• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Securing buy-in critical to organizations' success

Nurse Leader Weekly, April 29, 2005

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Nurse Leader Weekly!

Magnet designation, established by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) in response to the nursing shortage of the 1980s, helps retain and recruit nurses by accrediting facilities that maintain standards of nursing excellence. The designation allows consumers to benchmark the quality of care delivered at various hospitals and healthcare facilities nationwide.

In order to successfully achieve Magnet, organizations need to convey the importance of the award to secure buy-in across disciplines-not just nursing. Hospitals who have received the recognition share the following innovative initiatives they used to convey the value of Magnet.

Include all disciplines in both the site visits and the celebrations throughout the application process, says Katherine Riley, BSN, RN, director, integrated clinical services and Magnet coordinator at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT. "It is truly an organizational achievement," she says.
 
At Medical City Dallas Hospital and Medical City Children's, nursing leadership communicated with physicians at the medical staff leadership level through presentations, inservices, continuing education programs, presentations, posters, and staff meetings. Nurse leaders also placed articles in the medical staff newsletter that focused on the value Magnet added to the organization and nursing systems. The CNO also presented Magnet's benefits to the Board of Trustees. "Communication and support of all stakeholders in the organization was crucial to the success [of] achieving the Magnet Recognition," says Cole Edmonson, MS, RN, CHE, CNAA,BC, associate administrator, patient care services. "Beyond the nursing staff, it is important to have the support of the entire organization."

Gaining the support of various disciplines requires some creativity, says Barbara Hannon, MSN, RN, Magnet coordinator at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. At Hannon's facility, a Magnet champion from every inpatient and outpatient unit helped deliver the Magnet message. Magnet champions were divided into three groups:  media, education, and entertainment. The media group communicated the importance of Magnet through signs, posters, bulletin boards, and e-mail messages. The education group presented PowerPoints, hosted an educational fair about Magnet, created word search puzzles and "wheel of fortune" games about Magnet, and organized staff meetings at which Hannon spoke with nurses about the award. The entertainment group coordinated a 24-hour all-hospital fair, a picnic, and a poster contest. They also created songs and cheers to spark excitement about Magnet.

Organizations that successfully secure buy-in ensure staff is working toward a common goal. "One of the biggest benefits of being a Magnet hospital is working in a culture of excellence," says Beverly Hancock, MS, RN, education/quality coordinator, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago. "Earning Magnet recognition is a tremendous accomplishment, but more important is the environment the award is recognizing."

Source: Adapted from Magnet Status Advisor (April/May 2005), published by HCPro, Inc.

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Nurse Leader Weekly!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive