How to Approach a Magnet Program With Non-Nursing Personnel

Magnet status is given to hospitals that have met specific nursing criteria. The American Nurses Credentialing Center provides this award. Magnet hospital nurses have high job satisfaction and deliver the best patient outcomes; there is low nursing turnover and nurses are involved in patient care decision making as well as data collecting. Besides providing excellent care, these Magnet facilities show that they value their nursing staff. While nurses are an important part of the Magnet status, it is interaction with staff and the health care team that is also an important part of the program.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify those areas that do not require nursing staff. The Magnet program also stresses data collection and communication between different parties. The organization, scheduling and computer input of this data and meetings do not have to be completed by nurses. Remember that Magnet status is given to a hospital or health care facility, not just the nurses. In particular, the data collection that is needed can significantly overextend the current resources at hospitals.

• 2

  Contract or hire any necessary employees who specialize in specific non-nursing areas that relate to quality benchmarks required by the Magnet status. For example, if new patient surveys need to be produced periodically and the information from these surveys analyzed, look at employing an individual with experience in surveys or companies that specialize in this data analysis. Administrative individuals who can create and maintain databases are very important, as specific computer-related skills are needed for databases.

• 3

  Collect patient satisfaction data, as this information may frequently be collected once the patient has left the hospital. Non-nursing staff can be used to collect this information, as well as information from the nurses about their job satisfaction, as impartial individuals who are not part of the nursing program would be the best to collect this data.

• 4

  Look at the chain of services and information needed for Magnet status. Identify those areas where nurses are required and those areas -- mainly databases, surveys and administration -- in which nursing training is not required. You will find that much of achieving Magnet status relies on data collection and report writing, two steps that do not rely specifically on nursing.