When it comes to choosing a hospital for yourself or for a family member, only the best should be deemed good enough. When it comes to finding a health care facility as a place of employment, the same is also true. There are many ways that hospitals are ranked these days and plenty of lists abound claiming that facilities are at the top of their game. However, how can you know that a hospital truly is high-quality? One of the best things to look for is Magnet recognition.
What Is a Magnet Hospital?
A Magnet hospital is one that has been recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, or ANCC, as one of the best. This designation truly sets hospitals apart as less than 10 percent of hospitals in the United States currently have Magnet status. To become a Magnet hospital, facilities must prove their excellence in five areas, which include the following:
-Strong nurse leadership across the organization
-Employee empowerment with plenty of professional development
-Excellent professional practices
-Innovative practices
-Positive patient outcomes
The Benefits of Going to a Magnet Hospital
For those searching for health care, choosing a Magnet hospital is a smart decision that can clearly lead to better outcomes than could be found elsewhere. In fact, studies have proven this by showing decreased mortality rates, falls and pressure ulcers along with increased patient safety when comparing these hospitals to their non-Magnet counterparts. In addition, patients generally express high overall satisfaction with the level of care they receive in these facilities.
The Benefits of Working at a Magnet Hospital
However, if you are a nurse, you have even more reasons for choosing a Magnet-designated hospital as your workplace. These hospitals are known for high nurse retention rates along with great employee satisfaction. You will experience solid leadership from your nurse managers and will find that decision-making takes a more decentralized approach, letting you take part in many decisions on your unit. Being able to practice this type of autonomy can prepare you for leadership roles in the future, helping you take your career where you want it to go. Another good reason to choose this type of hospital is that nurse safety is usually high in these facilities. There are fewer back injuries and muscular strains and fewer needle-stick injuries when compared to other facilities. All of this can lead to less stress on the job and a lower risk of nurse burnout.
Becoming a Magnet hospital is certainly not easy. It takes most facilities over four years to get to this point and costs over $2 million in most cases. However, the good news is that most hospitals see a positive return on their investment within two years following accreditation thanks to increased revenue.
Are you interested in working for a Magnet hospital, or are you interested in seeing your current place of employment achieve Magnet status? By reaching for professional excellence yourself, you can become a leader on your unit and improve overall working conditions. You can also inspire nurses around you to achieve professional certifications to allow them to provide better patient care while improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. Look into some of the certification class options offered by Project Heartbeat today to see how you can make a difference in your hospital.
