What Magnet Nursing Means for Nurses

Magnet nursing is just one of the things that makes Emory nursing different for your patients, your career and your future.

Since the American Academy of Nursing established the Magnet Hospital Recognition Program for Excellence in Nursing Services in 1990, fewer than 10% of the nation’s hospitals have qualified. And four of them are Emory Healthcare hospitals. In fact, Emory Healthcare is the only health system in Georgia with four hospitals with Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

• Emory University Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital (EUOSH) received its first designation in 2016.
• Emory University Hospital received its second Magnet designation in 2018.
• Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital earned its sixth straight Magnet designation in 2019, making it the first community hospital in the world to earn six consecutive designations.
• Emory Johns Creek Hospital received its first Magnet designation in 2020.

According to the ANCC, Magnet designation is “steadfast proof of a hard-earned commitment to excellence in health care, with contented nurses at its heart.” And apparently, it’s working — nurses at Magnet hospitals reported higher job satisfaction and more desire to stay on the job than nurses at non-Magnet hospitals, according to a Gallup poll. Studies have shown higher patient safety and better outcomes at Magnet hospitals as well.

Becoming a Magnet hospital is a long process and a big investment. Magnet hospitals must meet a long list of rigorous requirements designed to support these five components and their “forces of magnetism”:

• Empirical quality results

- Quality of care

• Exemplary professional practice

- Autonomy

- Consultation and resources

- Interdisciplinary relationships

- Nurses as teachers

- Professional models of care

• New knowledge, innovation and improvements

- Quality improvement

• Structural empowerment

- Community and the health care organization

- Image of nursing

- Organizational structure

- Personnel policies and programs

- Professional development

• Transformational leadership

- Management style

- Quality of nursing leadership

Studies and surveys have compared Magnet hospitals to non-Magnet hospitals and found that nurses, as well as patients, reap the benefits of a Magnet nursing environment, including:

• A positive, supportive work environment
• Being valued by administration and clinical staff
• Educated, competent and committed colleagues
• Lower patient-to-nurse ratio
• More autonomy at the bedside
• More job satisfaction and less risk of burnout
• Opportunities for further education and research

Magnet nursing aims to create and support strong leaders, who are confident and empowered to make clinical decisions. Nurse leaders help design evidence-based practice guidelines, processes and care plans, and contribute to a culture of multi-disciplinary and robust collaboration, where nurses are valued and respected members of the health care team.

Magnet hospitals tend to employ more nurses with advanced degrees, such as the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), although it’s not required. Many Magnet hospitals, including Emory Healthcare hospitals — have generous tuition reimbursement programs for nurses who want to continue their education.

Find out more about nursing at Emory Healthcare and our Magnet nursing program.

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