College : Magnet Status, The New Face Of Healthcare

Staff nurses have great responsibilities in caring for patients. Often, these nurses experience heavy workload. Heavy patient load and stress contributes to burnout. Why is burnout important to discuss in relation to nurses? Burnout affects the performance of the nurse and the quality of care he or she provides to the patient. Therefore, it is imperative that staff nurses decrease the possibility of burnout and increase or maintain excitement and enjoyment in the field of nursing. If nurses do so, they will find joy in their work and quality of patient care will be increased. Contributors to burnout and

For over a decade researchers have been performing studies examining the effects patient-to-nurse ratios have on adverse outcomes, mortality rates, and failure-to-rescue rates of patients and on job dissatisfaction and burnout experiences of nurses. Aiken, Sloane, Sochalski, and Silber (2002) performed a study which showed that each additional patient per nurse increased patient mortality within 30 days of admission by 7% and increased failure-to-rescue by 7% as well. This same study also showed that each additional patient per nurse resulted in a 23% increase in nurse burnout and a 15% increase in job dissatisfaction. Additionally, Rafferty et al. (2007) performed a study in which the results showed that patients in hospitals with higher patient-to-nurse ratios had a 26% higher mortality rate and nurses were twice as likely to have job dissatisfaction and experience burnout. Blegen, Goode, Spetz, Vaughn, and Park (2011) performed a study where results showed that more staffing hours for nurses resulted in lower rates of congestive heart failure morality, infection, and prolonged hospital stays. The same study also showed that increased nursing care from registered nurses resulted in lower infection and failure to rescue rates and fewer cases of sepsis.

Inconsistent nurse-patient ratios are a concern in hospitals across the nation because they limit nurse’s ability to provide safe patient care. Healthcare professionals such as nurses and physicians agree that current nurse staffing systems are inadequate and unreliable and not only affect patient health outcomes, but also create job dissatisfaction among medical staff (Avalere Health, 2015). A 2002 study led by RN and PhD Linda Aiken suggests that "forty percent of hospitals nurses have burnout levels that exceed the norms for healthcare workers" (Aiken, Clarke, Sloane, Sochalski & Silber, 2002). These data represents the constant struggle of nurses when trying to provide high quality care in a hospital setting.

The application process for Magnet recognition can take several years and involves the hospital as a whole. The application and appraisal process is evolved, lengthy and voluntary. It takes dedication from all involved with the institute, from the bedside nurse to the highest level of management. A facility begins the process years prior to the actual application time. During this year all in the hospital begin to implement and practice the fourteen forces of Magnetism. These forces center on nursing, from quality to leadership to monument to autonomy and even interdisciplinary relationships and professional development. (Association) Once a facility as met all of the application requirements, paid the fees, a site visit is arraigned. If all goes well, a hospital is awarded Magnet Recognition.

In today’s world, healthcare is under a microscope. Surveys are done, standards are set, and patients have the option to choose where they receive their care. Research is conducted on physicians, quality of care, and cost of care are becoming the main thoughts when choosing a hospital. When you hear “Magnet Status Hospital” (MSH) it immediately grabs your attention. What exactly sets an MSH on a higher level than one that’s not? More importantly, how does this affect the nurses? The purpose of this paper is to explain the increasing rise of MSH ‘s, why healthcare, specifically nursing, is trending in this way, how it affects nurses, and the benefits of attaining magnet status.

The Magnet Recognition Program was initially developed to attract and maintain nursing staff. According to American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) web site, the program “was developed by the ANCC to recognize health care organizations that provide nursing excellence. The program also provides a vehicle for disseminating successful nursing practices and strategies.” Nursing administration continues to have an integral role associated with the demonstration of excellence in achieving the highest honor of nursing distinction. The exploration of force one, quality of nursing leadership, continues to be the foundation of magnet recognition.

The ANCC recognizes that being Magnet recognized will entice and keep talented nurses. Nurses in Magnet facilities are encouraged to work in collaborative environments and lead with effective communication for the common goal of using evidence-based practice to focus on the patient. In addition, when nurses are pleased and a facility is advancing nursing practices, patient care and satisfaction are improved as well. The MRP is an excellent motivator for emphasis on quality patient care rather than focusing on the quantity of patients treated. Finally, in terms of looking at the benefits from a business standpoint, the MRP will grow a business when it is nationally recognized, which would lead to greater financial success as

Many healthcare organizations worldwide are striving to achieve magnet designation. Having the magnet title is essential because it recognizes healthcare organizations that act as a “magnet” for excellence by establishing a work environment that identifies, rewards, and promotes professional nursing (ANCC Magnet Designation, 2012). A magnet hospital is considered to be one where nursing provides excellent patient care, where nurses have a high level of job satisfaction, and where there is a low staff

