The Magnet Recognition Program sponsored by the American Nurses Credentialing Center is a nationwide effort to recognize the quality of a hospitals nursing program. At Jackson Health System, which is currently going through the Magnet journey, it has already sparked positive changes, new programs and re-energized nurses systemwide.
The Magnet designation identifies healthcare organizations that have a proven record of nursing excellence. Magnet status, which requires a long application and review process, encourages collaborative working relationships between nurses and physicians, and helps to recruit and retain nurses with the most experience and expertise. Jackson Health System is an integrated healthcare delivery system consisting of Jackson Memorial Hospital, Holtz Childrens Hospital, Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital, Jackson North Medical Center, Jackson South Community Hospital, 12 primary care centers, 16 school-based clinics and other facilities. As the countys public health system, Jackson is continually striving to improve its medical services and attract the most experienced healthcare professionals in order to continue to meet the needs of the residents it serves. Jackson began the Magnet application process in October 2006 and immediately implemented a shared governance model of leadership to involve, empower and motivate nurses to be active in all levels of the health system, from key decision-making and planning boards to becoming leaders and making changes in their own departments. Key components to the shared governance model are unit practice councils. These are grass roots councils in each department made up of nurses elected from that unit. Currently, there are 15 of these councils throughout the health system with more forming each week. The ultimate goal is to have about 90 councils, with one representing every facility or unit. To help implement and facilitate the councils, Jacksons Center for Nursing Excellence recently received a $232,000 grant from the Health Foundation of South Florida. Each elected council goes through training where they learn how to be effective leaders, ways to address problems from different angles and how to use their positive experiences in individual departments to make changes systemwide. “Our nurses are an integral part of Jackson Health System and we want to empower them to make positive changes,” said Jane Mass, R.N., M.S.N., C.N.A.A.M., senior vice president and chief nursing officer. “The unit practice councils are an avenue for nurses to come together and improve their units, then share with each other which processes and procedures work best and what changes have the most positive impact on our patients.” So far, the unit practice councils have done just that. The nurses serving on various councils have taken on projects including changing reporting standards between shift changes, dividing work based on acuity instead of by the number of patients, and surveying their peers to find out what challenges and problems fellow nurses feel need to be addressed. “We saw positive results almost immediately,” said Ann-Lynn Denker, A.R.N.P., Ph.D., magnet project director and nursing research coordinator. “Not only do the nurses have the power to make changes, but they are re-energized and finding meaningful, creative ways to go the extra mile for our patients at Jackson.”
