Press Releases

May 24, 2018

Brigham and Women's Hospital Achieves Magnet ® Recognition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brigham and Women's Hospital Achieves Magnet ® Recognition

Magnet recognition is the highest national honor for nursing excellence.

Brigham and Women's Hospital achieved Magnet recognition on Thursday as a reflection of its nursing professionalism, teamwork and superiority in patient care. The American Nurses Credentialing Center's Magnet Recognition Program ® distinguishes organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence.

With this credential, BWH joins the global community of Magnet-recognized organizations and just 7 hospitals in Massachusetts that have achieved Magnet recognition. The news was received by BWH President Elizabeth G. Nabel, MD, and Chief Nursing Officer Madelyn Pearson, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, on Thursday. The two were joined by dozens of nurses, doctors, administrators, and other allied professional and support personnel to celebrate the news, which was delivered by Jeanette R. Ives Erickson, RN, DNP, FAAN, a member of the Commission on Magnet Recognition.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital Achieves Magnet ® Recognition from BWH Public Affairs on Vimeo.

“We know that our hospital embodies the rigorous standards of the Magnet hospitals that consistently deliver the highest level of care and patient experience, which is why the designation is so meaningful. It extolls the work we do together each day,” said Nabel.

“We are exceptionally proud of our 3,500 nurses for this well-deserved recognition of the care they provide with the multidisciplinary team,” said Pearson. “Receiving Magnet designation affirms what we and our patients already knew: that nursing care at the Brigham is second to none.”

Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and their communities, such as:

  • Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help and receipt of discharge information.
  • Lower risk of 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue rates.
  • Higher job satisfaction among nurses.
  • Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave their positions.

Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is a factor when the public judges health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report's annual showcase of “America's Best Hospitals” includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.

The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC evaluates applicants across a number of components and dimensions to gauge an organization’s nursing excellence. The foundation of this model comprises various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.

To achieve Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes an electronic application, written patient care documentation, an on-site visit, and a review by the Commission on Magnet Recognition.

The Magnet Recognition Program — administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world — identifies health care organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice. The Magnet Recognition Program is the highest national honor for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet Recognition Program and current statistics, visit www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet.