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Massachusetts Nurses Association opposes Magnet Recognition program

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, December 17, 2004

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The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) opposes the Magnet recognition program for nursing services in hospitals, calling it the latest industry strategy to avoid safe nurse-to-patient ratios, according to a statement the group released November 17.

Many hospital and nursing administrators have recently embraced Magnet Recognition as a vehicle for boosting public confidence in their nursing care, improving retention of nursing staff, and increasing reimbursement for services by the federal government and private insurers, MNA claims.

However, the MNA views Magnet as "a pure marketing ploy that trades on the public's trust in nurses as a vehicle for burnishing the hospital's image." The MNA states that true quality of care can only be achieved when laws guarantee safe nurse-to-patient ratios, and when nurses are provided with the legally protected right to influence and improve their working conditions.

The statement likens Magnet Recognition to high-priced, consultant-driven programs that do not guarantee quality patient care or conditions that will protect nursing practice.

The nursing community has evaluated the effectiveness of voluntary accreditation programs, including the JCAHO, for years. The MNA calls JCAHO accreditation "a farce," as it does not provide true evaluation of the quality of care in hospitals.

To read the full position statement, visit http://www.massnurses.org/pubs/positions/magnet.htm.

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