WVU Healthcare receives Magnet® re-designation
Only hospital in West Virginia to receive one of nursing’s highest honors
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – To be selected for Magnet® designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), hospitals must have a proven track record of excellence in nursing services. In short, they are the country’s elite hospitals. For the third time, WVU Healthcare has been named a Magnet hospital.
WVU Healthcare became the first and only West Virginia hospital to achieve such recognition when it was originally recognized with the Magnet designation in 2005. WVU Healthcare received the designation again in 2009, and with the most recent recognition, it remains the state’s only Magnet hospital.
“It is a tremendous point of pride for us to have once again achieved Magnet designation at WVU Healthcare. Magnet designation is a symbol of not only nursing excellence and leadership but of our organizational commitment to outstanding patient care,” Albert Wright, president and CEO of WVU Healthcare, said. “It is one of the most difficult credentials to achieve in the healthcare industry, and our dedicated team has done it again.”
The Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing philosophy and practice, adherence to national standards for improving patient care, leadership and sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity. Fewer than 400 of the nearly 6,000 hospitals in the U.S. have received Magnet designation.
Magnet designation helps consumers locate healthcare organizations that have a proven level of excellence in nursing care. Independent research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that receive Magnet status and to the communities they serve.
Facilities receiving Magnet recognition consistently outperform other facilities in recruiting and retaining nurses – resulting in increased stability in patient care and positive outcomes. In addition, these facilities have lower mortality rates and shorter lengths of stay. At Magnet facilities, nurses also spend more time at the bedside of patients, and patients report greater satisfaction with their care.
“We are very proud to be the only hospital in West Virginia to receive Magnet designation. This recognition is not only about nursing excellence, but it’s also about organizational excellence,” Dottie Oakes, R.N., WVU Healthcare chief nursing officer, said. “Nursing is the largest healthcare workforce, and the more developed and educated nurses are, the better the outcomes and patient care.”
In 1983, the American Academy of Nursing’s task force on nursing practice in hospitals conducted a study of U.S. hospitals. The research identified and described variables that created an environment that attracted and retained well-qualified nurses. These variables were called “forces of magnetism,” and the institutions were called “Magnets” because they attracted and kept good nurses. The study found that quality patient care was provided through sustaining excellence in nursing services.
The ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association and is the largest and most prominent nursing credentialing organization in the United States. WVU Healthcare’s Magnet status, which includes annual reviews, is valid for four years.
Photo caption: On Wednesday, Feb. 18, administrators and staff received the news about and promptly celebrated WVU Healthcare’s re-designation as the state’s only Magnet® hospital.