Magnet Journey Blog

by Debra Taylor, RN, MBA

Feel the pull?

As nurses, we are pulled in several different directions every day.  Our patients, their families, physicians, colleagues, supervisors, our personal lives…the list is endless!  However for any professional nurse the strongest pull is to deliver the best possible, evidenced based nursing practice for the patients entrusted to our care.  People go to the hospital to receive nursing care for themselves or their loved one. With this in mind it is important to have the highest quality nursing care in order to meet the needs and expectations of our patients. Through nursing excellence the hospital can attract both highly qualified physicians and nurses and the best ancillary staff available to provide exemplary care.

In essence, this is the magnetic force pulling us on this journey toward excellence.

Magnet designation is the recognition of the value of the bedside nurse to your facility.  The benefits of Magnet designation cannot be limited to nursing alone.  In facilities that achieve Magnet designation, there is a phenomenon called the “Magnet Culture” that is created in an environment where empowerment, pride, mentoring, mutual respect, and integrity exist among the nursing professionals and extends to the ancillary departments nursing interfaces with every day.  Highly talented and motivated nurses attract physicians to an organization because the providers know their patients are in exceptional hands.

The Tenet Patient Care Services team has a goal to start each of our facilities on the Pathway To Excellence or the Magnet Journey this year. Congratulations to those facilities that have reached these goals. As the CNO of a facility that is moving to get on the Pathway To Excellence I would love to hear about the rewards as well as the challenges during the journey.