The Miriam Hospital receives fifth Magnet® designation for nursing excellence
The Miriam Hospital has again attained Magnet recognition as part of the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. The voluntary credentialing program for hospitals recognizes excellence in nursing and is the highest honor an organization can receive for professional nursing practice.
The unanimous ANCC decision to redesignate The Miriam was based on its continued adherence to rigorous national standards of nursing practice, as well as meeting specific goals for nurse certification and nurse satisfaction and engagement. The Miriam is one of only four hospitals nationwide to achieve Magnet designation for a fifth time.
"We are so proud and thrilled to receive our fifth Magnet designation," said Maria Ducharme, MS, RN, NEA-BC, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at The Miriam. "This is a celebration and recognition of our unique culture at The Miriam and the standards of nursing excellence that are ingrained in our model of patient care."
To achieve 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 on-site review process, the Commission on Magnet will review the completed appraisal report and vote to determine whether Magnet recognition will be granted. Currently there are 410 ANCC Magnet-recognized organizations.
"This is another real testament to our commitment to nursing excellence and the high level of nursing care that The Miriam provides to our patients day in and day out," said Arthur Sampson, president of The Miriam Hospital. "Earning our fifth consecutive Magnet designation is very rare, and we're very proud. I commend our entire team for the efforts they make day in and day out to provide our patients with exemplary care."
Organizations seeking to reapply for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence of how Magnet concepts, performance, and quality were sustained and improved over the four-year period since the hospital received its designation. The Miriam first achieved Magnet designation in 1998 and has since reearned the credential every four years. Newport Hospital, also a Lifespan partner, achieved its third Magnet designation in 2014. The Miriam and Newport hospitals are the only two organizations in Rhode Island to achieve the designation and are among 21 Magnet hospitals in New England.
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. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.
Magnet recognition has been shown to provide specific benefits to hospitals and their communities, such as:
- Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help, and receipt of discharge information;
- Lower risk of 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue;
- Higher job satisfaction among nurses; and
- Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave a position.
Provided by Lifespan