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Website spotlight: Real value of credentialing lies in the journey

Nurse Leader Weekly, January 30, 2012

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How much does designation as an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program(r) (MRP) hospital matter? The results of a recent study call into question the value of attaining credentials from the ANCC, a division of the American Nurses Association.

A study published last month in the Journal of Nursing Administration has found worse patient outcomes at hospitals with MRP accreditation than at non-MRP facilities. According to the study:

Non-[MRP] hospitals had better patient outcomes than [MRP] hospitals. [MRP] hospitals had slightly better outcomes for pressure ulcers, but infections, postoperative sepsis, and postoperative metabolic derangement outcomes were worse in [MRP] hospitals. [MRP] hospitals also had lower staffing numbers.

So that logically raises the question: Is the designation worth it? Is it worth the time, effort, and money it takes to reach? After all, it can take years and tens of thousands of dollars-if not more-to achieve the coveted designation.

Despite all that, for two nurse leaders at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH, the answer is still a resounding "yes." And they haven't even achieved their goal yet.

"I think the biggest thing we've learned on our [MRP] journey is that it's about the journey itself," Emily Sheff, MS, RN, CMSRN, FNP-BC, Catholic Medical Center's nursing practice and standards coordinator, tells HealthLeaders. "We've learned and restructured and grown so much, just from the parts we've been able to look at thus far. I definitely think as an organization it's served us well."

To read about the rest of this free article, click here.

Editor's note: To read more articles like this, visit the Reading Room,
part of www.StrategiesForNurseManagers.com.

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