Jacksonville, Florida, December 17, 2007 -- In December 2007, Wolfson Children's Hospital was notified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) that it has achieved recognition as a Magnet™ hospital, an international quality designation enjoyed by less than five percent of hospitals in the country. Wolfson is part of Baptist Health, the largest health system in the country to achieve status as a Magnet Health Care System and the only multi-hospital health system in Northeast Florida to do so.
Magnet status is considered the "gold standard" for nursing and clinical care. The distinction comes after more than three years of extensive documentation and evaluation of Baptist Health's clinical care and work environment at its five hospitals plus Baptist Home Health Care. The ANCC, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association that awards Magnet Status, looked at nearly 100 criteria in evaluating care at Baptist.
"Magnet Recognition is the result of years of work by our nurses, physicians and staff to develop the highest standards of care, to build a culture of shared leadership, and to exemplify the role of nurses as leaders," says A. Hugh Greene, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health. "It is a tribute to each and every one of our employees, physicians, board members and volunteers who have made this achievement possible."
Magnet status is the highest honor an organization can receive for excellence in nursing and quality patient care,” says Carolyn Johnson, vice president of Patient Care Services at Wolfson. "It not only recognizes our outstanding nurses and the care they provide, but all of our employees and the collaboration we enjoy at Wolfson and throughout Baptist Health. Magnet status reflects the culture of caring and excellence that we are known for in our community."
Researchers who have compared Magnet hospitals to those that haven't earned the quality status have found that Magnet hospitals enjoy better patient outcomes, including lower mortality rates and higher patient satisfaction. Likewise, nurses at Magnet hospitals report higher morale and perceive the care being given by their institutions as better.
Studies also show that Magnet-designated hospitals outperform in recruiting and retaining nurses -- vital activities, especially given projections that the current national shortage of nurses will only get worse in the coming decade. Documentation shows that nurses at Magnet hospitals consider them good places to work. The hospitals themselves have lower staff turnover and vacancy rates, contributing to more consistent quality and performance.
A study in the Journal of Nursing Administration found that Magnet hospitals are "infused with quality care, nurse autonomy, informal and non-rigid verbal communication, innovation, bringing out the best in each individual, and striving for excellence." High-quality nursing creates a "halo" effect, as well, making a hospital more attractive to nurses' colleagues, including physicians and ancillary staff.
The rigorous process of achieving Magnet Status at Baptist Health began in 2003. A steering committee started documenting the practice of nursing throughout Wolfson and the system's four adult hospitals, focusing on 14 key nursing standards such as quality of care, planning, implementation, evaluation, education and ethics. Required documentation included descriptions of "the innovative, dynamic, excellence-focused features of the organization."
Baptist Health submitted more than 2,000 pages of documentation demonstrating achievements in patient care, nurse satisfaction, quality improvement and nursing research. The health system scored within a "range of excellence," earning a site visit from four nurse appraisers from the ANCC and the Magnet Recognition Program®. The appraisers conducted a comprehensive review of Wolfson Children's Hospital, Baptist Medical Centers (Downtown, South, Beaches and Nassau) and Baptist Home Health Care over five days in fall 2007, meeting with more than 1,000 nurses, physicians, employees in other disciplines, executive leadership, community members and board members. The team visited nursing units throughout the system and discussed Baptist Health care and nursing practice with patients, visitors, health care team members and other employees.