What It Takes to Be ‘Magnetic’: Fourteen Forces of Magnet Hospitals
Like a magnet that irresistibly draws iron to itself, some hospitals easily attract and retain nurses.
What makes these hospitals so ‘magnetic’?
That’s what the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) wanted to find out during the U.S. nursing shortage in 1983. What they discovered was simple:
According to the analysis, hospitals that retained highly qualified nurses were able to consistently provide high-quality care.
AAN’s analysis found that “magnet” hospitals—those with a high rate of nursing recruitment and retention—excelled in fourteen areas. The analysis outcome led to the development of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®.
Today the ANCC, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA), awards the Magnet designation to hospitals whose nursing organization demonstrates elements of these fourteen characteristics—or “forces of magnetism”:
- Quality of nursing leadership
- Organizational structure
- Management style
- Personnel policies and programs
- Professional models of care
- Quality of care
- Quality improvement
- Consultation and resources
- Autonomy
- Community and the health care organization
- Nurses as teachers
- Image of nursing
- Interdisciplinary relationships
- Professional development
Although the number of applications has risen nearly 70-fold since 1993, fewer than 5% of all U.S. hospitals and healthcare networks have achieved ANCC Magnet Recognition status. In the future, this blog will provide relevant, practical information to assist your organization in your quest to achieve and maintain Magnet designation.
In 2008 the ANCC revised its Magnet model and the 14 Forces were melded into the 5 Components—a much simpler model for those of us who have worked in both!
Now, the 5 Components include:
1. Transformational Leadership
2. Structural Empowerment
3. Exemplary Professional Practice
4. New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements
5. Empirical Outcomes
The path to Magnet desination lies in engaging the nursing staff to tell their stories and demonstrating that the clinical outcomes they achieve are measured and maintained over time.
By Paula Forte on Jun, 29th 2010
one of the reasons that there is a shortage of nurses is because there is also a shortage of nurse educators
LVN Modesto
By LVN Program on Aug, 23rd 2010
That is right Paula! Look at for more posts about Magnet designation from Mosby’s Nursing Suite. We will be touching on those components more in depth in the future.
And, the shortage of nurse educators is a problem. Hopefully, more nurses now will mean more nurse educators in the future!
By Mosby's Nursing Suite on Sep, 16th 2010
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