The Magnet Award is the highest award a hospital can receive for outstanding achievement in nursing services. The ANCC is affiliated with the American Nurses Association (ANA). Rush was notified on May 31 that it would receive the prestigious award.
Hospitals that receive Magnet status are noteworthy for their excellence and innovation in nursing, and evidence suggests that organizations with these characteristics have improved overall patient outcomes. Other studies of Magnet hospitals have shown that they have shorter lengths of patient stay, higher rates of patient satisfaction and greater cost-efficiency.
Rush received Magnet designation after a two-year evaluation process that started with a voluminous application and ended with an exhaustive, onsite inspection by ANCC reviewers in April, said Beverly Hancock, MS, RN, education and quality coordinator at Rush. In order to qualify for Magnet status, Rush first had to meet high standards on 14 core areas and several sub- categories for a total of 95 areas before moving to the full application level.
Eight binders of documentation addressing the 95 criteria for excellence were submitted by Rush. Hancock pointed out that the reviewers are particularly interested in how nurses are reducing medical errors, improving patient satisfaction, raising patient care standards and improving the work environment. Following that application, the ANCC staff conducted an onsite review in early April in which they compared the written responses in the application to what actually happens in
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Contact: Chris Martin
cmartin@rsh.net
312-942-7820
Rush University Medical Center
4-Jun-2002