St. Joseph Medical Center has again attained Magnet® recognition as part of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. It is the third straight time St. Joseph has earned this recognition. This voluntary credentialing program for hospitals recognizes excellence in nursing and it is the highest honor an organization can receive for professional nursing practice.
“Magnet recognition is a tremendous honor and reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to this community,” said Deb Ohnoutka, Chief Nursing Officer of St. Joseph. “To earn Magnet recognition once was a great accomplishment and an incredible source of pride for our nurses. The second time even more so, but this third time, eight years after our first recognition, underscores the foundation of excellence and values that drives our entire staff to strive harder each day to meet the healthcare needs of the people we serve.”
To achieve initial Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. The process begins with the submission of an electronic application, followed by written documentation demonstrating qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding patient care and outcomes. If scores from the written documentation fall within a range of excellence, an on-site visit will occur to thoroughly assess the applicant. After this rigorous onsite review process, the Commission on Magnet reviews the completed appraisal report and votes to determine whether Magnet recognition will be granted. The vote to grant Magnet Recognition to St. Joseph was unanimous.
The Magnet model is designed to provide a framework for nursing practice, research and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC can assess applicants across a number of components and dimensions to gauge an organization’s nursing excellence. The foundation of this model is composed of various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. Appraisers were particularly complimentary of St. Joseph’s nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, and recognized that patient safety is “embedded” in St. Joseph’s culture.