorating,” said Raica. “The collaborative efforts are energizing for nurses in our organization and reinforcing our culture of excellence.”
In their first year, the governing and unit committees have seen successes and strong attendance, indicating that nurses as a whole are enthusiastic about this process.
A major accomplishment has been the formation of the Lillian Brooks Education Fund.
Magnet facilities include programs that promote professional certification and career development. With this education fund, Marquette General nurses can obtain financial assistance as they pursue higher education.
While successes have been realized, the road to Magnet designation is an arduous journey. The Marquette General Magnet Leadership Council is currently conducting a gap analysis to determine where MGH currently stands in comparison to Magnet criteria. After this rigorous self-evaluation of each of the 14 forces, a strategic plan can be developed to address areas that need improvement. Magnet champions will be named for each unit and will have the responsibility to work with their co-workers to carry out the strategic plan. When all of the forces are in place, an application will be submitted to the ANCC for consideration. Marquette General then has 18 months to develop a document that provides evidence that the 14 forces are fully integrated into the organization. This documentation, limited to 15 inches thick, must be scored “excellent” in order to earn a site visit from the ANCC, and possible award of Magnet Designation. This is typically a five-year process.
Despite the enormity of their quest, the team at Marquette General is dedicated to the cause and committed to carrying out the plan.
“We’re still at least three years out from submitting a formal application. This gives us time to mature our council structure and make sure our processes are in place,” said Waters. “But over this time, we’re going to reap incredible benefits. We are going to be a stronger organization for going down this path.”
For a detailed look at the Magnet Recognition Program including specifics on the 14 forces required to attain Magnet status, visit www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet.
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