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It’s one of the highest levels of recognition a hospital can achieve. Lutheran Hospital has been named a recipient of the Magnet™ award for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Lutheran is the first hospital in northeast Indiana and one of only six in the state to achieve this designation. According to the ANCC, less than 3 percent of the nation’s hospitals have qualified for Magnet status.
“What may be most satisfying about achieving Magnet status is that we didn’t have to fundamentally change who we are as a hospital,” says Magnet Project Coordinator Wendy Schlagenhauf, RN. “It simply acknowledges the excellent work our nurses do each day and reflects the total commitment Lutheran associates have always made to provide outstanding patient care.”
The Magnet Recognition Program™ recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing philosophy and practice, adherence to national standards for improving patient care, leadership and sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity. Applicants undergo a rigorous evaluation that includes extensive interviews and review of nursing services, clinical outcomes and patient care. Lutheran’s evaluation lasted more than two years. Research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that are awarded Magnet status and to the communities they serve:
- Magnet-designated facilities consistently outperform other facilities in recruiting and retaining nurses – resulting in increased stability in patient care and positive patient outcomes.
- Because quality nursing is one of the most important factors in enlisting high-caliber physicians and specialists, Magnet status becomes an attractive force that extends to the entire facility.
- Magnet-designated facilities have lower mortality rates and shorter lengths of stay.
- Health care consumers have more confidence in the overall quality of a hospital if it has achieved the level of nursing standards established by the Magnet Recognition Program.
Local educators recognize the widespread impact a Magnet hospital can have on a community.
“Magnet status is important because it acknowledges that Lutheran acts as a ‘magnet’ for nursing excellence,” says Nancy Nightingale Gillespie, PhD, RN, Dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of Saint Francis. “Nursing excellence includes advanced education, participation in hospital leadership, evidenced based practice, high levels of satisfaction among nurses and patients, and improved patient outcomes.”
Lutheran’s Magnet status, which includes annual reviews, is valid for four years. Hospital officials believe participation and cooperation and at all levels is crucial to meet Magnet standards.
“Our staff is actively involved in decision making, and with our continual focus on quality patient care, we challenge each other to take our practice to the next level,” says Diane Springer, RN, BSN, MS, chief nursing officer, Lutheran Hospital. “Exemplary communication amongst nurses, physicians, patients, families and support staff is a major reason why Lutheran has become a Magnet designated hospital.”
The ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association and is the largest and most prominent nursing credentialing organization in the United States. To learn more about the Magnet Recognition Program, click here...
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