UHealth’s Nurse Magnet Journey Begins with Nursing Week Kickoff and Clinic Events

The long process for nursing at UHealth to achieve accreditation in the Magnet Recognition Program — an acknowledgement of excellence in nursing care awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center — began with its “Magic of Magnet” kickoff during National Nurses Week and has continued with subsequent events held at UHealth clinics.

“Achieving Magnet status means you have set the bar high for nursing, expecting nothing less than the gold standard for nursing practice,” said Elizabeth Smith, D.N.P., RN, chief nurse executive for University of Miami Hospital and Clinics. “It means advancing the profession of nursing to the highest level possible — and going beyond that. It also means highlighting our image and visibility in the community as leaders in health care committed to nursing excellence, and as the employer of choice for nurses.”

The Magic of Magnet kickoff was the centerpiece of UHealth’s observance of National Nurses Week. In a large meeting area at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, a variety of booths and exhibits offered a mix of information and interactive games and activities, all in support of the Magnet effort. Edward Abraham, M.D., CEO of UHealth, helped open the kickoff on the first morning.

“The importance of nurses as essential members of the health care delivery team has grown exponentially,” he and Miller School Dean Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., said in a message to the entire health system. “They are in many ways the central component of patient care because they spend the greatest amount of time with our patients. They know the importance of being in a relationship with our patients and their families, making sure they understand the care we are providing, and what is likely to happen in the future.”

The Magnet Recognition Program focuses on advancing three goals within each Magnet organization:

1. Promoting quality in a setting that supports professional practice
2. Identifying excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients
3. Disseminating best practices in nursing services

The program measures quality in five ways:

1. Transformational Leadership
2. Structural Empowerment
3. Exemplary Professional Practice
4. New Knowledge, Innovation, and Improvement
5. Empirical Quality Results

“The results are improvements in positive outcomes for our patients, in patient experience, in nursing and in recruiting the best nurses,” said Dr. Smith. “But it will help the health system overall. Only about 7 percent of hospitals in the U.S. have magnet status. For us, as the only academic medical center in South Florida, having magnet status will say a lot.”

The majority of UHealth nurses already know about the benefits of Magnet recognition.

“It means that I work for an organization that truly stands behind me and values nursing,” said Sylvia Mendez, B.S.N., RN, CPN, a pediatrics nurse specialist. “It gives you a voice and a chance to create and implement changes that can make a difference.”

Randi Alfonzo, B.S.N., RN, executive director of UHealth Emergency Services agreed:

“Magnet means that we are considered an important part of the organization and are not just considered workers,” she said. “It is a way to show the pride we have in being nurses and encourage others to want to be a part of our team.”

The Magnet “Journey,” as the application process is called, is also a good sales point for recruiting.

“When we recruit now, we advertise that we are on the Magnet Journey, and it helps,” Dr. Smith said. “Many of our nurses are already at the Magnet standard; we just don’t have that designation yet.”

To maintain the interest and excitement in the Magnet Journey, Dr. Smith is planning quarterly events across the system, each of which will focus on one of the Magnet program’s five quality measures.

In addition, the UHealth Magnet team is collaborating with UM’s School of Nursing and Health Studies to ensure that the curriculum gives students the skills they will need as nursing professionals, and  provides UHealth nurses with academic guidance to generate ideas for research, best practices, and support for completion of their projects.

“It’s all about making a difference,” said Deborah A. Piehl, M.S.N., RN, director of UHealth Nursing Professional Practice and Compliance, Magnet and Nursing Accreditation Programs. “If we want to have the best outcomes, we have to have the best culture. There is so much nurses here can do. They can develop their own best practices, disseminate them, and make them the new standard for nursing in this country and the world. It can start here. We’ve already done that through our Nursing Research and Evidence-based Practice Council.”

Application for Magnet recognition is a series of steps:

• Submission of an electronic application

• Submission of written documentation demonstrating qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding patient care and outcomes

• An on-site visit followed by an appraisal report

• Review of the appraisal report and a vote by the Commission on Magnet

• Granting of Magnet status for four years, which must be maintained and supported by annual interim reports demonstrating that the level of performance is maintained over that period of time. Then seeking re-designation by submission of a new application with evidence and supporting documents demonstrating that the level of performance continues to exceed national benchmarks

The initial application will be filed at the end of this year, with a site visit expected in late 2023 or early 2024.

Tags: American Nurses Credentialing Center, Magnet Journey, Magnet Recognition Program