Pennsylvania Hospital achieves Magnet recognition for nursing excellence

Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH) has achieved Magnet® status - the highest institutional honor awarded for nursing excellence - from the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. PAH's achievement was granted unanimously by the ANCC's Commission on Magnet.

Achieving Magnet status is one of the highest achievements a hospital can obtain in professional nursing. Only 378 out of nearly 6,000 health care organizations in the United States, less than seven percent, have achieved Magnet designation. Out of 27 Magnet hospitals in Pennsylvania, all five Penn Medicine acute care facilities - PAH, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital and Lancaster General Health - have achieved Magnet status which recognizes the quality of the each hospital faculty and staff and the dedication to reinforcing a culture of excellence.

"We're so honored to be recognized by the ANCC as a Magnet hospital," said Mary Del Guidice, MSN, BS, RN, CENP, chief nursing officer of PAH. "I'm so proud of how our incredible staff worked together to become the living embodiment of what it means to be Magnet and am grateful for the support we've received from our Pennsylvania Hospital team and throughout our health system and the Penn School of Nursing. We are very fortunate to have such wonderful support - from the bedside to the boardroom - and we will proudly continue to exemplify everything that the Magnet program represents."

Faculty and staff at PAH have been working toward achieving Magnet status for five years, a process which culminates in a rigorous review to demonstrate the hospital's commitment to sustaining nursing excellence, improving professional practice, a sold commitment to continuing education and nursing specialty certification and transforming the culture of the work environment involving a strong shared governance model and laser focus on patient safety.

Magnet recognition, which hospitals must reapply for every four years, has become the gold standard for nursing excellence. The recognition is based on adherence to Magnet concepts and demonstrated improvement in patient care and quality. 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.

"Magnet recognition isn't just about an accreditation, it's a mindset, an approach, on how we take care of our patients and our families," said Theresa M. Larivee, MBA, chief executive officer of PAH. "I'm impressed and moved by the dedication, focus and commitment seen in every interaction our staff have with patients and families - and the consistency in which it is delivered."

To achieve Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. The process begins with the submission of an electronic application, followed by written documentation demonstrating qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding patient care and outcomes. If scores from the written documentation fall within a range of excellence, an on-site visit will occur to thoroughly assess the applicant. After this rigorous on-site review process, the Commission on Magnet will review the completed appraisal report and vote to determine whether Magnet recognition will be granted.

The Magnet model is designed to provide a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, 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.