The issue of healthcare personnel scarcity continues to be an ongoing challenge across the globe. Invariably, nurses are at the pinnacle in the delivery of quality care in any healthcare setting. The ever-increasing demands for care stem from a patient populace that is emergent, growing older and needing more care due to the escalating shift in their disease process. Hence, nurses are torn between balancing an overloaded schedule, working extra hours and maintaining astuteness and professionalism. This transcends to compromised patient care, nursing burnout makes it difficult for them to experience the rewards of caring for patients in the way they had expected; thereby, adding to the shortage of

Additionally, the study found that a high patient to nurse ratio resulted in greater emotional exhaustion and greater job dissatisfaction amongst nurses. Each additional patient per nurse was associated with a 23% increase in the likelihood of nurse burnout, and a 15% increase in the likelihood of job dissatisfaction. Moreover, 40% of hospital nurses have burnout levels exceeding the normal level for healthcare workers, and job dissatisfaction among hospital nurses is four times greater than the average for all US workers. 43% of nurses involved in this study that reported job dissatisfaction intended to leave their job within the upcoming year. (Aiken et al.)

In the 1980’s, the American Academy of Nursing’s Task Force on Nursing Practice in Hospitals conducted a study on healthcare organizations that were attracting nurses and providing excellent patient care. These characteristics became known as the “forces of magnetism.” At that time, Forty-one institutions were called “magnet” hospitals. (Mason, Leavitt, & Chaffee, 2014) In December 1990, the ANA Board of Directors approved the initial proposal for the Magnet Hospital Recognition Program for Excellence in Nursing Services. This program, now called the Magnet Recognition Program, requires hospitals to go through a multistep process in order to achieve Magnet designation. An application must be submitted, and a site visit will be conducted to review the hospitals demonstration in excellent nursing standards and a final review for credentialing will be done by the Commission on Magnet. The set of standards is known as the Magnet Model. In 2010, 370 U.S. hospitals achieved Magnet status. (Mason et al., 2014)

Nurses, always involved in patient care, sometimes experience detrimental effects with prolonged stress or “burnout” during their career throughout the years. Burnout is defined as an extended response to physical or emotional stressors. Some examples of these stressors are; memories of witnessing death, patient and family suffering, emotional stress of losing patients, feeling emotionally and physically drained, or emotional disconnect from staff which can all contribute to burnout. As a result, nurses can experience; exhaustion, anxiety, dissatisfaction and low capacity. Overall, burnout can have negative effects not just on the emotional and physical health of nurses but also on; patient satisfaction, outcomes and mortality of nurses and patients. Although, there are ways to reduce or prevent these negative effects of burnout from manifesting. For example, nurses can apply interventions to reduce these risks including; staff support, onsite counselors and psychiatrists for nurses and salary increases and reimbursement opportunities for nurses through clinical ladder programs. Nurses can also start by just saying no to certain requests, being aware of their tolerance level, by taking care of themselves and having fun outside of work. On the other hand, others do not think nursing burnout is fatal and nurses just need a break from their job to initiate change. Although, the issue of burnout is prevalent in nurse’s careers which need to be addressed more in society in

Nursing has a huge impact on quality care when viewed through the magnet professional practice model because Magnet designated hospitals are aimed at prioritizing patient care using evidence based practices.New research and innovations in healthcare anre also prompting nurses to return to school and obtain advance nursing education versus Associates degrees because Magnet Hospitals have been noted to employ a vast majority of nurses with Bachelor of Science degrees.It is the belief that

Uncertainties in America’s job market have inspired many professionals to reconsider their career path. In doing so, many people have found that the healthcare industry is an excellent choice because the field continues to grow and never stopped doing so, even when the rest of the job market declined. Nursing is one of the most common choices within healthcare; according to the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2013 there were 2,661,890 registered nurses in the United States. However, there are some aspects of the job that are more difficult than people may initially consider, especially the high stress level associated with this profession. When the demands and pressure of a job are high, it can impact employees in a negative way, in turn compromising the level of care they deliver to their patients.

When nurses are burnout patient safety is compromised. When nurses have a high workload infection rates increase according to a study in Pensylvania. When nurses see more patients than usual they are more likely to burn out. When nurses have to manually lift their pateitns and push their pixes, perform, activities of daily living, administer medications and document care. This will increase job dissatisfaction, decrease patient care quality, increase medication errors and unapplied infection control procedures.