Magnet Hospital: Your assurance
of quality nursing care
When preparing for surgery or a procedure, you face enough difficult decisions without having to worry whether you’ve made the right hospital choice for your treatment and recovery.
But how can you be sure if a hospital delivers the high quality care you deserve?
One question you should ask before making a decision: Is it a Magnet hospital?
If it is, then you know it’s a healthcare organization that provides a high standard of nursing care.
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When you're a patient at Lancaster General, skilled nurses are by
your side when you need them. Nurses Deborah Heisey, RN (left)
and Leslie Hartman (right) give Mary Lou Neifert of Lancaster
(center) a helping hand. |
Fortunately,
Lancaster County is home to one of
Pennsylvania’s eight Magnet
hospitals: Lancaster General.
“The main reason someone stays in the hospital is because they need nursing care during recovery,” says Norma Ferdinand, Senior Vice President, Lancaster General Hospital Operations and Chief Nursing Officer. “So choosing a hospital with a reputation for outstanding nursing care should be a top consideration.”
Lancaster General Hospital was named a Magnet hospital in 2002 and recently earned a four-year recertification for excellence in nursing services. It is one of only 238 healthcare providers nationwide awarded this status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Shared decision-making
In order to achieve Magnet designation, a hospital must demonstrate that its nurses are providing patients with a quality of care that meets high standards.
How does Lancaster General achieve this high level of care?
| By Your Side |
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Diana Crawford, RN
Working as a nurse with
a diverse group of
neuroscience patients on
7 West is both challenging
and rewarding for Diana.
Whether she's talking to
a patient about his or her
condition, anxiety about
a test or upcoming surgery,
Diana does all she can to
ease the patient's mind.
“Giving a patient the
attention he or she needs
at that moment can be
very beneficial and is
satisfying to me as a
nurse,” she says.
Diana serves on her unit
education council, the
hospital nursing research
committee, and helps with
community stroke screenings
and education lectures.
For four years, Diana has
exemplified Lancaster
General's commitment
to standing by your side. |
“Nurses at Magnet hospitals are passionate about the care they provide, and that’s important to our patients,” Norma says. If they face a challenging situation, nurses can network with other Magnet hospitals that faced similar difficulties and find out what they did to overcome the problem.
“The nurses at Lancaster General are providing quality care by continually looking at what we are doing and trying to find ways to improve,” adds Judi Brendle, MSN, RN, Director, Evidence Based Practice/Nursing Research at Lancaster General.
“Magnet hospitals rely on nurses to suggest ways to improve patient care,” Judi says. “Shared decision making is important at Lancaster General, even when it comes to architectural or design changes at the hospital. After all, who knows better where things
should be than the people who work in that environment every day?”
Some recent innovations that have emerged from ideas and suggestions introduced by nurses have included:
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New, more comfortable attire for patients
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Using red slippers to identify patients at a higher risk for falling
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Improvements in techniques to reduce infection, such as better hand washing efforts
“We encourage creativity… we don’t just settle for what’s worked for the last 20 years,” Judi says.
A nursing magnet
As a result of a commitment to a high level of care, Magnet hospitals are also able to attract highly skilled nurses.
“It’s a place where nurses feel valued, and where they have the resources to do the job that needs to be done,” Judi says. “It is a very appealing work environment.”
“When you work at a Magnet hospital, then you know you are in a center of nursing excellence,” adds Deb Heisey, RN and Telemetry Care Facilitator.
She says Magnet hospitals appeal to nurses since these hospitals share common traits such as:
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Giving nurses a voice in patient care
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A clear structure where everyone understands their specific role in patient care
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Excellent collaboration between doctors and nurses
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Commitment to training and continuing education
“I enjoy having a voice in how I practice,” Deb says. “It’s important to feel that the leadership team values you for your contribution.
“To work at a hospital that’s committed to a culture of excellence and high standards is invaluable,” she adds. “It’s rewarding to practice among highly skilled nurses.”
As a result, Magnet hospitals are able to attract top skilled nurses seeking employment. “When I ask nursing candidates from outside this area why they are interested in working at Lancaster General Hospital, the response is usually, ‘because of your Magnet designation,’ ” Deb says.
“Lancaster General’s nursing staff has a long-standing tradition of leadership, clinical excellence, collaboration and concern for patient safety,” says Thomas E. Beeman, Lancaster General President & CEO. “Magnet redesignation is a testament to the high standards which the ANCC requires, and which our patients deserve.”
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